DSU’s Early Childhood Innovation Center celebrates DE Rise Scholars

DSU’s Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) has successfully completed its full first year of improving the quality of childcare in the State of Delaware through its certification and higher education program for childcare providers.

Since the fall of 2023, the ECIC facilitated the degree completion of 13 childcare providers – five of whom earned associate degrees and eight of whom earned bachelor’s degrees in areas relating early childhood education. On July 16 at Delaware State University, a ceremony was held to celebrate those achievers.

In addition, the ECIC also facilitated the credentialing of 223 childcare scholars who achieved their certification as Child Development Associates (CDA). Many of those CDAs were honored at a ceremony at DSU on June 14

The CDAs and degree completers – DE RISE Scholars – are the first childcare scholars to do so through the joint State of Delaware and Delaware State University initiative to establish the ECIC. The ECIC mission is to increase childcare capabilities in the First State and thereby give young children the best educational start possible.

Dr. Dannae Sewell, the ECIC Early Childhood Initiative Officer, noted the challenges faced by many DE RISE Scholars pursuing higher education degrees through the program.

“As a single mom who raised two boys while attending school full-time and working full-time, I understand the immense resilience and perseverance it takes to achieve educational goals,” Dr. Sewell said. “The determination of our scholars and so many in early childhood education is truly inspiring, and celebrating their achievements is my absolute honor.”

DE Rise Scholar Patrice Jones-Cornish, who completed her Bachelor of Science in December 2023, said her possibilities have been greatly expanded.

“I was able to get a promotion as an education leader at Children and Families First and to be a PD specialist for early childhood education professionals who will be evaluated for the CDA for preschool,” Ms. Jones-Cornish said.  “ECIC has opened my mind and made me want to pursue other opportunities such as a CDA coach and help people who want to major in early childhood education, education, or special education follow their career path.” 

Dr. Kim Krzanowski, Executive Director of the ECIC, said those who achieved CDA certification have taken a tremendous step forward in their childcare careers.

“This means that 223 individuals are nationally certified and recognized as child development experts or associates,” said Dr. Kim Krzanowski, Executive Director of the ECIC. “They now have the skills, the knowledge, and the qualities to ensure that they provide top-notch early childhood education to their local communities.”

While possessing a CDA expands the childcare providers’ possibilities for more job opportunities and better wages, the children under their care are the biggest beneficiaries.

“The children under these Child Development Associates will be much better prepared to transition to kindergarten, to graduate high school, and to attend college,” Dr. Krzanowski said.

Nya Farlow, a preschool educator at Beach Babies Childcare in Lewes, Del., was selected to give her reflections about her decision to pursue a CDA.

“I decided to do this because I want every family that I provide childcare to know that their child is in great capable hands and that their child is learning and thriving while in my care,” said Ms. Farlow, who has also been named an ECIC Ambassador. “I decided to do this because I know that when educators thrive, our children thrive.”

During the June 14 ceremony, the ECIC honored Luz Quiroga as its inaugural Coach of the Year. As an official ECIC coach, Ms. Quiroga worked with 24 aspirants. She works as a bilingual early childhood specialist at the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington and as a Professional Development Specialist with the Council of Professional Recognition, fulfilling the needs of Spanish-speaking childcare providers.

The CDAs are granted by the Council of Professional Recognition (CPR), a worldwide leader in credentialing early childhood educators. The CDA ensures that credentialed childcare providers are well-prepared to foster young children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.

Andrew Davis, Chief Operating Officer for the CPR, attended the ceremony and praised the ECIC’s work. “It is not just the state funding that goes toward this work, but it is the coordination of all the support systems that ensure success,” he said. “The CNR has done focus groups and surveys to determine what drives success, and the ECIC built exactly that without knowing any of that information.”

Mr. Davis said that the ECIC’s model for CDA attainment is something other states can learn from. “Kudos to the (Gov. John Carney) administration for putting this in place, and kudos to the ECIC for conceptualizing something like this that is so beneficial to the childcare field.”

The role of DSU’s ECIC is to support childcare providers in meeting the CDA’s requirements to develop and submit a portfolio, pass the national exam, and complete the observation element. The ECIC paired each CDA aspirant with a childcare/mentor coach to help them achieve those requirements; it also distributed more than $100,000 in support stipends during its first year.

The newly credentialed CDAs ranged in age from 17 to 70. More than 75% of the inaugural group of childcare providers pursuing the CDA were from New Castle County, while 11% and 12% were from Kent and Sussex counties, respectively.

The county demographic is expected to change in the future, as an Early Childhood Innovation Center Building is currently being constructed on DSU’s main campus in Dover, with a projected completion date of February 2025. This will enable the ECIC to increase its focus on attracting childcare providers in Delaware’s lower two counties to the CDA program.

The following photo is of the Early Childhood Innovation Staff. (L-r) Dr. Shelley Rouser, Chair of the DSU Education Department; Charles “Charley” Anderson, Career Advisement Coordinator; Paula Bratcher-Newton,  Administrative Assistant; Dr. Elizabeth Kelleher; Higher Education Coordinator; Dionne Patterson, CDA® Coordinator; Jasmine Passwaters, Senior Administrative Assistant; Jennifer Seo, Scholarship Coordinator; Dr. Kimberly Krzanowski, Executive Director; Jennifer Marsh, Operations Coordinator; Kariem Ross, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Dr. Dannaé Sewell, Initiatives Officer; and Marcie Pate, Operations Officer