The Waisman Early Childhood Program has received notice that its application for accreditation has been approved by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The accreditation process was carried out over the past 12 months and involved a self assessment that was completed by teachers, staff and families, submission of an extensive application, and an accreditation site visit by NAEYC, according to Dan Bier, associate director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). The WECP is part of the Early Childhood Unit within the Waisman Center’s UCEDD.
“While the entire WECP staff deserve credit for their efforts to secure this important accreditation,” says Bier, “special acknowledgement goes to WECP Director Joan Ershler, and Kerri Lynch, a longtime WECP teacher.”
NAEYC is the nation’s largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade. Its accreditation process measures standards of excellence in the areas of health, safety, staff qualifications, classroom environment, learning programs, and children’s activities. The purpose of NAEYC Accreditation is to improve the quality of care and education provided for young children in group programs in the United States.