The Mesa Community College Children’s Center was recently granted a five-year accreditation from The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals. The new term began on August 28, 2012 and is valid until December 1, 2017.
The NAEYC recognized and congratulated the administration, teaching staff and families of the MCC Children’s Center for their outstanding efforts in upholding the quality represented by the NAEYC Accreditation system.
“The NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for child care centers and other early childhood programs,” said Jerlean E. Daniel, Ph.D, executive director of NAEYC. “Having earned NAEYC Accreditation is a sign that the MCC Children’s Center is a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education.”
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, The Children’s Center went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received NAEYC Accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.
The MCC Children’s Center successfully met all program standards, receiving over 100% and commendations in the categories of relationships, curriculum, and assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment and leadership and management. They received a 94% in the teaching category which also exceeds the NAEYC Accreditation threshold of 80%.
Kris Bliss, Supervisor of the Early Childhood Center stated, “I am so proud of all my staff and am pleased with the progress we have made.” She added, “The high quality childcare we provide is a huge benefit for our student parents and prepares children for elementary school and beyond.”
For the past 25 years, MCC has provided child care services for students, faculty and staff. Over 160 children between the ages of 3 and 12 years of age attend the MCC Children’s Center each academic year.
For more information about the MCC Children’s Center please visit www.mesacc.edu/students/childrens-center.
About NAEYC
Founded in 1926, The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 80,000 members, a national network of more than 300 state and local Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.
The NAEYC Accreditation system was created to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality preschools, child care centers and other early education programs. To earn NAEYC Accreditation, a program must meet each of the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a five-year period.
About Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College provides outstanding transfer and career and technical programs, workforce development, and life-long learning opportunities to residents of the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. MCC excels in teaching, learning and empowering its more than 40,000 students to succeed in a local and global community. Mesa Community College is one of ten colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District.
Please direct media inquiries to Angela Askey at angela.askey@mesacc.edu or Sally Mesarosh at sally.mesarosh@mesacc.edu or the Office of Institutional Advancement at 480-461-7445. IA website: www.mesacc.edu/ia.
###