Unity Point Health Child Development Center

The Child Development Center, which provides quality child care for UnityPoint Health - Des Moines employees, is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) program.

The Child Development Center has 15 classrooms of children ages infant through 5-year-olds. Around 250 children are enrolled in the program, and the center sees around 125 to 150 of those children each day.

The center has a daily structured schedule for the children that is based from the Creative Curriculum. As a part of the Creative Curriculum, the children get to enjoy activities such as painting, water play, cooking activities, playing on the playground and sandbox.

"Accreditation truly does improve the quality of care we give," said Sue Huffman, Director of the Child Development Center.

The NAEYC accreditation standards were set to improve the quality of programs for children throughout the country. Ten different standards are set by the NAEYC, those standards are then broken down into 265 different areas that cover all aspects of child care giving and the education of young children.

Accreditation standards exceed state licensing standards and less than 10 percent of child care facilities across the country are accredited. Accreditation is valued by the Child Development Center and by its customers because it has higher education guidelines for staff, standards for toys and equipment, and higher health standards.

"Accreditation is very valued and it improves our interaction with the children in every way," said Huffman.

Additional Information: QRS RATING: 4 Stars. QRS Level: 4;