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Highlands Today

RCMA Centers Earn National Accreditation

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2008

SEBRING - Two centers in Sebring have received national accreditation for the care of young children.

Hope Villa Child Development Center and the Martin Luther King Child Development Center are among 10 in Highlands County operated by the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, which provides child care and early education for 8,000 children of farm workers and rural, low-income families in 21 Florida counties.

The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs confirmed that licensing standards have been exceeded; that Hope Villa and MLK staff have benefited from professional development; and that the children have a nurturing environment conducive to their growth and development. More than half of RCMA's 70-plus childcare centers statewide are nationally accredited.

Under the direction of Center Coordinator Carmen Esquilin, the Hope Villa Child Development Center provides child care and after-school programs for 47 children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Hope Villa has 13 teachers and staff.

Serving 31 children ages 3 to 5 years, the Martin Luther King Child Development Center is under the direction of Center Coordinator Marjorie Thomas and has 10 teachers and staff. In the 2007-08 school year, RCMA served 720 children in Highlands County.
RCMA was founded in Miami-Dade's Redlands farming area in 1965 by Mennonite Church volunteers to provide a safe, nurturing place for migrant workers to leave their children while they harvested the crops. From three original centers in the Homestead/Florida City area, RCMA has since expanded into 20 other Florida counties to become Florida's largest nonprofit child-care provider.

Children enrolled in RCMA's preschools and child development centers develop social, motor and literacy skills, and learn about good health practices. Learning English is a priority.
RCMA is funded by local, state and federal grants, as well as by businesses, individuals, the United Way and other organizations. More info: www.rcma.org

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