Child Development Center Receives Nat'l Accreditation

Anne Arundel Community College’s Child Development Center has earned a five-year accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

“We’re proud to be accredited by NAEYC and recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” said Ellie Martin, director of the center. “NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences.”

In announcing the accreditation, the NAEYC commended the center for several facets of the program, including the “warm and positive interactions” between staff and children; a curriculum “that encourages children to be actively involved in the learning process;” and “creating an environment, both indoors and outdoors, that fosters growth and development.”

“In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of child care and preschool programs earning NAEYC accreditation,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “By earning accreditation, the Anne Arundel Community College Child Development Center has become a leader in a national effort to raise the quality of early childhood education and to help give all children a better start.”

NAEYC accredits more than 8,000 early childhood programs, serving almost 750,000 children. The organization created its accreditation program in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education and to help families identify high-quality child care and early education programs.

To earn NAEYC’s accreditation, the Child Development Center conducted a self-study to determine how well it meets NAEYC standards. After the center made any improvements it thought were necessary, independent, professional validators observed the CDC and then a national panel reviewed that observation.

Last year, the Child Development Center received a three-year accreditation by the Maryland State Department of Education, showing it meets state standards for quality early childhood programs and indicating that the center is dedicated to maintaining educational excellence in early education programming.

Located on the Arnold campus, the center offers full-time, three-day, two-day and half-day programs for children ages 2 through kindergarten. It serves the children of AACC students, employees and the community.