Duluth, GA/ June 7, 2011 – ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), a nationally accredited and IACET approved distance training institution dedicated exclusively to the child care industry, is proud to announce the addition of the CCEI Early Childhood Credential.

With eight instructional units covering the major early childhood disciplines, this credential is designed to give a basic framework of early childhood theory and application through online content-based coursework, reading assignments, practical application exercises, essays, parent interviews and classroom observation.

This credential is recognized by NAEYC to meet a part of the Alternative Pathways to Achieve Educational Qualifications for the Designated Program Administrator. The credential awards 18 IACET CEUs and has been recommended for 12 hours of semester credit in Early Childhood Education by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (National CCRS), who has more than 1,500 schools willing to consider National CCRS credit recommendations. View the CCEI Articulation Partners page for details.

“We created the Early Childhood Credential to meet the market need for a standardized, high-quality educational program that moves people toward meeting the higher education requirements that are mandated in Head Start and in many states. The goal is to increase the education level of early childhood educators and this credential not only does that, but it creates a bridge that encourages educators who get the credential to continue up the education ladder toward a degree. This supports CCEI’s goal to improve teacher effectiveness and ultimately raise the quality of care provided to children,” said Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI.