FORT RILEY, Kan. -- The 1st Division Child Development Center at 4012 1st Division Road passed its most recent accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children with flying colors.
The results of the June evaluation came in to the CDC in late August and revealed the facility and staff received a score of 100 percent on nine of the 10 areas they were evaluated on. The remaining area scored greater than 90 percent. The 10 areas NAEYC evaluates includes things like observing staff interacting with the children, examinations of the facility, review of the paperwork and more. For observable standards, the NAEYC requires a score of 70 percent or higher to pass. For paperwork, a score of 80 percent or higher is required to pass.
"That's one of the best reports I've ever seen," said Michelle Durgin, coordinator for Child and Youth Services, of the results.
The CDC is evaluated every five years by the NAEYC. It was first accredited in 2012. Additionally, it receives an annual evaluation internally from Department of Defense organizations, said Cheryl Greathouse, CYS administrator.
"They validate that we are providing quality care," she said. "It is important to us to have that validation because it tells us we are doing everything to support military families and those who support the mission."
Vivian Acridge, director of 1st Division CDC, said their success came from teamwork and a passion for proving the best care to the children entrusted to them.
"We work as a team, of course," she said. "It's not just me. I did my part and my team and the classrooms (did theirs) because that's the most important thing, providing quality care … It should be like that every time. Nothing changing. We should be rocking it every time."
The 1st Division CDC has about 50 staff and more than 180 kids aged newborn to 5 years old enrolled at the facility, Greathouse said.
Acridge said she learns the name of every child enrolled at her facility, as do her staff -- it's part of the process of providing quality care. During their evaluation, she said the staff followed their routines and provided the same care they do every day.
"We didn't really try to just meet the standard, we try to exceed them," she said of her staff's performance every day.
Staff at the CDC go above and beyond for the families they interact with, Durgin said.
"I've been in CYS for 16 years and 1st Division, the program that was accredited, is one of the best CDCs I've ever seen and I've been around the world," she said. "It's one of those centers that when you walk through the door, it's warm and inviting. It's what a CDC is supposed to be and it was validated by outside eyes."
After the accreditation was completed, Acridge said she was proud of her staff and glad to work with each of them.
"I'm very, very happy to be part of this team," she said. "We all support each other. We have ups and downs, but in the end, we all made it."
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