Submission Type: Practice-Based
Final Rating: Best Practice
Date Submitted: Spring 2022
Focus Area: Child Development
Focus Population: Teachers, Owners, Administrators
Contact Information:
Oklahoma Child Care AssociationÂ
Oklahoma Child Care Association | Professionals Serving Professionals
P.O. Box 2485 Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Goals and Outcomes:
OCCA aims to provide scholarships for the National Administrator Credential for early childhood education program directors and administrators in Oklahoma. The National Administrator Credential or NAC credential course was developed for center directors, emerging leaders and childcare professionals. NAC is a comprehensive, forty-five hour course conducted online, and is awarded for demonstrated mastery of child care administration skills.
By promoting the NAC credential, we hope to increase quality in the delivery of care in all home and center settings. The NAC credential serves as an approved component to meet the Oklahoma Director’s Credential for those providers who are seeking to meet the requirements for director of a childcare center or home program as defined by OKDHS. NAC is also designated as a contributing element in the newly revised Quality Rating and Improvement System in OKDHS’ Reaching for the Stars program and can factor into a program’s ability to increase its OKDHS Star level. By providing scholarships for the NAC, we can alleviate some of the expense that is necessary for increasing a program’s Star rating, which in turn, increase the level of quality of the program. NAC scholarships will also provide much needed support to the workforce as more providers obtain their Oklahoma Director’s Credential.
The objective of the OCCA is to train and support 100 childcare providers across the State of Oklahoma to obtain the National Administrator Credential over a 2 year period. The NAC course offers childcare and education directors and administrators forty-five (45) hours of high quality, relevant education.
• Candidates complete real-world projects and relevant reading assignments.
• Each candidate has 180 days (6 months) to complete this 45 hour program. The course is self paced, and the candidate may work through the course as speedily or leisurely as they wish. The course is designed with flexibility in mind, but cannot be completed within 10 days.
• Assignments are graded by a live instructor who will work with you to ensure success. The instructor endeavors to have all assignments graded within 24 hours during the week.
Brief Summary:
Director qualifications are a vital part of every early childhood program. A director is responsible for all aspects of the daily activities their center or homes’ program which include the supervision and leadership of staff with the caring and teaching of children. Directors typically supervise and direct staff, prepare budgets, develop educational programs, and oversee regulatory requirements of their program. A director often assists staff in solving conflicts between children and helps them communicate with parents and other staff. A director ensures their center’s facilities are maintained, clean, and foster a welcoming and nurturing environment. Some programs receive state and federal funding and directors must ensure all state and federal guidelines are met. A childcare director should be skilled in business, communication, organizational, leadership, and have interpersonal skills. All of which translates to a higher quality early childhood setting that encourages healthy child development and growth.
National Administrator Credential (NAC) is a national childcare administrator credential that aims to provide comprehensive management training for early childhood practitioners. The NAC is NECPA’s flagship director credential course with a long and rich history in the U.S. and beyond. It is recognized in all fifty states, by accrediting bodies and quality rating systems, and is accepted as a direct component for director credentials in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and Virginia. The NAC is recognized as a mark of excellence that designates professionals who have demonstrated the knowledge that is essential for managing a childcare program.
Oklahoma National Administrator Credential - NECPA