Children's Learning Center Earns Continued Accreditation

Published 12.12.2007

News

Kathryn P. Jerald, group leader (left), and Sandra L. Hollingsworth, assistant group leader, talk about turkeys with Children%E2%80%99s Learning Center toddlers. (Photo by Sonya K. Miller, assistant group leader, Children's Learning Center)Pennsylvania College of Technology's Children's Learning Center is one of the first early childhood programs to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children – the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals – under the its new, stricter accreditation system.

"We're proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards," said Karen Woland Payne, director of the Children's Learning Center. "NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible."



The Children's Learning Center serves students and employees whose children need high-quality, on-campus care and education while their parents are at work or attend classes. The Children's Learning Center has been accredited by NAEYC since 1999, but this is its first renewal under the new, more rigorous standards. Its NAEYC accreditation was renewed Nov. 30. The center is also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Elementary Education and is certified as a four-star program under Pennsylvania's Keystone Stars program.

To earn NAEYC accreditation in the new system, the Children's Learning Center went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the 10 new NAEYC early childhood program standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria. The program received accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the 10 new program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

In the 20 years since NAEYC accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 11,000 programs, serving 1 million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC – approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs.

"The new NAEYC accreditation system raises the bar for preschools, child-care centers and other early childhood programs," said Mark Ginsberg, executive director of NAEYC. "The Children's Learning Center's NAEYC accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education and to help give all children a better start."

The NAEYC accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. The association's revised program standards and criteria have introduced a new level of quality, accountability, and service for parents and children in child-care programs, reflecting the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development.

For more information about the Children's Learning Center at Penn College, visit on the Web or call (570) 320-8026.

For more information about Penn College, visit online, e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.