Date: Jun 05, 2009

Hofstra University's Diane Lindner-Goldberg Child Care Institute One of the First Programs of Its Kind in the U.S. To be Awarded Reaccreditation Under Revised NAEYC Standards

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … Hofstra University’s Diane Lindner-Goldberg Child Care Institute (CCI) at the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center has been reaccredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Of the 183 New York State licensed child care centers in Nassau County, only 10 are NAEYC-accredited. Starting in 2006, the NAEYC began revising its standards for accreditation. Hofstra’s CCI is one of the first child care programs in the United States to be reaccredited since the NAEYC’s “reinvention.”  

Programs applying for NAEYC accreditation undergo a very rigorous analysis of their operations. Only programs demonstrating and/or exceeding a national standard for quality and excellence in the field of early childhood education receive accreditation.

NAEYC is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 100,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.

Hofstra’s CCI received commendations from the NAEYC for …

•    encouraging each child’s sense of individual worth and belonging as part of a community.

•    implementing a curriculum that promotes social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive learning and development.

•    using ongoing, systematic, formal and informal assessment approaches that provide information on children’s learning and development.

•    promoting the nutrition and health of children and protecting children and staff from illness and injury.

•    employing and supporting a teaching staff that is developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate and effective and has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children’s learning and development and the diverse needs and interests of families.

•    recognizing the importance of building a relationship with families to ensure that programs are meeting the needs of the children and families served.

•    effectively establishing and maintaining reciprocal relationships with agencies and institutions that can support goals for curriculum, health promotion, children’s transitions, inclusion, and diversity.

•    creating an indoor and outdoor environment that fosters the growth and development of the children.

•    administering its program efficiently and effectively.

Hofstra’s CCI  focuses on the child's total development - social, emotional, cognitive and physical. The program offers developmentally appropriate activities for children ages 8 weeks to 5 years, providing opportunities for hands-on, integrated learning. Children are grouped according to age and ability. The child-to-staff ratio meets and exceeds those required by New York State licensing and NAEYC standards for excellence in care.

CCI benefits from the interdisciplinary services of the clinical programs associated with the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center. Being a part of the Saltzman Center renders CCI unique in the provision of education, care, assessment and enriched learning environments for young children and their families.

For more information on the Diane Lindner-Goldberg Child Care Institute and the services of the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center visit www.hofstra.edu/SaltzmanCenter.
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Related Link: Hofstra University's Diane Lindner-Goldberg Child Care Institute at the Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center