Quality in Early Childhood: Credentials, Accreditation, Resources, and Challenges

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Quality in Early ChildhoodCredentials,
Accreditation, Resources, and Challenges
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Commitment to Quality Child Care

• The Montgomery County Child Care Resource and
  Referral Center is a program of the Department of
  Health and Human Services and a member agency of
  the Maryland Child Care Resource Network funded
  by the Maryland State Department of Education.
• Training, technical assistance and consultation
  services offered by the Resource Center support
  child care professionals in achieving higher
  credentials, meeting voluntary program
  accreditation standards and implementing best
  practices that support childrens early learning
  and development.
• LOCATE Child Care counseling and referral
  services of the program support families access
  to quality child care.
• The center also provides critical data on child
  care needs, services and trends to assist
  community leaders and policymakers in planning
  and evaluating quality initiatives.

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Professional Credentials

• Credentials are key indicators of quality
• State incentives and local training agencies
  support the Maryland Child Care Credential
• Montgomery County supports the CDA (Child
  Development Associates credential) and higher
  education courses leading towards an AA or BA or
  BS

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• 466 providers, representing 12 of Montgomery
  Countys child care workforce currently
  participate in the Maryland Child Care Credential
  program, up from 8 last year
• 88 of the 3,005 participants of Child Care
  Resource Center training earned Core of
  Knowledge credit towards the Maryland Child Care
  Credential

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Maryland Child Care Credential Trends 2006 to
Present
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Recipients with CDA Level Credentials
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Levels of Formal Education

• Child Care providers in Montgomery County have
  higher education than those in other
  jurisdictions
• 56 (416) of the family providers surveyed have a
  degree and of those,12 (51)have degrees in early
  childhood
• (Total number of family providers1,012)
• 75 (979) of 1,309 center staff surveyed have a
  degree and of these 36 (356) have degrees in
  early childhood
• Center staff with a degree are more likely to
  have a BA (57562) and family providers with a
  degree are more likely to have an AA (47163)

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Montgomery County ResourcesAllocated in FY08

• 56,000 in County general funds were allocated to
  provide 112 scholarships for 70 providers
• 69 providers received fall and/or spring
  scholarships to assist with the costs of
  Montgomery College classes leading toward an AA
  degree
• 1 provider received a scholarship toward a BA
  degree at Hood College

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Montgomery County Resourcesfor the CDA Allocated
in FY08

• 17,000 was designated to promote achievement of
  the CDA
• 16 participants received financial support for
  their CDA
• 24 providers were trained to be CDA Advisors and
  linked to new candidates

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Challenges to Credentialing

• Average earnings of 25,355 for family providers,
  26,590 for Senior Staff and 38,610 for
  Directors is not sufficient to retain qualified
  staff
• 46 of providers report they speak English as a
  second language
• Maryland Child Care Credential program backlog is
  150 days
• Higher education options are limited and do not
  include certification for ages 0-5 years

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Accreditation

• Program licensing sets the minimal health and
  safety standards and Maryland regulations are
  among the highest in the nation
• Program accreditation indicates achievement of
  voluntary professional standards and in Mo Co, 15
  of centers hold state or national
  accreditation, including 50 of programs in
  public space
• Fewer than 2 of family providers are accredited
  and all were part of a Judith P. Hoyer grant
  project administered by the Child Care Resource
  Center

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NAEYC Accreditation StandardsComprehensive
Approach for Quality Programs
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Best Practices

• Observation and assessment of children and use of
  a curriculum promotes learning
• Professionals must be culturally and
  linguistically competent and work in partnership
  with families and community partners to plan
  appropriately for the children they serve
• Nurturing relationships are essential for
  children to learn and grow
• Ongoing professional development supports
  continuous quality improvement
• Strong leadership and management are required

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Challenges to Implementing Best Practices

• Centers have access to a curriculum fund to
  purchase the 6 approved preschool curriculum, but
  family providers do not
• Access to the MCPS Pre-K curriculum training is
  limited
• Providers need foundational training as well as
  curriculum training and mentoring
• Observation and assessment requires high level
  skills not easily learned in a classroom setting

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Additional Resources (FY08)

• 1 full time nurse provides onsite health
  consultation and training to support
  implementation of national health and safety
  standards
• 25,000 was allocated from general funds to
  promote accreditation and 25 financial awards
  were provided to offset the costs of
  accreditation for centers and family providers
• 13 centers received intensive training and
  support through an Accreditation Facilitation
  project funded and administered by MCAEYC with
  support from the Child Care Resource Center
• 9 family providers received intensive support
  through a Judith P. Hoyer grant of 30,000
  administered by the Child Care Resource Center

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Challenges to Accreditation

• New NAEYC accreditation standards require
  teachers to have degrees or be participating in
  an early childhood degree program
• Many Family Child Care Providers in Maryland are
  not renewing NAFCC Accreditation and report lack
  of demand from parents
• State funds to support accreditation require
  staff to be involved in the Maryland Child Care
  Credential program and centers must use a state
  approved curriculum

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Montgomery County Resources Allocated for Pre-K
Training(FY08)

• 155,560 was allocated for the Pre-K Curriculum
  Training project
• Funding supports training, onsite mentoring,
  resource materials, technical assistance and
  incentives
• English as a Second Language instruction is
  included