HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry first registered ministry to earn national accreditation
Holland – Holland-based HUMminigbird Day Care Ministry is the first registered ministry day care in the State of Indiana to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) .
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, HUMmingbird went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received NAEYC Accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.
“Achieving accreditation is validation for all of the hard work the staff has done,” Angie Sander, executive director of HUMmingbird said. “It is journey of reflection and planning. Although it sounds like a destination, we are well aware that the process of accreditation goes beyond this single accomplishment, but a constant quest for quality improvement.”
Sander credits her team of staff and boardmembers for the achievement.
“We have had an extremely supportive Advisory Board, and the support of our families and the community as well. We were able to participate with Paths to Quality through 4C of Southern Indiana as well as Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC),” she explained.
Future improvements at the day care ministry include the expansion of the infant and toddler program to meet the growing needs of the community; upgrading the infant and toddler playground in the spring; and continuing to further enhance the current programs as well as add new programs.
[quote style=”boxed”]One of our greatest goals at this time is to maintain the high quality staff that we have within our program and continue with staff development. — Angie Sander, director.[/quote]
In the 25 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 7,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC – approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs. There are only 159 accredited programs (Registered Ministies, Licensed Centers, Preschool and Head Start Programs) in the state of Indiana. HUMminigbird Day Care Ministry is the first Registered Ministry in the State of Indiana to move through the stages of Paths to Quality to achieve this highest recognition of quality, NAEYC accreditation.
“The NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for child care centers and other early childhood programs,” said Jerlean E. Daniel, Ph.D, executive director of NAEYC. “Having earned NAEYC Accreditation is a sign that HUMmingbird is a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education.”
The NAEYC Accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. In September 2006, the Association revised program standards and criteria to introduce a new level of quality, accountability, and service for parents and children in child care programs. The new standards today reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development. NAEYC is committed to utilizing the newest studies and analysis on positive child outcomes to ensure young children continue receiving the highest-quality care and education possible.
The NAEYC Accreditation system was created to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality preschools, child care centers and other early education programs. To earn NAEYC Accreditation, a program must meet each of the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards.
For more information about NAEYC Accreditation, visit http://www.naeyc.org/academy.
