Cal State San Bernardino's Children's Center received a five-year accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children this summer, said Barbara Kirby, director of the university's Children's Center.

CSUSB's Children's Center went through a comprehensive review process, which included meeting all 10 of the NAEYC early childhood program standards consisting of the curriculum, staff qualifications, the facility, health and safety assessment and scrutiny of numerous volumes of documentation.

"This is the highest honor an early childhood center can achieve," said Kirby. "It was a grueling process and one that I want to applaud my staff for completing so successfully."

NAEYC administers the largest and most widely recognized accreditation system for all types of early childhood programs and is the nation's largest organization of early childhood educators. NAEYC accreditation represents the mark of quality in early childhood education.

The center, operated through the Foundation for Cal State San Bernardino, offers convenient and affordable educational/child care services to eligible children of university students.

Approximately 100 children are enrolled each quarter at the center and served by a team of 25 staff and teachers. The center provides a complete educational program for children ages 3 to 6 years and an educational after-school program for children ages 6 to 10 years.

Services are also available on a space-available basis to children of faculty and staff as well as to the surrounding community. Fees are based on family size and income.

For more information about early childhood programs offered by CSUSB's Children's Center, contact Barbara Kirby at (909) 537-5928 or visit the Children's Center Web site.