 Dear Colleague: In the Fall of 1998 Mayor Daley, along with the McCormick Tribune Foundation and other private organizations, initiated the Chicago Accreditation Partnership now known as the Partnership for Quality Child Care. The Partnership is the first of its kind in the nation to assist early childhood programs pursue accreditation. The Partnership is also included in the Mayor's Early Child Care and Education Plan as a key element in the City's efforts to improve the quality of services provided to young children in early childhood settings. The Partnership helps both center and home-based child care programs seeking national accreditation status from leading accrediting organizations. Our staff of early education experts facilitate the accreditation process by providing valuable mentorship and assistance to individual programs. If needed, funds are provided to eligible programs to help them defray accreditation fees and meet national standards for equipment. Breakthrough child development research repeatedly emphasizes the importance of quality child care and highly skilled child care professionals. In improving the status and reputation of the child care profession, we must be prepared to achieve and maintain higher standards of care and education for young children. Accreditation is a proven method of accomplishing and maintaining higher quality programs. Helping your staff become better teachers, raising your program's level of professionalism, and more effectively helping your children to grow and develop are just a few of the ways the accreditation process can directly benefit your program. The Partnership for Quality Child Care is pleased that you are interested in learning more about accreditation and hope this Early Stars Information Center website gives you a better understanding of the value of pursuing accreditation for your program. If you have questions or would like additional information about how the Partnership for Quality Child Care can help eligible programs move to that next level, please contact us by e-mail info@earlystars.com or phone (312-554-1300). Join us in the quest for excellence! Jamilah R. Jor'dan, Ph.D. President Partnership for Quality Child Care |
