UB Child Care Sites Accredited by National Organization

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The North (Amherst) Campus site of the University at Buffalo Child Care Center has been granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation's oldest and largest organization of professionals dedicated to improving the quality of early-childhood education.

The center also has received word that its South (Main Street) Campus site has been reaccredited by the NAEYC.

Only about 7 percent of early-childhood programs nationwide are accredited by the NAEYC, a rigorous, voluntary process by which early-childhood programs demonstrate that they meet national standards of excellence.

Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators and classroom observations. They receive an on-site visit, conducted by early-childhood professionals especially trained by NAEYC, to validate their self-study results. All of this information is independently reviewed by a team of national experts who grant or defer accreditation. When awarded, accreditation is valid for three years.

"The heart of the accreditation focuses on the child's experience," said Tamar Jacobson, director of the UB Child Care Center. "The process carefully considers all aspects of a program, including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children's relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally."

The UB Child Care Center serves 150 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 5 years at its North and South campus sites.