Child Development Center serves local families, plays essential role for OHIO students

Ohio University’s Child Development Center (CDC) provides a crucial service to the community, while also serving as a valuable learning center for OHIO students from a wide range of majors.

The CDC is well-known in the community for its outstanding work and was recognized recently with the Accreditation+ designation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. The accreditation is valid until Oct. 1, 2031.

“Earning NAEYC Accreditation+ is an extraordinary accomplishment and a powerful affirmation of the excellence of our Child Development Center,” said Patton College of Education Dean Lisa Harrison.

“Relatively few early learning programs across the country achieve NAEYC accreditation, and Accreditation+ represents NAEYC’s highest level of accountability, making this recognition particularly meaningful,” Harrison said. “It speaks to the quality and care our teachers and staff bring to children and families every day.”

The center also serves as a role model for best practice in the region, Harrison said.

Director Kristin Barron said that the CDC is proud to receive this accreditation once again.

“The Center has a history of being accredited by NAEYC and it is an honor to be able to continue that rich tradition of high-quality education and care for young children,” Barron said. Barron also credited all of the teachers and assistant teachers at the CDC who worked together on the accreditation process.

“This is a huge accomplishment that points to the ongoing work of the teachers and assistant teachers,” Barron said.

The CDC, whose roots at OHIO date back to 1929 in the Jennings House, is one of the only centers in the area that serves children ages six weeks to five years. The center provides high-quality education and care for young children and has capacity for up to 92 children.

“Every part of the day can be a meaningful opportunity for learning,” Barron said. The teachers in the center all have early childhood education degrees and take part in professional development activities often.

“We are all lifelong learners,” Barron said. 

The CDC provides a challenging curriculum based on Developmentally Appropriate Practice and is influenced by Constructivism and the Reggio Emilia Approach. Every day, the teachers and staff members work together to strengthen relationships between children, families, the Center and the community. 

The center promotes learning through hands-on experiences that are both spontaneous and intentional, providing important learning experiences for all of the children it serves.

OHIO students also learn at the CDC

While the CDC serves the community, it also serves as a valuable learning lab for Ohio University students from different majors.

“For the Patton College, having a center of this caliber creates invaluable opportunities for our students to learn alongside highly skilled early childhood professionals and experience firsthand what exceptional early learning looks like,” Harrison said. “The CDC is truly a shining star of the Patton College of Education, Ohio University, and the Southeast Ohio community.”

Early childhood and elementary education teacher candidates from the Patton College participate in hands-on learning in the CDC classrooms, Barron explained, as they learn and work alongside the teachers and assistant teachers.

“Their presence enhances the experience for young children who, along with the teachers, assistant teachers and families, impact the foundational learning that the candidates will take into their future classrooms,” Barron said.

Students from a wide range of majors, including psychology and physical therapy, also take part in observational programs and other projects at the CDC, allowing them to learn more about working with young children.

The CDC is proud to work with the OHIO students, who all add to the center in different ways, Barron said.

The CDC is honored by the recent NAEYC Accreditation+, just as it is honored to be serving children and families in the community while also helping OHIO students learn and prepare for their careers.