by Laura Shallow

Q. Why does it take so long to get my Registry Certificate?

A. Actually in 2005 the Registry beat all previous records for timeliness.  Here are some facts about the Registry which may help you better understand their position in our field.

The Registry was conceived and developed in Wisconsin.  It is the prototype for the nation.  Years ago the Registry was supported through state funding and supplemented with fees.  Several years ago funding was cut then completely eliminated.  Instead of folding, the non-profit organization, decided to tighten their budget.  As staff members left, they were not replaced thus leading to a longer turn around time. 

Along with these changes, the Registry continued to grow and two major improvements occurred.  The first was that the Registry began a marketing campaign and through this campaign 8 other states bought their system.  This has helped to keep your costs down! Of course this increased their workload but did bring in the first Registry National conference.  The second improvement was to changes in the Registry levels to make them more credit based and sequential.  These changes became effective January 1, 2006 and anyone wishing to be eligible for Reward money must be on the new system.  This has increased the turn around time again.

We should be proud to be the first state to enact career levels for the childcare field and try to remember the difficult task the Registry holds.  Every person who applies for a Registry certificate must attach all their years of documentation and one of the Registry employees must verify and certify all that information. 

I know this because for the past 2 years I have sat on the board of the Registry and I continue to be impressed with their drive and professionalism.  Laura Shallow

Check out the Registry web site at http://www.the-registry.org for more information.