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Media Credit: Ling Zhou Nicki Harmon, right, director of CDC and Brenda Trejo, her assistant, have worked together the past year for the NAEYC accreditation.

PCC's Child Development Center received its accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (N.A.E.Y.C) in January.

It was a grueling year, according to Nicki Harmon, who directs the group that also includes specialists and teachers. Their new accreditation will help the center keep supporting PCC students, their families and the community, she said.

The CDC helps take care of and educate the children of PCC students, and also the children of the community around it. It helps them continue to go to school, and provide a nurturing environment. The accreditation gives kids, students and families a sense of trust and credibility, Harmon said.

"We want to be the best we can be for the children and the campus," said Harmon.

The process to become an accredited center started with the application.

"[That was] a huge document," said Harmon.

After it was submitted, proof of documentation of the center's policies and practices was needed. This consisted of multiple five-inch thick binders with the documentation. That was to become a candidate; the next step was observation and the rating of the CDC's environment, Herman said.

The evaluation consisted of 10 areas of curriculum. The center scored over 100 on three of the areas, 100 on six of them, and scored 96 on the last one.

"There were sleepless nights and days where we stayed until 1:30 a.m. to make sure everything was in place," said Harmon. She emphasized that this was a team effort that required the whole staff to pitch in.

"It takes a village," she said.

The center was notified of its accreditation by email. The staff read it together and a lot of screaming went on, said Harmon.

Team leader and Young Toddler Specialist Brenda Trejo agreed.

"I work with a good group with the same desire to impact children's lives and students," she said. Trejo has worked with the group for 13 years.

The new accreditation received by the center means that it will be able to keep receiving its federal grant. Harmon said the CDC is one of the few centers across the country that receives that grant.

The center will be able to keep providing field practice classes and paid teaching opportunities for over 400 students.

"[The CDC] is really lucky in that our campus supports us," said Harmon. The group will celebrate its accreditation with a dinner on April 9 where the team members will receive their pins.

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