McCormick Center Receives Grant from FDC Foundation

The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University was awarded a $20,000 grant from the FDC Foundation to support the professional development of early childhood educators. This grant will allow the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership to provide scholarships to individuals seeking certification using the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) as well as textbook stipends for graduate students enrolled in the Early Childhood Administration M.Ed. program.

Developed by faculty at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, the BAS is a reliable and easy-to-administer tool for measuring the overall quality of business and professional practices in family child care settings. The BAS reflects the growing professional consensus that the quality of family child care is determined by more than a provider's nurturing heart and caring interactions with children.

The FDC Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded in 2008 to support charitable organizations within the United States in three principle areas: health, education, and housing opportunities.

Founded in 1985, the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership is dedicated to building the leadership capacity of the early childhood workforce. The activities of the McCormick Center encompass four areas: professional development to increase the knowledge and competency of early childhood leaders; evaluation to measure and improve the quality of early learning programs; research to enhance the knowledge base on key workforce and professional development issues; and public awareness to promote greater understanding of the critical role of early childhood leaders in the provision of quality services for children and families.

For more information about this initiative, please contact the McCormick Center at 800-443-5522, ext. 5233 or email Sue Offutt. To find out more about the FDC Foundation, visit the foundation's website.