Steps and Requirements to achieve and maintain NAEYC Accreditation

 NAEYC’s reinvented accreditation system requires early childhood programs to complete four steps to achieve NAEYC Accreditation. The four steps and requirements were developed with extensive input from early childhood educators and reviewed by the Reinvention Commission on NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria, Council for NAEYC Accreditation, a board-appointed work group of representatives from large system of programs for young children. These requirements are designed to increase the accountability of the system for children, families, and all customers of NAEYC Accreditation.

The steps and requirements clarify the NAEYC Accreditation process, help programs prepare for each step, and make sure that the crucial components of program quality are in place. This preparation will increase the likelihood of a program’s successful accreditation experience and reduce the potential for frustration and disappointment-not only for the program, but also for the families, funders, and other stakeholders working to help the program improve and earn NAEYC Accreditation.

In addition, NAEYC views the steps and requirements as a bridge to help early childhood programs, and the early childhood field in general, to make the transition to higher levels of program quality over the next few years.  Specifically, two actions have been taken to create this bridge:

1. Creation of candidacy requirements that establish a minimum requirement for programs seeking to become Candidates for NAEYC Accreditation while allowing some flexibility regarding the NAEYC Accreditation Criteria on teaching staff qualifications.
2. Identification of emerging practices criteria, which are NAEYC Accreditation Criteria identified as important aspects of program performance that are not yet widely practiced. The early childhood field and individual programs need time to develop the capacity to meet these criteria (due to the need for additional training, major facility renovations, or an increased supply of certified consultants). The Emerging Practice criteria will remain emerging until the full criteria review in 2010.

Accreditation Fees

Fees vary by the size of program enrollment. Learn more.....

The Four Steps:

Programs must proceed in order through the steps, although the time a program takes on each step will not necessarily be the same. To learn more about each step, click on the appropriate tab button at top of screen. To download a Power Point presentation click here. There is a specific timeline to follow for Steps 2 and 3 based on whether a program is currently NAEYC-accredited or not. In addition, various factors should be taken into consideration when choosing deadlines along the timeline. To find out more, click here.

Please note: The information available on this website about the Four Steps of NAEYC Accreditation is intended to provide an overview of the process. After a program enrolls in Self Study (Step 1), full details about the process are available to them through their individualized program records and the self-study section of this website.