FARMINGTON -- The University of Maine at Farmington offers one of the top child care programs in the country, according to an organization which sets tough accreditation standards.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children, based in Washington, D.C., awarded accreditation to the campus' Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Education Program. The coveted five-year status requires each child care center to undergo a thorough year-long review to substantiate excellence in eighty percent of 400 criteria.

"We review 130,000 child care programs yearly, and only eight percent meet our criteria," organization spokesperson Don Owens said. "I was a Head Start kid myself, and so I guess I'm a poster child for the importance of quality early childhood education."

He suggested that since 90 percent of a child's brain growth occurs before age five, quality pre-school education ensures that elementary and high school teachers spend less time helping children catch up with their peers who have learned numbers, colors, and basic classroom interaction skills.

The Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Education Program provides weekly care for up to 40 youngsters. Director Dawn Brod and teachers Julie Farmer and Emily Nutt care for children to age 8. They involved parents, university and community members throughout the past year to find ways to renew their 2001 credentials. Community involvement and improved communication with families were priorities, they agreed.

"Families helped with the Coat Closet project at the Old South Congregational Church, and children helped buy ducks and hens for Heifer Project International, which provides farm animals for people in third world countries," Brod said

Parents who enroll their children at the center know it's part of the college's working laboratory for students. Early childhood education assignments may require observing children individually or in groups. Undergraduates may complete a four-credit practicum or an internship, and the center employs work-study students.

"We consider Sweatt-Winter to be an integral part of the early childhood education program," Katherine Yardley, dean of the College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation, said.

"Each child's individuality is embraced," she said. "My 15-year old daughter and 13-year old son attended the Sweatt-Winter Center, and it helped with their transition into the classroom. They learned to share and interact with their peers and with small groups.

Originally started in 1926 as a way to accredit nursery schools, NAEYC has 100,000 members and national network of over 300 local, state, and regional affiliates.