Debra Graves, a child, youth program assistant for Pine Bluff Arsenal's Child Development Center, has been awarded a national Child Development Associate Certification from the Council of Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C. Graves received this in recognition of outstanding work with young children.
Graves, is a Pine Bluff native and currently resides in Cabot, Ark. She has been working for the Arsenal's CDC since September 2012. The CDA Credential took about six months to complete and is valid for three years, according to Tracy Pennington, Training and Curriculum/Programming Specialist for the Arsenal's Child, Youth and School Services Center.
Earning a CDC Credential verifies that the early care professional has the ability to put CDA competency standards into practice:
*Establishing and maintaining a healthy and safe learning environment for children.
*Advancing the physical and intellectual competence of young children.
*Supporting social and emotional development and providing positive guidance for children.
*Establishing positive and productive relationships with families.
*Ensuring a well-run, purposeful program that is responsive to participant needs.
*Maintaining a commitment to professionalism, early care and education.
Currently, five other employees at the Arsenal have the CDA Credential, one employee has a Military School-Age Credential, two employees have Youth Practicum Credentials, four employees have associates degrees and 10 employees have Bachelor's degrees.
The Arsenal's CDC is accredited with the National Association for the Education of Young Children. According to Pennington, the NAEYC is requiring a certain percentage of CDC employees to have a credential or higher degree.
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