EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

SEC. 1509. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM (a) Demonstration Program for Accredited Centers.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program to demonstrate the effect on the development of preschool children of requiring that military child development centers meet standards of operation necessary for accreditation by an appropriate national early childhood programs accrediting body. To carry out such demonstration program, the Secretary shall ensure that not later than June 1, 1991, at least 50 military child development centers are accredited by such an appropriate national early childhood accrediting body. (2) Each military child development center so accredited shall be designated as an early childhood education demonstration project and shall serve as a program model for other military child development centers and family home day care providers at military installations. (b) Plan for Implementation.—Not later than April 1, 1990, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a plan for carrying out the requirements of subsection (a). (c) Evaluation.—The Secretary shall obtain an independent evaluation of the demonstration program carried out under subsection (a) to determine the extent to which the imposition of a requirement that military child development centers meet accreditation standards effectively promotes the development of preschool children of members of the Armed Forces. The Secretary shall report the results of the evaluation to Congress, together with such comments and recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate, not later than July 15, 1992.