04/06/11 - Week of the Young Child is April 10-16

April 10-16 is Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration established in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

NAEYC is the world's largest early childhood education association and the foremost accrediting body for early childhood programs. The Institute received initial accreditation from NAEYC in 2009. To earn NAEYC accreditation, the Early Learning Center-Downtown staff went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the 10 NAEYC early childhood program standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria.  The Institute recently received confirmation that its annual report to the National Association for the Education of Young Children has been reviewed by NAEYC’s Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation and the Institute’s accreditation maintained. Accredited organizations must submit a report for annual review and participate in a full accreditation renewal process every five years.

In the 23 years since NAEYC established its accreditation component, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 7,500 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC – approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs.

Learn more about NAEYC and Week of the Young Child.