The Rockdale Career Academy Early Learning Center has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children - the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals.

The ELC, a Reggio Emilia inspired full-day preschool program housed at RCA, serves 3 and 4 year old children from low to moderate income families, ensuring that all children have the skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten.

The ELC follows NAEYC accreditation standards and operates as a lab-type class for the Early Childhood Education Department Career and Technical Education program at RCA as well as an intern site for DeKalb Technical College and Mercer University.

"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 Dr. Samuel King, superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools. "NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our teachers, administrators and staff so that all of our young children may enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive."

To earn NAEYC Accreditation, the RCA Early Learning Center went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received the accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the 10 program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

"I am so proud to be part of a team and work in a community that is putting children first," said Jesseca Causey, early learning coordinator for RCPS. "The ELC staff is a tremendous group of educators who have truly earned this recognition. I believe this is not just a celebration for us as a preschool, but also a celebration for the work in early education in our community."