UMaine Child Development Center Now Nationally Accredited

The Katherine Miles Durst Child Development Learning Center at the University of Maine recently earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The center is one of the oldest university-affiliated laboratory schools in the country, providing students in UMaine’s education and early childhood programs the opportunity to learn through teaching and observation.

“It’s important for us to have the best possible experience for the children and for the UMaine students who observe and work in this environment,” says the center’s director, Margo Brown. “This accreditation shows that we’re holding our school, our students and our staff to the highest standard, and it gives our students the opportunity to teach in a licensed and accredited classroom.”

To earn the accreditation, the center went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 accreditation criteria. It was a three-year process. The center is one of 59 NAEYC-accredited programs in Maine.

Contact: Kristen Andresen, tel: 207-581-3742