Information For
Information About
Since its founding in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has been working to define quality in programs for young children. In 1985, NAEYC established its accreditation system to set professional standards for early childhood programs and to help families identify high-quality programs. NAEYC Accreditation is a voluntary system by which programs measure themselves against a national set of standards, and the number of programs pursuing NAEYC Accreditation has grown rapidly through the years. From only a few hundred accredited programs in 1988, there are now more than 10,000 NAEYC-accredited programs, serving nearly one million young children! NAEYC Accreditation has been, and continues to be, the mark of quality in early childhood education.
Reinvention
Since it was established, NAEYC has worked to improve the NAEYC Accreditation system, both to prepare for the future and to support the ongoing improvement of early childhood programs based on the latest research and information on early childhood education. In 1999, the NAEYC Governing Board created a National Commission on Accreditation Reinvention. For two years, the Reinvention Commission solicited extensive input from the early childhood field and other stakeholders; consulted specialists in the fields of accreditation, law and other related areas; and tested innovative accreditation practices. The result was ten recommendations to strengthen the reliability and accountability of NAEYC Accreditation for children and families, for early childhood educators and programs, and for employers, foundations, facilitation projects and others who support the system.
Based on the Commission's recommendations, NAEYC's reinvented accreditation system is designed to:
In April 2005, the NAEYC Governing Board approved new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria. The new standards and criteria, which took effect September 16, 2006, are a major step forward for NAEYC Accreditation, the early childhood profession, and the children and families served by NAEYC-accredited programs.
The Mission remains the same
While we are making important changes to the NAEYC Accreditation system, the mission of NAEYC is unchanged. The Association remains focused on helping all early childhood programs improve, and we are developing new materials and resources to support a broad range of program improvement efforts.
NAEYC Accreditation continues to be the mark of quality – for children and families, for early childhood programs and educators, and for all the people and organizations that recognize the importance of helping young children get a great start on learning and development.
To learn more about NAEYC's history since the 1920's Click here.
