To celebrate the achievement, RIAEYC along with Providence Mayor, The Honorable David Cicilline, community leaders, and other elected officials recognized Brown/Fox Point and Bright Futures with the center’s children, parents, staff, and Boards for their commitment to providing Providence area children with high quality early childhood education and care.
The event was held at Bright Futures Early Learning Center at Meeting Street and featured a tour of the program’s classrooms as well as Mayor Cicilline reading the book, “I Like Myself” to the preschool class.
Mayor’s presentation to Heidi Nordmann & Chris Amirault
"We're proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards," said Chris Amirault, Executive Director, Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center. "NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care early learning experiences possible."
To earn NAEYC accreditation, Brown/Fox Point and Bright Futures were required to complete an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against 10 new early childhood program standards and more than 400 accreditation criteria. An on-site visit by NAEYC assessors were also conducted to ensure the programs met NAEYC standards.
"NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting high quality care and early learning experiences" said Heidi Nordmann, Manager of Bright Futures Early Learning Center at Meeting Street.
In the 20 years since NAEYC accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 11,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC, or approximately eight percent of all preschool and other early childhood programs in the nation.
About RIAEYC
RIAEYC, the Rhode Island affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 100,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.
About Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center
For thirty-five years, Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center has provided a high quality full-day preschool and kindergarten program to families that live, work, or study in its community. Formed in 1973 by Brown University and the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, it incorporated as an independent non-profit agency in 1979.
About Bright Futures Early Learning Center at Meeting Street
For over 60 years, Meeting Street has been a pioneer and expert in childhood development, education, and inclusion. Its commitment to children of all abilities makes its Bright Futures Early Learning Center a unique place for a child to begin a lifetime of learning. Bright Futures provides a nurturing and stimulating environment where each child receives individualized attention by qualified and caring professionals.
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