Philosophy and Mission
As a denomination, Seventh-day Adventists see the early education of the child as a continual growth process.

"Too much importance cannot be placed on the early training of children. The lessons learned, the habits formed, during the years of infancy and childhood, have more to do with the formation of the character and the direction of the life than have all the instruction and training of after years."
MH , page 380

Quality child care is an urgent need in today’s society. Traditionally, parents are responsible for providing this care. However, because of the rapidly changing structure of today’s family, it becomes necessary for parents to find assistance to give their child the best care possible. In 1904 the church was counseled and strongly encouraged to provide for the training of younger children in situations where parents work out of the home and/or find themselves lacking in parental skills. (See Sanitarium Church School Board Minutes of January 14, 1904; “Counsel on Early School Attendance”, Review and Herald , April 24, 1975.) The Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists early childhood program strives to follow that counsel in offering healthy, safe, Christian environments to parents of the church and its community for their young children.

For “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come unto Me and forbid them not, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ ” Matthew 19:14

The mission of the Southern Union Conference early childhood program is to provide quality care and sound educational experience from birth through four years of age by well-qualified personnel in safe, age-appropriate environments while maintaining the Christian principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Our objective includes following high standards with developmentally appropriate practices for young children in a ministry and service to families of the church and community.

Statistics
Approximately 90 Seventh-day Adventist early childhood programs are located throughout the eight southern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Approximately 2,400 young children ranging from birth through four years of age are enrolled in Seventh-day Adventist early childhood programs across the Southern Union Conference.

Resources for Early Childhood Education
Center Board Manual
Code 6000 School-based Pre-K Guidelines
Early Childhood Professional Growth Booklist
Early Childhood Education and Care Certification Requirements Handbook
ECP/Pre-K Classroom Start-Up Packet
Employee Handbook for Locally Employed Personnel
Evaluative Criteria for SUC Schools PreK- 8
Evaluative Criteria for SUC Schools PreK - 8 / Visiting Committee
Evaluative Criteria for SUC School-based PreK / Addendum
Evaluative Criteria for SUC School-based PreK Addendum / Visiting Committee
Evaluative Criteria for SUC Early Childhood Programs
Evaluative Criteria for SUC ECP / Visiting Committee
Guidelines for Early Childhood Programs SUC Education Code Book Supplement A
Home and Center Association Handbook
Risk Management Loss Control Guidelines

Spanish Documents
 

Control De Riesgos Y Pérdidas Guía
Apertura
 

Forms

Early Childhood Directory Information Update 2008 / EC100
New Early Childhood Site Directory Information 2008 / EC105
Pre-Kindergarten Opening Report / EC200
Pre-Kindergarten Closing Report / EC205
Early Childhood Program Openings Forms / EC210
Early Childhood Program Closing Form / EC215
Early Childhood Education and Care Certification Application / EC300
ECEC Certification Conditional Renewal Evaluation / EC310
ECEC Certification Requirements Check List / EC315
ECEC Professional Growth Reading Credit / EC325
ECP Accreditation Application and Check List / EC400
Pre-Kindergarten Accreditation Form / EC410
 

Links:

National Association for the Education of Young Children ">contains helpful information that promotes excellence in early childhood education.

National Institute for Early Education Research supports early childhood education initiatives by providing objective, nonpartisan information based on research.

National Child Care Information Center is national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information.

U.S. Department of Labor website provides information on many federal and state laws regarding workforce and labor, links to resources sorted by audience, topic, form, organization, location and by top 20 requested items and "Frequently Asked Quesitons" received on a variety of topics.

Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project visit the (WCCIP) website for good business budgeting, marketing and other tips.

National Child Care Systems, Inc. To assist child care employees in meeting annual requirements by state licensing agencies for certification and in-service, National Child Care System (NCCS) offers a fexible program for early childhood staff training.

Contact Us:

Tamara Libonati
Associate Director
Early Childhood Education
Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
T: 404-299-1832, Ext. 445
F: 404-299-9726

Mariel Lombardi
Administrative Assistant
Early Childhood Education
Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
T: 404-299-1832, Ext. 450
F: 404-299-9726