|
 The
Child Development Lab (CDL), located on the main campus of Heartland
Community College in Normal, offers child care services for children
from six weeks to kindergarten age. This lab school serves a dual
mission: to provide quality child care, and also to provide an
opportunity for college students that need first-hand experience
observing or working with young children.
The CDL received a renewal of accreditation from the National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)—the world's
largest organization working on behalf of young children. More than
6,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC. Less than 10
percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens
nationally achieve this recognition.
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, the HCC Child Development Lab went
through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process,
followed by an on-site visit in August of 2021 by NAEYC Assessors to
verify and ensure that the program met each of the ten program
standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. The
NAEYC announced notice of the award, which covers a five-year term,
at the end of October, 2021.
Heartland’s CDL is a true learning laboratory, serving the entire
community. Specialists in the CDL collaborate with the college’s
Early Childhood Education faculty to immerse themselves in
continuous professional development and the use of best practices.
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They in turn model those practices and serve as mentors to
students in local early childhood education programs as they gain practical
experience in the field. In this respect, the CDL serves as a premier educator
of the community’s future early childhood educators.
“We’re proud to have earned this mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be
recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,”
said Sarah Diel-Hunt, Heartland Community College Vice President of Enrollment
and Student Services.
“Throughout the COVID pandemic, our CDL staff, led by Director Kadi Juris, have
committed to offering a healthy and high-quality education environment. As all
educators know this has been no small task. To receive this mark of distinction
from a national leader in early childhood education is especially gratifying
during this time. This speaks volumes about the quality of our teachers and
staff at the CDL,” said Associate Vice President Amy Pawlik.
In addition to the NAEYC Accreditation, the CDL was awarded Gold Circle of
Quality rating by ExecleRate Illinois in March of 2021.
[Steve Fast
Director, Public Information
Heartland Community College] |
