Overview || Step 1: Enrollment / Self-Study || Step 2: Application / Self-Assessment
Step 3: Candidacy || Step 4: Meeting the Standards
| Sample Candidacy Materials |  |
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| Additional Copies of Group Information | |
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| Additional Copies of Teaching Staff Qualifications | |
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| Candidacy FAQs | ||
Step 3: Candidacy
Demonstrate key components of high quality programming and preparedness for site visit
Once a program submits the Candidacy Materials, an NAEYC Accreditation Coordinator reviews them to determine the program's readiness for a site visit. Programs that successfully complete this step are considered Candidates for NAEYC Accreditation and can expect a site visit within six months of the Candidacy due date.
Program Requirements:
- Meet all Candidacy Requirements
Tasks for Programs:
- Submit program-specific Candidacy Materials and Candidacy fee by Candidacy due date selected in Step 2: Application
- Candidacy Materials are made available to programs through the Program Record 8 weeks prior to the Candidacy due date selected in the Application
- Review a sample of the Candidacy Materials.
- Prepare for site visit by NAEYC Assessors by fine tuning program improvement efforts
- Continue to gather evidence of performance and make improvements
Decisions:
Programs receive a Candidacy decision from the NAEYC Academy within 6 months of the Candidacy due date.
- Candidacy Accepted: The program is eligible for a site visit and will be hearing from an NAEYC Assessor in the near future.
- Candidacy Denied: The program must submit an option form to its Accreditation Coordinator by an established due date. The program will be offered the following options:
- Continue towards NAEYC Accreditation by resubmitting Candidacy Materials on the next available Candidacy due date.
- Withdraw from the NAEYC Accreditation process at this time and resubmit an Application (step 2) when the program is ready to continue towards NAEYC Accreditation
- Appeal the Candidacy decision by moving forward with the formal appeal process.
