For more information contact:
Diann C. Fauntleroy, M.A., Director of Education
Drew Child Development Corporation
323.249.2950 dfauntleroy@drewcdc.org
Los Angeles, March 29, 2006 - Drew Child Development Corporation has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children – the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals. Three child development centers have been accredited; the Johnnie Tillmon Child Development Center, the Stellar Child Development Center and the Vivian Weinstein State Preschool.
“We’re proud to be accredited by NAEYC, and recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” said Dr. Mike Jackson, President/CEO, Drew Child Development Corporation. “NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early experiences.” Our mission at Drew Child Development Corporation is devoted to the well-being of children and their families living in the South Los Angeles area. We show our devotion by providing high quality child care and development, educational, social, and mental health services in a manner respectful of the diversity in our community.
More than 11,000 early childhood programs – serving over one million young children – are currently accredited by NAEYC. “In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of child care and preschool programs earning NAEYC Accreditation,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director of NAEYC. “By earning accreditation, Drew Child Development Corporation has become a leader in a national effort to raise the quality of early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start.”
Responding to the growth of the system, in 1999 the NAEYC Governing Board appointed a National Commission on Accreditation Reinvention to conduct a comprehensive review of NAEYC’s Accreditation system. Building on their work, NAEYC is making many changes to increase the reliability and accountability of the accreditation system and promote higher program quality. In April 2005, the NAEYC Governing Board Approved Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria, which will be used in the future to assess whether programs receive accreditation.
NAEYC created its accreditation program in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality child care and early education programs. To earn NAEYC’s accreditation, a program conducts a self-study to determine how well it meets the standards. After necessary improvements are made, the program is observed by independent, professional validators, and then reviewed by a national panel. Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a five-year period.