The Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) Family Center was awarded five years of national accreditation for excellence as designated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC Accreditation of programs for young children represents the mark of quality in early childhood education. NAEYC Accreditation began in 1985 with the goal of providing an accrediting system that would raise the level of early childhood programs. There are 30 NAEYC accredited programs for young children in Oregon. SWOCC’s Family Center is the only NAEYC accredited program on the southern Oregon coast. SWOCC has invested in their Educare early childhood education program because they believe in the benefits to children and families. Early childhood experiences—from birth to age 8—have an enormous impact on children’s lifelong learning and positively contribute to their health and development. Early childhood education programs with the mark of quality benefit children with greater readiness for and success in school. It is for this reason that parents and families are seeking out NAEYC-accredited programs. Parents choosing an early childhood education program can be overwhelmed by trying to find the highest-quality program for their child. NAEYC Accreditation is the mark of quality that families are looking for. NAEYC Accreditation gives families the chance to make the Right Choice for Kids. http://www.naeyc.org/academy/interested/whyaccreditation The SWOCC Educare Preschool program serves children from 2 1Ž2 – 5 years old, and is open to the community. Families do not have to be students or college staff to enroll their children in Educare. For more information regarding Educare, please contact the Family Center at educare@socc.edu, or 541 888 7336.
