Ready, Set, Grow! is a childcare quality support initiative designed to dramatically increase the number of nationally accredited childcare centers in Shelby County.

How does increasing the number of accredited centers affect overall childcare quality?

One of the most widely employed child care quality strategies is support for child care programs in achieving national accreditation, most commonly from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). There is a wide acceptance of NAEYC as a standard-bearer of quality because, while there are individual exceptions, NAEYC accreditation indicates consistently higher childcare quality for children.

What childcare centers are eligible to participate?

Any licensed Tennessee 2- or 3-Star rated child care center in Shelby County that has been in business a minimum of 5 years and has approximately 75 or more children enrolled whose director either holds an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood, Bachelor's Degree in any field or above, and a minimum of three years experience as a director is eligible to participate in Ready, Set, Grow!

Who is paying for the program?

The program is funded through The Plough Foundation.

How much does it cost for a center to participate?

Tuition for the University of Memphis program for directors can be funded in different ways, directors can choose to pay their own tuition, employers can pay for directors’ tuition, or directors can apply for tuition assistance through the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA).  As of the summer of 2008 TECTA pays approximately $700 per course at the University of Memphis.  Ready, Set, Grow will pay for application fees and books for qualified applicants.  There are no fees for technical or on-site training programs for RSG participants.

Why NAEYC as the accreditation program?

Although there are several accreditation programs in the early child care industry, the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is widely accepted as the national standard.

How will I receive help with achieving NAEYC accreditation?

Qualified applicants will begin focusing on the accreditation process in 2009, including evaluating their programs in relation to the NAEYC standards and developing improvement plans that will help centers move toward meeting those standards.