Hard Work Pays Off for Accreditation Initiative Participants

NAEYC accreditation is a difficult challenge, made easier by the Council's multi-year initiative, begun in 2007 with support from the IBM Global Work/Life Fund through Work Family Directions. The 25 participants received expert technical assistance and support throughout from project coordinator Maureen Barbelet, who also facilitated group sessions. Program improvement grants were distributed to each program.

During the course of the project, 10 centers became accredited, 4 applied for candidacy, 1 will begin accreditation next year and 10 are heavily engaged in the self study process. A celebratory breakfast was held to share successes and challenges and to close the project in June 2011.

Program participants' comments say it all:

"Huge thank you to IBM for the funding which gave the support needed to become accredited."

"Many accolades to the consultants who became mentors to the programs."

"I would like to express my gratitude for the accreditation support the Child Care Council provided to our program. Your support made a tremendous impact on our programs. We would not have been able to make it through self study to candidacy without your help."

"The children have benefited the most from this whole experience because our curriculum, safety and staff have all improved. The future of this center looks bright thanks to the IBM grant."

Council executive director Kathy Halas noted that both the high level of participation and the results achieved by the centers was a tribute to the Westchester early care and education community's commitment to high quality. "As research increasingly shows that children need high quality early childhood experiences, and New York State continues its development of QUALITYstarsNY, we should all be quite proud of all the participants in this successful initiative, including consultants Ronnie Weinberger, Marcia Landsman, Diane Matrafailo, Harriet Mendl and Diane Turcin. The Council would like to congratulate all the participating programs:

THE AMES CENTER @ LEAKE & WATTS
BRIGHT HORIZONS YONKERS
BRIGHT HORIZONS ELMSFORD
COUNTRY CHILDREN'S CENTER @ BEDFORD HILLS
COUNTRY CHILDREN'S CENTER @ YORKTOWN HEIGHTS
CHILDREN'S CENTER @ PURCHASE COLLEGE
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER @ MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST
EASTER SEALS PROJECT EXPLORE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
LOIS BRONZ CHILDREN'S CENTER
MONTROSE CHILDCARE CENTER
MOUNT KISCO CHILDCARE CENTER
PHELPS CHILDCARE CENTER
PURCHASE CHILDREN'S CENTER
THE LEARNING CENTER
LITTLE ANGELS @ AVON
THE LEARNING GARDEN
YWCA OF WHITE PLAINS
WESTCOP CHILDREN'S CENTER FOR LEARNING
PEEKSKILL HEAD START-AUNT BESSIE'S OPEN DOOR
WESTCOP THERAPEUTIC NURSERY HEAD START
ST. PETER'S HEAD START
PORT CHESTER HEAD START THERAPEUTIC NURSERY
EASTCHESTER CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
GREENBURGH SCHOOL DISTRICT EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM
POCANTICO HILLS SCHOOL EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM