Campus Connection

UWL child center reaccredited

While UW-La Crosse students are trying to make the grade in class, those with children at the university’s Campus Child Center can rest assured the center has already made the grade. And it’s an A+. The UWL Campus Child Center has been reaccredited for five years by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children. The reaccreditation shows that the center has met 10 program standards and their corresponding individual criteria through a self-study and an on-site visit by an assessor. Accreditation recognizes commitment to reaching the highest professional standards in the field of early care and education. The accreditation lasts for five years. “We have been successful because our professional teaching staff is comprised of talented, dedicated individuals who are educated in child development and who have a willingness and desire to do what is right for young children and their families,” says Dawn Hays, director of the Campus Child Center. “The teachers form a cohesive team to provide quality care and education in ways that are meaningful and relevant for children. We also get a great deal of support from the university community and the families we serve.” NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in early learning environments. Hays says the center continually adapts as the NAEYC standards change to reflect best practices in early care and education. “Our adapted score, used to determine our eligibility, was 100 percent in each standard, so we don't need to make any big changes,” she notes. The Campus Child Center, established in 1985, has been accredited since 1994. It is the only NAEYC-accredited program in a 20-mile radius. Less than 10 percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve the recognition. The Campus Child Center serves approximately 75 children each semester, providing quality care for the children of students and employees. The center is self-funded through user and other student fees.