Accreditation and Standards

The Center, a Class A state licensed facility, has been a pioneer and model for delivery of affordable childcare in a economically diverse, multiethnic, multicultural setting, including care and a mainstream experience for children with special needs.

The Center provides quality child care services to children aged 18 months to 5 years of age. Specific services include a developmental pre-school, before and after-school programs, and a summer camp program.

The Center currently provides daily (Monday-Friday), full-time (7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.) developmental and child care services to a maximum of 36 children. The Center is a Quality Star Rating participant and currently has a one star rating. This new rating system for schools was introduced in 2008/09 and we are currently applying for a second star rating.

GCC attempts to adhere to the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards, "the Gold Standard of Early Childhood Education."

The Center's program is designed to improve the emotional, social, language, cognitive, and physical development of the children. Typically, at least 90 per cent of the children who are enrolled in the program for the whole school year reach appropriate developmental goals.

Their health and quality of life are enhanced further by daily access to nutritional meals (breakfast, lunch, and snack) at the Center and by the Center's immunization monitoring program. Notably, 100 per cent of the Center's children are up-to-date on their immunizations. Immunizations counter the spread of childhood diseases to the benefit of the entire community and state, enhancing productivity and reducing demand on government health care and family-assistance programs.

One of the unique and leading edge aspects of child care at GCC is our initiative to combat early childhood obesity. Grace offers well rounded vegetarian meals prepared using the freshest ingredients as an introduction to healthy living along side of active and creative play.

GCC accepts tuitions from the State Child Care Assistance Program. Furthermore, because quality childcare is available at a modest cost, particularly to low-income families, adult family members can remain employed, seek employment, and/or enroll in training programs, thereby enhancing the entire family's health, stability, and quality of life, empowering them to make meaningful contributions to the community, and reducing the number of families requiring public assistance. In fact, 92 per cent of the Center's children live in households where the head of the household is employed. GCC is one of only a few Childcare Centers to accept State Tuition Aid.

The Center might rightly be described primarily as an educational organization; the benefits of its program extend to the areas of health and civic improvement. And in the realms of crayons and finger paints and construction paper, perhaps, it contributes to "the arts" as well.

For State Licensing information please visit:

http://carefacility.dss.louisiana.gov/licensing/lic_details.asp?lic_number=13795

Memberships

• National Association of Episcopal Schools
• Child Care Association Of Louisiana
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Greater New Orleans Association for the Education of Young Children

Accreditation

• United Way Agency
• Louisiana Department of Social Services QUALITY START STAR
• Louisiana State Licensing