Press Release
Contact: Ms. Pat Thorsell
Phone: (352) 475-2132
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 AM EDT, August 20, 1999

Midway Learning Center receives naeyc accreditation

Midway Learning Center, Inc. (MLC, Inc.) was recently granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This prestigious recognition has been achieved by only 7% of early childhood programs nationwide. Pat Thorsell, Director of MLC, Inc., is very excited about being the first program in Bradford County to achieve this milestone.

NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous process and demonstrates that MLC, Inc. meets national standards of excellence. Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators, and classroom observation. They receive an on-site visit conducted by early childhood professionals especially trained by NAEYC, to validate their self-study results. All of this information is independently reviewed by a team of national experts who grant or defer accreditation.

“The heart of NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child’s play and learning experiences,” said Patty Shackleford, who has owned MLC since 1984. “The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children’s relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally.”

According to Barbara Kelleher, Executive Director of Child Care Resources, the agency that licenses and monitors child care centers; research supports the value of accreditation for children. “These are critical areas for children’s success in school as well as in life,” said Kelleher.

MLC, Inc. is located midway between Melrose and Keystone at 8682 State Road 21 and serves 70 children ranging in age from one to ten. The telephone number is (352) 475-2132. Look for the big yellow sign. .MLC provides bus service and USDA approved breakfast, lunch and snacks.

MLC, Inc. will now proudly display the NAEYC torch - the sign of NAEYC accreditation. Parents who look for the torch when choosing child care or early education programs for their children will find a program that has made a commitment to excellence for young children and families.

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