Children’s Adventure Center Celebrates Latest Accreditation

By Larissa Lytwyn

At the Children’s Adventure Center, a daycare program funded by state and federal grants, town support, and private donation, bright red balloons decorate the administrative offices. A giant congratulatory poster hangs just outside the center’s double-door entrance.

“We’ve been celebrating all week,” laughed Children’s Adventure Center board member Mae Schmidle.

The center was recently reaccredited by the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC), a process based on a comprehensive self-assessment reviewed by a three-member national commission composed of experts in child care and early child care education.

“Our teachers perform self-evaluations, including which skills they think they can improve on,” said Mrs Schmidle.

Started in 1985, the NAEYC was designed to draw national guidelines for high quality early childhood education programs. It is built on existing, state licensing requirements and provides for additional expectations for education and development in preparing children for regular schools. The process addresses issues such as health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, communication with families, a school’s physical environment, its administration, nutrition, and food services.

The achievement, Mrs Schmidle noted, allows the center to garner increased state and federal support in the future.

The center was last accredited in 2001.