About the Graduate P-3 Certification Program at TROY

The demand for early childhood care and education programs has increased fundamentally across all regions of the United States, particularly in states and cities where there is low socio-economic status, low educational attainment for families and in rural areas. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), much of the increase in demand for early childhood jobs is the result of the nation's recognition of the importance of placing children in high-quality, out-of-home child care, and in response to the critical importance of educational experiences during the early years, birth-age eight. In fact, research has demonstrated that high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs, coupled with a highly qualified teaching staff, produce short- and long-term positive effects on children's cognitive, emotional and social development.