CDCs get accrediation inspections Published Sept. 26, 2008 By Kendahl Johnson 78 ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- With the need for reaccreditation looming, staff members at the two Robins child development centers have been working overtime preparing for major inspections. The Air Force mandates that all child development programs will be accredited by an outside agency. They chose the National Association for the Education of Young Children, one of the top accrediting bodies in the country. Although the CDCs undergo the accreditation process every five years, this year's process was much more involved than in years past because the NAEYC revamped its accreditation system and adjusted the evaluation criteria. "We've always offered quality programs, not only here but all over the Air Force," said Karen Bradley, director of the CDC West. "We had to make bigger strides this year because the (accreditation) process was revamped and there was so much more everyone had to learn." Representatives from NAEYC recently made two separate visits to Robins to inspect its child development centers, observing classrooms and checking to ensure 10 standards with more than 400 criteria were being met. Preparations for the visits began in January. "It's been a nine-month process. Because there is a revamped accreditation system, there was a lot more work involved in preparing for this year's inspection," Ms. Bradley said. "It required extensive work and a lot of extra hours of training." Under the old accreditation system, the emphasis was on management's ability to write a good package. The new system places more emphasis on classroom instruction. So in addition to loads of training, members of the staff had to examine their programs and create curriculum that met the new criteria outlined by the NAEYC. "The most important part of the preparation was self study," said Thomas Henson, director of the CDC East. "Teachers were given time away from the children to really study their programs and determine how to make them better and how to meet the new criteria." Although the directors feel relief that the inspection is over and they are confident about the results, they have not stopped working hard to improve their programs. "The process was to make the program better, not to get the visit over with and then go back to 'business as usual,'" Mr. Henson said. "It's been a great learning process. The staff now feels more confident and sees themselves as the professionals they are. We will benefit from this process for many years to come." In addition to the five-year accreditation inspection from the NAEYC, the Air Force Servicing Agency also inspects its development centers annually and provides centers with the resources to be successful. "The Air Force has spent a lot of time and money making sure that each program will be accredited," said Kelly Green, training and curriculum specialist at the CDC East. "We get funding as well as training from (major command) specialists. It's very much a group effort." The CDCs take care of children ages six weeks to 5 years. Everyone agreed the experience will benefit those children the most. The directors said the accreditation process reaffirmed the base is providing excellent quality of care and a strong commitment to children and families. "It's like getting the 'Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval," Ms. Bradley said. "We've always strived to offer quality care anyways, but to get accredited by NAEYC means so much. It ensures the children are getting the quality care they need and deserve." The NAEYC will make a determination based on the inspection and announce accreditation within the next 90 days.