FORT GORDON, Ga. (Oct. 30, 2015) - The doors of the Fort Gordon Main Child Development Center can remain open another five years thanks to the diligent and dedication of its staff.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children renewed the accreditation of the Fort Gordon Main Child Development Center Oct. 6. The NAEYC is a nonprofit, professional organization which promotes excellence in early childhood education in the country.
"This accreditation is very important to the CDC Main," said Josephine Lee, CDC Main facility director. "The Military Child Care Act (Public Law 104-106) requires all military child development centers meet the standards of a nationally recognized accrediting body. Currently, the Army eligible centers serving infants and children up to age 5 are accredited by the NAEYC. Since it is the law, the CDC could be closed if the center does not maintain their accreditation."
"The renewed accreditation provides verification that CDC Main is continuously striving to provide the best learning experiences for the children," Lee explained. "The staff recognizes that professional development and education are a continuum for learning when working with children and their families. Families can feel assured that their child or children are enrolled in a high-quality program here."
NAEYC sent their own validators July 27 -- 28 to evaluate CDC Main's programs. They observed children in each age group in the classroom. According to Lee, the NAEYC validators used a classroom assessment tool, based on the age group of the children, to verify the NAEYC criteria are being met.
The validators looked at relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of children, families, and the physical environment of the classroom and facility as well as the classroom portfolios and an individual children's portfolios.
CDC Main received a 100 percent score for relationships, teaching, assessment, and health.
"A program can receive extra credit for emerging credits," Lee explained. "The staff have worked very hard on building positive relationships with parents and children. Teamwork is the key between parents and caregivers when it comes to taking care of children. Parents are made to feel that their child's well-being is most important to them. The staff at CDC Main works at building a warm, sensitive, and responsive relationship with children in their care, which promotes self -worth and belonging as part of the community."
At CDC Main, teachers use multiple instructional approaches to optimize children's opportunities for learning. These approaches include strategies that range from structured to unstructured and from adult directed to child directed, according to Lee.
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