Accreditation Fees
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Accreditation Fees
NAEYC's commitment to the program administrators and teaching staff who pursue quality improvement through NAEYC Accreditation—and to the children and families who ultimately benefit from that inspiring work—has never been stronger. Our fees enable us to support the work of NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs.
Fees are based on the number of enrolled children in a program. Click on each fee below to see detailed information about the fee based on enrollment.
All fees are non-refundable.
Fees for Pursuing Accreditation
Stage 1: Enrollment | Starting at $575
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$575 |
$675 |
$925 |
$1025 |
Add $125 |
Stage 2: Application | Starting at $300
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$300 |
$375 |
$450 |
$550 |
Add $85 |
Stage 3: Candidacy & Site Visit | Starting at $950
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$950 |
$1,175 |
$1,400 |
$1,625 |
Add $235 |
Fees for Maintaining Accreditation
Annual Accreditation Fee | Starting at $650
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$650 |
$750 |
$900 |
$1025 |
Add $175 |
Programs pay the accreditation fee (based on current number of students enrolled) at the end of each year. Currently accredited programs that have maintained their accreditation throughout the 5-year term are not assessed a separate renewal fee in addition to the annual accreditation fee.
Additional Fees
Late Fee | $175
The late fee is $175 regardless of program size. Late fees are assessed if an accredited program fails to submit an annual report by the deadline. If you submit all reports on time, you will never see a late fee!
Verification Visit Fee | Starting at $1,200
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$1,200 |
$1,600 |
$1,775 |
$2,000 |
$135 |
NAEYC may order a verification visit of a program in the event that a serious incident takes place that may call into question a program’s ability to meet all requirements for NAEYC Accreditation. Programs are required to report all serious incedents to NAEYC. If a verification visit is ordered, programs must pay the fee and host the visit in order to avoid forfitting their accredited status.
Overseas Visit Fee | $1,500
The overseas visit fee is $1,500 regardless of program size. Programs located outside of the United States are assessed an overseas visit fee each time a visit is scheduled.
Extension Fee | Starting at $375
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$375 |
$425 |
$550 |
$562.50 |
Add $87.5 |
Programs that are not ready to receive a visit at the time of visit scheduling may request a one-time extension of 6-months. Extension costs are half of an annual accreditation fee (as the accreditation term is being extended by half a year) plus a $50 extension fee. Extensions may only be requested once a program is in the queue for a renewal or candidacy site visit.
Site Visit Rescheduling Fee | Starting at $825
|
1 to 60 |
61 to 120 |
121 to 240 |
241 to 360 |
Every additional |
|
$825 |
$875 |
$1000 |
$1012.50 |
Add $87.5 |
If a program's visit has already been assigned to an assessor but the program is not prepared to receive the site visit, programs may pay a rescheduling fee to postpone the visit. Rescheduling due to natural disasters or unplanned facility closures due to building infrastructure closures (e.g., burst pipes) will result in a 6-month extension at the standard extension fee (see above). However, as Assessors plan their visit scheduled months in advance and site visit cancellations cause significant logistical challenges and costs, cancellations for any reason other than those listed above will incur a Site Visit Rescheduling Fee. For more detailed information, see the last question on the Site Visit FAQ page.
Rescheduling the visit will extend the program's valid until date and visit window by 6 months. Site Visit Rescheduling Fees are half of an annual accreditation fee (as the accreditation term is being extended by half a year) plus a $500 fee to cover the disrupted travel and schedule of the assessor. In the case of Candidate visits, only the $500 fee is assessed.
In rare cases when assessor schedule and travel has not yet been planned, programs assigned to an assessor may be able to cancel a visit at the regular extension fee.