Mililani Prechools Are Nationally Accredited

Mililani’s first and oldest preschool – Mililani Presbyterian Preschool – has joined the list of schools to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) along with Mililani Baptist, Mililani Rainbow and St. John’s Catholic preschools.

The four area schools recently got their official approval after on-site visits by association assessors to ensure that they met all program benchmarks.

“We’re proud to have earned this mark of quality and to be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” said MPP director Lani Julian. “It lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible.”

The school opened in 1967, three years before the church itself, at 95-410 Kuahelani Ave.

The self-study process was spread over several years in order to measure – and prove – the quality of programs, facilities and services against 10 NAEYC standards and more than 400 related criteria.

“This shows that Mililani has great preschools,” added Catherine “Cat” Awong, director at St. John’s, a Montessori pre-school right down the road from MPP.

“And it helps to take an in-depth look at how you’re doing,” she said.

More than 7,000 programs have been accredited by NAEYC, and approximately 8 percent of all preschools and other early childhood programs, since it was established 25 years ago.

The system “raises the bar” for child care centers and preschools, said Jerlean E. Daniel, executive director of NAEYC. “Having earned accreditation is a sign that (they) are leaders in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education.”