Amarillo College’s childcare centers accredited by NAEYC organization

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Amarillo College announced that both of its childcare facilities received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The release stated that to earn an NAEYC accreditation, the Child Development Lab School and the Hagy Center for Young Children were put through a extensive processes of self-studies and quality-improvement, followed by on-site visits by NAEYC officials to verify and ensure that the programs meet each of the 10 program standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria.

NAEYC-accredited programs will receive unannounced quality-assurance visits during their five-year accreditation term.

AC’s Hagy Center for Young Children and College Child Development Lab School achieved a feature that less than 10% of childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens accomplish in the nation.

“We’re proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to teaching the highest professional standards,” Patricia Keith, AC’s director of childcare, said. “This is the highest standard in the world, and I’m proud of our dedicated staff who work so hard to make our facilities the best that they can be.”

AC’s Child Development Lab School received its third NAEYC accreditation since 2009 on the West Campus, and AC’s Hagy Center, received its first NAEYC accreditation. The Hagy Center was opened in 2017 in the Amarillo Hospital District according to AC.

Officials detailed that a NAEYC accreditation is a transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments.

According to the release both facilities help the community with a model of excellence for the early care and education of children. Intentional practices enrich the whole child with appropriate activities, choices and support of individual needs. Guided by the interests of each child, each family becomes a partner with the centers to provide the best foundation in these important early years.

“NAEYC-accredited programs have committed to a process that takes time, energy and dedication to complete” said Alissa Mwenelupembe, NAEYC’s senior director of early learning program accreditation. “The Amarillo College early learning centers have clearly demonstrated their commitment to young children and their families.”

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