Information for Families

• What is Early Childhood Program Accreditation?
• What are the characteristics of a high quality program?
• What must a program do to maintain accreditation?
• How do I locate programs in my community?
• What if I have a concern or complaint about an NAEYC-accredited program?
• Research Shows that Quality Matters

What is Early Childhood Program Accreditation?

• Accreditation is the status given to an early childhood program reviewed by a national commission composed of recognized experts in child care and early childhood education. The program must be judged to be in substantial compliance with the NAEYC Academy criteria for high quality early childhood programs Accreditation is granted for a five-year period.

  An early childhood program—child care center, preschool, kindergarten, or before- and/or after-school program—voluntarily applied for accreditation by the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation. The program then engaged in an extensive self-study based on the Academy's criteria for high quality early childhood program. The accuracy of the program's self-study was verified during a site visit to the program by volunteer validators. The validated self-study, including the program director's responses to the validation visit, was reviewed by a national commission.

• NAEYC Accredited early childhood programs are committed to ongoing program evaluation and continuous improvement. They agree to act upon the commission's suggestions regarding areas needing improvement and to submit annual written reports documenting improvements and continued compliance.

What are the characteristics of a high quality program?

There are a number of characteristics associated with high quality programs. Based on the Academy's Criteria, here are some things to consider as you visit programs:

1. Are the children in the program generally comfortable, relaxed, and happy, and involved in play and other activities?

   Happy, relaxed children who are enjoying themselves as they play and learn is one of the best signs of a good program. See if there is an ample variety of materials for children of this age group. Would your child enjoy this setting?

2. Are there sufficient numbers of adults with specialized training in early childhood development and education?

   The younger the child, the more individualized attention is needed. The Academy's Criteria recommend that all groups have at least two teachers. Infants should be in groups of no more than 6 to 8 children; 2- to 3-year-olds should be in groups of 10 to 14 children; and 4- to 5-year-olds should be in groups of 16 to 20 children. Specialized training in child development and early education helps assure that staff understand how children grow and learn so they can be more effective teachers and caregivers.

3. Do adult expectations vary appropriately for children of differing ages and interests?

   Groups for infants and toddlers will look quite different from groups for older children. Toys and materials should vary by age as should teachers' expectations for children. In addition, teachers and caregivers should recognize and respect individual differences in children's abilities, interests, and preferences.

4. Are all areas of child's development stressed equally, with time and attention being devoted to cognitive development, social and emotional development, and physical development?

   High quality early childhood programs do much more than help children learn numbers, shapes, and colors. Good programs help children learn how to learn: to question why and discover alternative answers; to get along with others; and to use their developing language, thinking, and motor skills.

5. Do the staff meet regularly to plan and evaluate the program?

   Planning should reflect a balance of activities between vigorous outdoor play and quiet indoor play. Activities should allow ample time for children to work and play individually or in small groups, with the focus on activities that are child initiated as opposed to teacher directed. Flexibility, however, is also key. Staff should be willing to adjust the daily activities to meet children's individual needs and interests.

6. Are parents welcome to observe, discuss policies, make suggestions, and participate in the work of the program?

   Close communication between parents and staff is vital. Staff should regularly discuss highlights of the child's experiences with parents and show respect for families of varying cultures and backgrounds.

What must a program do to maintain accreditation?

As of January 1, 2005 all accredited programs are:

• Required to file four Annual Reports and applicable fees beginning on the first anniversary of their accreditation. A program's anniversary date can be found on the program's accreditation certificate (bottom left hand corner). Programs do not submit an annual report for the year in which they submit their Early Childhood Program Description for reaccreditation.
• Required to report program-altering changes to the Academy within 90 days of the change during the term of their accreditation according to the new Verification Policy (review the full verification policy at www.naeyc.org/accreditation). Examples of such changes include, but are not limited to, a change in:

  a. licensing/regulatory status, c. ownership/vendor, e. age groups being served.

  b. location/physical facility, d. program governance, f. court orders affecting the program.

  Programs that fail to report changes to the NAEYC Academy are likely to receive an on-site verification visit.

• Eligible to be randomly selected for an unannounced visit. The unannounced visits will be conducted like verification visits, with validators checking that the programs continue to comply with the accreditation criteria. If a program is not performing at the level consistent with NAEYC Accreditation, its accreditation will be revoked.

When NAEYC accredited programs experience changes, a verification visit may be necessary to verify the program is maintaining compliance with the accreditation criteria. The fee for a verification visit is based on the number of children enrolled at a program. View the fee structure.

On September 15, 2006, NAEYC's current early childhood program accreditation system will expire. At that time, all accredited programs will transition to NAEYC's new early childhood program standards and accreditation performance criteria for annual reporting and verification visits (e.g. random unannounced, complaint, or due to changes experienced).

The NAEYC Academy regularly reviews its criteria, policies, procedures, and reserves the right at any time to modify or change any such criteria, policies, or procedures, including accreditation fees. The NAEYC Academy will provide notice of new and/or revised criteria, policies, and procedures at least sixty (60) days prior to implementation.