NEW PALTZ — The Senator Charles Cook Children’s Center at the State University of New York at New Paltz has been awarded accreditation by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of young Children (NAEYC).
The children’s center underwent a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with NAEYC criteria for high-quality early-childhood programs and was found to be in substantial compliance with the criteria.
Inge Kraus, director of the children’s center, said that as a high-quality early childhood program, the center provides a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of young children. She added that the children’s center’s primary purpose is to provide quality care for children of students attending classes at SUNY New Paltz. Faculty and staff have second priority and community members are permitted, if space is available.
“Having a statewide accreditation that recognizes that early childhood education is important is an incredible benefit to our field,” said Kraus.
Former State Sen. Charles Cook sponsored legislation that provided the construction funds for this new center, which opened in 2001.
The Senator Charles Cook Children’s Center is a licensed, non-profit corporation, providing half and full-day child care for the university and regional communities. In addition to tuition, the center is partially funded by SUNY grants and by the Student Association of SUNY New Paltz.
For more information, call the children’s center at (845) 257-2910 or visit NAEYC on the Web at www.naeyc.org.
