On-campus childcare center earns national accreditation ? The ...

Posted on April 09, 2012, at 1:24 a.m.

The University of Maine?s Katherine Miles Durst Child Development Learning Center, located in Merrill Hall, is now accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

In order to earn accreditation from the NAEYC, the center went through an intensive three-year review process, comparing the center against 10 association standards and 400 related criteria.

?This accreditation shows that we?re holding our school, our students and our staff to the highest standard, and it gives our students the opportunity to teach in a licensed and accredited classroom,? said Margo Brown, the center?s director.

This university-affiliated laboratory preschool is one of the oldest in the country. It provides students in the College of Education and Human Development programs the opportunity to learn by working with children, which helps develop skills difficult to learn just by reading textbooks. The program serves as an active center for students to study and research while providing a reliable education option for children.

?The Learning Center provides a range of experiences for college students in early childhood, family services, education and other related fields,? Brown said. ?In a laboratory school, the children, their families and college students benefit from guidance by expert teachers, college professors and other professionals in the fields of child development and early childhood education.?

According to NAEYC Executive Director Jerlean E. Daniel, the association offers accreditation that ?raises the bar for child care centers.?

Brown believes this accreditation will draw more students to the university?s education and childhood development programs.

?It is an opportunity to observe and work in a school that is committed to the highest professional standards in our field,? Brown said.

The center?s accreditation makes it one of 59 NAEYC-accredited programs in Maine. NAEYC gives accreditation to programs for a five-year period. Over this time, centers are subject to unannounced visits to ensure the quality of the program.

The center was established in the 1920s and has been in Merrill Hall since 1931.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 9th, 2012, 1:24 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.

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