Children Making Macaroni Art — “M” is for “Macaroni.” Photo courtesy of Sunshine Kids Development Center Facebook Page

Congratulations are in order for Birmingham child care providers Lakisha Mennefield and Kamilah Moss, who have each been awarded a national honor for their in-home day care programs.

Mennefield is the owner of Angel Care Home Day Care in Birmingham. Moss runs Sunshine Kids Development Center in Bessemer.

1-The accreditation award is hard to get

The accreditation award, provided by the National Association for Family Child Care, is given to an average of only two percent of child care facilities per state. Despite this, the state of Alabama has a rare eleven percent of its facilities accredited.

Additionally, NAFCC accreditation is not easy to obtain. It involves a rigorous system using over 300 standards to recognize high-quality child care programs operating out of the residence of a child care professional.

Child Laughs in a Slide — Angel Care Home Day Care is full of little smiles like this one. Photo courtesy of Angel Care Home Day Care Facebook Page

2-Lakeisha Mennefield and Kamilah Moss care a lot about kids

In order to become qualified, both Mennefield and Moss went through an extensive self-study, training and quality improvement process with the support of each of their respective mentors.

This time-consuming dedication to their work and to the children in their care truly shows the amount of love each woman has for child care and for children in general.

“NAFCC accreditation is recognition of a family child care providers’ commitment to quality care-giving and to continuous quality improvement,” said Caroline Martin, managing director of FCC-AFP at Auburn. “A provider who attains NAFCC accreditation has reached a high level of professional practice in family child care, giving parents and families the assurance that the program is nationally recognized as such.”

Kids Smiling with Art Project — Students are all-smiles when it comes to fun learning. Photo courtesy of the Sunshine Kids Development Center Facebook Page

3-Learn more about why they worked so hard to get NAFCC accreditation

Lakisha Mennefield runs an in-home childcare program. Photo courtesy of Family Child Care Partnerships

How long have you been a child care provider?

Mennefield: I’ve been a childcare provider for over ten years.

Moss: Seven years.

Why did you decide to become accredited?

Mennefield: I chose to become re-accredited because it’s the highest level achievement of quality child care. It lets me know I’m meeting the required standards, and it’s a great marketing tool for parents to know I’m meeting the required standards.

Moss: I decided to do it because I wanted my home daycare to be top-notch, providing the best quality care and education for my kids.

Kamilah Moss has worked in child care for seven years. Photo courtesy of Family Child Care Partnerships

What do you love most about the work you do?

Mennefield: What I enjoy most about in-home child care is the flexibility and being able to provide a home environment for the children away from home. It’s very comforting for the kids being able to engage in different activities, inside and outdoor, with everything being a learning experience.

Moss: I enjoy being able to teach at my own speed, which in turn makes it easier to meet the kids where they are. I also enjoy providing that intimate in-home feeling as opposed to a daycare center, which the parents and kids love.