The Cox Children’s Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield has received a reimbursement grant in the amount of $6300 from Quality Counts 2006-2007, a project sponsored by Community Child Care Connection and the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Quality Counts grants are designed to encourage facilities to focus on programming in areas of high demand. They also encourage and recognize programs that offer and sustain high quality care for all children equally.
Stacey Hembrough, Cox Center director, explained, “My focus in applying for the grant was on improving the quality of care we offer younger children and on enabling us to continue caring for children with special needs by purchasing the necessary equipment and supplies for our three year old classroom.
Our program received extra consideration because we serve children and families receiving IDHS financial assistance, for being a full-year program, and for being accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children,” she said.
Hembrough said that the center has requested a large amount of new materials, furniture, and equipment, all of which will be purchased within the next month.
Priority for Quality Counts grants was given to applicants that addressed any of the program’s statewide priorities, including increasing the capacity for, or improving the quality of care for infants/toddlers or school-age children; creating or maintaining the ability to care for children with special needs; or to facilitate a change of license status.
For more information, contact Hembrough at 206-6610.
The Cox Children’s Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield will join hundreds of organizations around the country to observe Week of the Young Child, April 23 through 27.
The week honors America’s more than 35 million children aged birth through eight years, and the families, teachers, and other adults who help them make the most of opportunities the early years afford.
Local celebrations during the week are designed to broaden support for programs that nurture early learning and growth. Events planned by Cox Children’s Center and its Parent Advisory Committee include Celebrate :
The campus and local community is invited to attend the Open House, which is scheduled for 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the center, located on the UIS campus.
Center Director Stacey Hembrough noted that research and experience have shown that a child’s earliest years are crucial to his or her learning. “Week of the Young Child is a chance to celebrate learning opportunities for young children, and to recognize the responsibilities we share for helping them make the most of their early years,” she said.
Hembrough added that the center advocates a comprehensive effort to improve the quality of early childhood education, including professional development opportunities and adequate compensation for teachers and staff; improving program health and safety standards; using developmentally appropriate practices to encourage literacy and learning from birth; and supporting the crucial role of the family in early education.
Cox Children’s Center is an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the country’s largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of early education programs.
For more information, contact Hembrough at 206-6610 or go to www.naeyc.org/about/woyc/.
