Pueblo -- The Colorado State University - Pueblo Child Care Center recently became the only child care center in Pueblo to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children - the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals. Less than five percent of child care centers, pre-schools, and before and after school programs in Colorado are NAEYC accredited, placing the CSU-Pueblo Child Care Center in an elite group. McClelland Pre-School also is NAEYC accredited.

The Child Care Center currently serves 94 children, about 95 percent of which are the children of CSU-Pueblo students. Although the children of students have priority in admission, the facility also accepts children of CSU-Pueblo faculty, staff, and alumni.

"We're proud to be accredited by NAEYC, and recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards," said Louanna Razo, owner of Early Childhood Education Management Systems, which manages the CSU-Pueblo Child Care and the center's director. "NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences."

During the school year, the center serves children 24 months to 6 years and offers a comprehensive, educational preschool program. During the summer, school age camps for children 5 to 12 are added to the offerings.

"The quality of the program is the underlying reason the center operates at capacity during the school year," Razo said. "We are receiving calls now for Fall 2005 enrollment since parents want to make sure their child will have a spot at the center."

More than 8,000 early childhood programs - serving nearly three-quarters of a million children - are currently accredited by NAEYC. This number reflects approximately 7.8% of all Early Childhood programs nation wide. Currently, only 4.7 % of all of Colorado's Child Cares, preschools and before and after school program are NAEYC accredited.

"In recent years, we've seen a growing number of child care and preschool programs earning NAEYC Accreditation," said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. "By earning accreditation, CSU-Pueblo Child Care has become a leader in a national effort to raise the quality of early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start."

Responding to the growth of the system, in 1999 the NAEYC Governing Board appointed a National Commission on Accreditation Reinvention to conduct a comprehensive review of NAEYC's Accreditation system. Building on their work, NAEYC is making many changes to prepare the system for the future, and to ensure the integrity and reliability of the process that programs go through to earn NAEYC Accreditation.

NAEYC created its accreditation program in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality child care and early education programs. To earn NAEYC's accreditation, a program conducts a self-study to determine how well it meets the standards. After necessary improvements are made, the program is observed by independent, professional reviewers, and then approved by a national panel. Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a five-year period.

For more information, contact Early Childhood Education Management Systems- CSU-Pueblo Child Care, Louanna Razo, owner & center director 549-2407 or louanna.razo@colostate-pueblo.edu. 

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.