Oct. 30, 1997 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 EUGENE--The child care services provided to the children of University of Oregon families by the Erb Memorial Union Child Care and Development Centers are among the best in the nation. Recently granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the EMU facilities are among six centers in Eugene--and just 32 of nearly 1,200 centers in Oregon--that meet the accreditation criteria. Less than 5 percent of young children's programs nationwide achieve this level of recognition. "We have been providing high-quality services for kids and families for more than 27 years," says Dennis Reynolds, EMU child care coordinator. "Now, recognition by an objective outside organization gives us an official seal of approval." Seven programs make up the EMU centers. Toddler programs are on the lower level of the EMU, at 2169 W. 17th Court in Westmoreland family housing and at 1533 Moss St. in the Green House. Preschool programs are on the lower level of the EMU, at 2163 W. 17th Court in Westmoreland family housing and at 1511 1/2 Moss in the Brown House. A pre-kindergarten and kindergarten program is at 1511 1/2 Moss in the Moss House. "It may sound like bragging to say we are a darned good program but now its official. I am extremely proud of the outstanding staff and the scores of dedicated students who do such fine work for the kids and their families," Reynolds says. "In addition, the student government leaders who have given us the funds to provide this excellent service at a cost that makes it accessible to student families also are deserving of praise." NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous voluntary process by which early-childhood programs demonstrate that they consistently meet national standards of excellence. Child care centers, Head Start programs, preschools and kindergartens are eligible to seek accreditation. Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators and classroom observations. They receive an on-site visit by trained evaluators. All this information is independently reviewed by a national panel of early-childhood experts, who make the decision to grant accreditation. For more information about the EMU Child Care and Development Centers, call (541) 346-4384. -30- #O-2085/Local/eb