Counties receive funding based on the demand for classes, but during years of high enrollment, available funds have been inadequate. Many West Virginia vocational and higher educational institutions provide classroom space for ACDS classes at no cost to the program. The graduating apprentices transfer the knowledge they gained through the ACDS program to their individual early childhood programs. There is no formal evaluation of ACDS, but anecdotal feedback from early childhood program directors credits the effectiveness of the program for the increase in the quality of education and care. They report observing a high level of self-esteem among those who are in the training program.
Apprentices benefit as they learn to relate theory to practice.
The ACDS program embraces flexibility as part of its design. The state executive council and local councils form a structure that allows the program to grow and adapt to changing needs. As a result, the program was able to reach beyond its initial target audience to train welfare recipients as potential apprentices. Through the grant, the ACDS program developed a registration form for new applicants that provides the framework for a new database system to track participation in the ACDS program. The grant also funded the development of resource guides and manuals for instructors and ACDS program directors.