College Earns Renewed Accreditation from National Association for the Education of Young Children
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA • July 19, 2018)—Delaware County Community College’s Early Childhood Education program has once again earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), making the College one of only 208 institutions around the country with an accredited program. Accreditation shows the College’s stakeholders—students, communities and four-year schools—that the institution is committed to providing high-quality teacher preparation.
“Achieving accreditation by NAEYC means students can be confident that they are receiving an educational curriculum that prepares them to provide high-quality early childhood education from birth through age eight,” says Dr. Jean Allison, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and Program Coordinator. Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States. NAEYC’s Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs recognizes institutions that are national leaders in early childhood professional teacher preparation and serves to ensure that these programs continue to provide high-quality instruction to students.
With early childhood education recognized as one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S., residents of Delaware and Chester Counties can get their start in this rewarding field close to home. The College offers an Associate in Arts in Early Childhood Education degree that prepares students to teach young children in a variety of early care and education settings. The program is flexible, offering both a career pathway and seamless transfer pathway for students whose career goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree and Prekindergarten through 4th grade teacher certification. Being nationally accredited supports strong partnerships between the College and its transfer partners as well as the early childhood community.
In-service professionals already employed as child care assistant teachers or aides may be eligible for tuition assistance through the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) Early Childhood® PENNSYLVANIA Scholarship Program, which the College participates in. The T.E.A.C.H. scholarship provides multiple supports to increase access to higher education for child care workers. For more information, call 610-359-5259.
