PITTSBORO — Central Carolina Community College's Preschool at its Chatham County Campus has achieved accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It is one of the first programs in the country to earn this mark of quality under the new and more rigourous NAEYC Accreditation System.

The NAEYC, with 100,000 members, is the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children. NAEYC accreditation is a voluntary system to measure the quality of childcare centers, preschools and kindergartens. In 2006, the organization significantly updated and improved its accreditation requirements.

To earn accreditation, programs must do a self-assessment; submit an application; and meet standards for licensing, staffing, health and safety requirements. They must also demonstrate positive relationships to encourage each child’s sense of self-worth, implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of a child’s development, use effective teaching methods, provide ongoing assessments, have a well-qualified staff, maintain collaborative relationships with each child’s family, use community resources to support program goals, provide a safe and healthy physical environment, and provide high-quality experiences.

Central Carolina C.C.’s preschool achieved all the criteria and was commended by the NAEYC for its achievement.

The preschool serves 3-to-5-year-olds. For more information, contact director Angela Leonti at (919) 542-6495, ext. 208.