MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Early Childhood Education associate degree program has received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation.

Twelve programs at eight colleges recently earned the accreditation and now, 136 programs have been accredited since the accreditation system was launched in 2006. Approximately 10 percent of the eligible associate degree programs in the country have been accredited.

“Earning accreditation from the NAEYC is a significant achievement for our Early Childhood Education program faculty and students,” said MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke. “We are especially proud that MATC is the only Wisconsin institution to receive this designation.”

The accreditation system establishes professional preparation standards to raise the quality of early childhood teacher education, and in turn, raise the quality of early education programs serving young children. Accredited associate degree programs provide access to the profession and a strong foundation for the diverse pool of early childhood teachers that are needed in the field.

“Since teacher quality is a crucial component in providing high-quality early childhood education to millions of children across the country, it is critical that we continue to work toward improving and growing the early childhood associate degree accreditation system,” said Alison Lutton, NAEYC senior director of Higher Education Accreditation and Program Support.

Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 80,000 members worldwide. The Association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the United States.

More information on MATC’s program is available at http://matc.edu/student/offerings/earlyaas.html