TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- A year-long process to verify strict standards has resulted in the Child Development Center earning reaccreditation as a top education and child care facility.
The review, conducted every five years, was carried out by a representative of The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. NAEYC advances a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate and work on behalf of young children.
"Re-accreditation involves an extensive self-study process that aligns our program and services against the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards," said Jennifer Williams, Child, Youth and School Services program director. "Programs submit their application/self-assessment and candidacy requirements to NAEYC and then a NAEYC endorser comes to the facility to verify that the program is meeting required standards. The endorser then submits a recommendation to NAEYC who issues the final decision."
The Army requires all of its Child Development Centers be accredited. Army CDCs have basically the same mission -- to support the readiness and well-being of Army families by reducing conflict between the military mission and parental responsibilities.
"We reinforce Army values and foster family self-reliance, providing predictable and affordable programs that are inclusive of baseline requirements and enrichment opportunities," said Barbara Weaver, CYSS supervisory program specialist. "We commit to sustained quality in all service areas through timely and appropriate training, well-executed plans, and operations that allow for a seamless delivery of service."
Tobyhanna's CDC has more than 40 employees that must meet specific educational and training requirements to care for and educate about 66 children currently, aged infant through preschool.
The NAEYC reviewer noted several strengths in Tobyhanna's CDC programs, including using developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching approaches that enhance each child's learning and development in the context of the program's curriculum goals.
"We were also commended for our ongoing, systematic, formal and informal assessment approaches to provide information on children's learning and development," Weaver said. "These assessments occur within the context of reciprocal communications with families and with sensitivity to the cultural contexts in which children develop."
Assessment results are used to benefit children by informing sound decisions about children, teaching and program improvement.
"The only recommendation the reviewer made was to continue to update and revise our program portfolio and classroom portfolios," Williams said. "We plan to continue to strive to meet and exceed all of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards."
"The NAEYC accreditation process is a team effort that involves both the staff and families," Williams added. "We are thankful to have families that are willing to assist us and support us through the accreditation process. By achieving this accreditation it exemplifies the hard work and dedication of a staff commited to providing quality programming for all families that we serve."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna's unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our Joint Warfighters.
About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
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