New NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria

Approved by the NAEYC Governing Board in April 2005, these standards and criteria will take effect September 16, 2006, replacing the current (“1998”) Accreditation Criteria. New self-study materials based on the new standards and criteria are now available in the NAEYC online store.

The new standards and criteria are a major step forward—for NAEYC Accreditation, the Association, the early childhood profession, and most of all, for the young children and families we serve. The new program standards and performance criteria build on the history of the Association, and on the vision proposed by the Reinvention Commission in 2002: NAEYC Accreditation—and NAEYC-accredited programs—can lead the way to higher quality.

Since it was created 20 years ago, the NAEYC Accreditation system has been a source of pride—for programs that achieve NAEYC Accreditation, for the families they serve, and for the early childhood profession as a whole. The new standards and criteria, and the other improvements we are making to NAEYC Accreditation, will be a source of pride for all of us for many years to come.

• Introduction to New Standards and Criteria
• Read the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Criteria
• Steps and Requirements for Accreditation