Brooklyn's Progress
November 2002

Boro Prez Reads Who Hoots? to Mark the Occasion

Manhattan Beach—The Child Development Center of Kingsborough Community College has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)—the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals. The Child Development Center joins fewer than 10 percent of all childcare and early childhood programs accredited by NAEYC in the nation.

“We are proud our Child Development Center is now accredited by NAEYC and recognized for our staff’s commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” said Kingsborough President Byron McClenney. “Accreditation also sends a message to all of our students from throughout New York City who will now know their young children are getting the best early education experiences here at Kingsborough Community College.”

NAEYC’s accreditation program sets professional standards for early childhood education to help families identify high-quality childcare and early education programs. To earn NAEYC’s accreditation, a program conducts a self-study to determine how well it meets the standards.  The program is observed by independent, professional validators, and then reviewed by a national panel.  Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a three-year period.

At the urging of Kingsborough Community College’s leadership, the Child Development Center underwent a review of its programs and facilities in May of 2000, the results of which were submitted to NAEYC in January of 2001.

“It’s about being acknowledged for quality consistent with the best childhood standards in the country,” said Uda Bradford, Director of Counseling at Kingsborough who oversees the program. “We have always known we had an excellent program. Now we can prove it.”

The Child Development Center of Kingsborough Community College began in 1971 to support community college students with children who would not otherwise be able to further their education without childcare services. The center provides an educationally rich environment that is both convenient and fun. More than 45 children ages 2 1/2--6 years of age attend the center from September through July. A small summer program is also available.

Founded in 1963, Kingsborough Community College is one of twenty colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system, the third largest system in the United States. Kingsborough is located on a 72-acre waterfront campus in Manhattan Beach, on the southern peninsula of Brooklyn and serves more than 35,000 credit and continuing education students per year.