Preschool earns another accreditation

The local program is among the first to meet the new higher standards.

BOARDMAN — Boardman United Methodist Preschool and Childcare (BUMP) is one of the first early-childhood programs to earn accreditation under new, more rigorous criteria from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The association is the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

“We’re proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC for the third time. BUMP has been an NAEYC accredited site since 1998, and we continue our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” said Marilyn Phillips, BUMP Director. “NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible. BUMP is the only NAEYC accredited program in the Boardman-Poland-Canfield area.”

The program is a mission of Boardman United Methodist Church, and its curriculum is correlated with the Ohio Early Learning Content Standards. It includes a Musikgarten Music and Motion program, sign language, and optional Gymsters and Judy Conti Dance programs. The facility features a security system, indoor and outdoor play areas, and classroom learning environments for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years.

To earn accreditation in the new system, BUMP went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria. The accreditation lasts for 5 years.

More than 11,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC — approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs.

The NAEYC accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. As of September 2006, the Association’s revised program standards and criteria have introduced a new level of quality, accountability and service for parents and children in child care programs, according to the association, with those new standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development.