CCCR's NCEF Early Childhood Development Center Earns Three Top Awards

NAPLES, Fla. - Oct. 13, 2015 - PRLog -- Collier Child Care Resources (CCCR) announced today that the NCEF Early Childhood Development Center has received three top honors for its early childhood education program, located at Florida SouthWestern State College, Collier campus. The program earned reaccreditation from the National Accreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and Education; a five star rating from the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida through its Southwest Florida Stars Program; and the Gold Seal of Quality Accreditation from the State of Florida.

The National Accreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and Education programs recognized the NCEF Early Childhood Development Center for exemplifying excellence in the care of young children.  By achieving accreditation, the early childhood education program provides a high quality program for children, professional development opportunities for staff, and an environment for children that is conducive to their individual growth and development that exceeds state licensing requirements.  The accreditation process included a self-study process in which administrators, staff and parents evaluated the program in accordance with Accreditation Standards.  After the self-study process was complete, onsite observation was conducted by an early childhood professional.  Based upon the information collected, the NCEF Early Childhood Development Center was awarded NAC accreditation. Only eight percent of child care centers in Collier County and ten percent nationwide have received national accreditation.

Upon achieving accreditation, the State of Florida honored the center with the Gold Seal of Quality Accreditation requiring participating child care facilities to maintain quality care and higher education standards for staff.  The Gold Seal Quality Care Program is an approved accreditation for child care providers to be eligible to participate in VPK and School Readiness programs offering more services to families in the community.

CCCR’s NCEF Early Childhood Development Center received the five stars award through the Southwest Florida Stars Program, conducted by the Early Learning Coalition which evaluates programs on six childcare center quality standards with a rating system from one to five, with five stars indicating the highest quality facility. It is the highest rating in the voluntary Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) used to improve and communicate the level of quality in early childhood programs to help communities understand how well their youngest and most vulnerable students are supported.

Mabel Ramirez, Director of Program Administration at the NCEF Early Childhood Development Center says, “We are very proud of our staff for the excellent job they do every day.  They have earned and fully deserve these honors.  The research is clear at this point in time that quality child care and enriching early learning experiences can positively impact the course of a child’s life.  A quality child care program also has a bearing upon the peace of mind adults feel when they go to their jobs knowing their children are in safe and healthy environments, engaged in age-appropriate activities and supervised by caring, qualified professionals.”

For more information about Collier Child Care Resources visit www.collierchildcare.org or call 239-643-3908.

About Collier Child Care Resources, Inc.

Collier Child Care Resources, Inc. (CCCR) is a private, non-profit agency whose main focus surrounds the education of young children, birth to five, and provides professional development services to teachers in the early childhood community.  CCCR has been serving children, families and early learning professionals in Collier County since 2008.  The mission is to support the needs of Collier County’s children, families and early learning professionals by providing high quality education, resources  and child care services. The agency must rely on generous donations and volunteer efforts from members of the community, corporations and foundations to build and maintain programs that make a difference to low-income children.  Collier Child Care Resources, Inc. is a United Way partner agency. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.collierchildcare.org or call (239) 643-3908