APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED

ARCHS announces openings for licensed child care programs to work towards NAFCC, NAEYC, or MOA accreditation. ARCHS will accept applications until Monday, December 12, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. Programs who are selected will be notified by January 20, 2012.

Accreditation facilitation grantees receive on-site training and technical assistance, professional development support and funds to support quality improvement. Please note that this is NOT for the start-up and expansion of child care programs, but for accreditation only. Download RFP below and follow specific directions provided.

DOWNLOAD RFP (PDF)
DOWNLOAD RFP (WORD)

ARCHS held a congratulatory brunch for its network of nearly 100 Educare home providers on May 21 at the Holiday Inn Select downtown. Remarks of appreciation and support were made by ARCHS' Chief Executive Officer Wendell E. Kimbrough and ARCHS' VP of Grant Management Services Amber Stevenson. Testimonials were also given by several of ARCHS' Educare partners.

In 2009, ARCHS was asked by the state of Missouri to assume responsibility for the Educare programs in the City of St. Louis. In 2010, ARCHS was asked to expand its role and ensure that quality Educare programming was provided to the entire region.

ARCHS' Educare aims to improve the quality of child care for Missouri's children between the ages of birth to five-years-old (emphasis on birth to 36 months). Educare is one of four early childhood initiatives that ARCHS supports on behalf of the Department of Social Services (DSS), Children's Division.

ARCHS is excited to announce that four of its supported child care centers have achieved accreditation, including Good Vibes School, Kidz Biz Learning Center, the Clay Center at Harris-Stowe State University, and Downtown Children's Center. University City Children's Center was also re-accredited.

ARCHS' supported child care programs receive accreditation funding to increase the quality of child care and education programs by providing support to child care programs that are going through the accreditation or re-accrediation process.

"With achieving accreditation, program staff are validated as professionals in their field. ARCHS accreditation grantees work up to two-years meeting higher standards than in licensing in areas such as business administration, program policies, family support, quality teacher child interactions, and curriculum building," said Rochelle Andre, ARCHS' Director of Grant Management Services. "Through accreditation, directors have better trained staff and less turnover of staff, and staff have better understanding of child development."

Jitterbugs Development Center co-owner Jennifer Ross inspects damage to her childcare center after storms tore into the area on April 22.Jitterbugs Development Center co-owner Jennifer Ross lifted a large piece of fallen roofing from her lawn as she examined debris scattered about. Three days prior, the ARCHS' supported childcare center had toys covering their backyard. Yet today - tree limbs, broken cables, and shingles occupy the space where children once rode their tricycles.

"I don't know the value of the damage at this point. I'm devastated. We are just so devastated by this," Ross said. "If you look around, ARCHS has helped us out with a lot of this, and to see what happened to a lot of it...we are just in tears because we love this place so much."

Storms, including tornadoes, swept into the region and pummeled homes and businesses on April 22. Unfortunately, the relentless weather failed to spare the small child care center sitting at 420 Chambers Road.