My program is currently accredited, will we renew under the current system or the new system?

Programs with Valid Until Date = Thru February 1, 2026 (4th Annual Report submitted Feb. 1 2025 or earlier) will renew under CURRENT System & Standards. Programs with Valid Until Date = March 1, 2026 or later (4th Annual Report submitted Mar. 1 2025 or later) will renew under NEW System and Standards.

My program is not accredited yet, how will we transition into the new system?

Programs at Candidate status at transition will receive a site visit and assessed under CURRENT system and standards. Programs at Registered, Enrolled, Applicant status at transition will need to submit for "Recognition" to proceed.

My program is currently accredited, what tier will we be in the new system?

Accredited programs in good standing will transition to the Accreditation+ tier. Programs can choose a different tier at the next renewal.

What is the fee structure for each level? 

The following outlines the new fee structure:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How long is a term for? 

Recognition terms are one year in length. Accreditation and Accreditation+ terms are five years in length. 

At which tier and when do programs receive an onsite visit for classroom observations? Will the protocols stay the same for completing Classroom observations? 

NAEYC is building a re-imagined accreditation system. At the Accreditation tier, programs will be eligible to receive random site visits throughout the term. At Accreditation+ all programs will receive an onsite visit and will be eligible to receive random site visits throughout the term New tools and protocols will be developed over the next few months. 

Will there still be Required Assessment items? 

At all three levels, there will remain some components that will be required. 

Are the Assessment Items changing in any way? 

The existing accreditation standards and assessment items have been thoroughly reviewed with the intent to reduce complexity, improve accessibility, and increase NAEYC’s ability to provide meaningful and actionable feedback to participating programs and providers. These goals will be accomplished without compromising the rigor or integrity of the assessment system overall and will provide a wider diversity of programs and providers opportunities to engage with NAEYC.

• Recognition content will be focused on identifying the key policy components and baseline practices upon which high quality early learning experiences and environments can be built. There will be fewer barriers to entry and clearly defined pathways for programs and providers that have interest in becoming accredited. The assessment process for Recognition will be entirely based on document review.
• Accreditation content will also be streamlined to include fewer, but still meaningful and rigorous assessment items. Additionally, there will be new opportunities for programs and providers to uplift and highlight unique characteristics.  Like Recognition, a review of documentary evidence will be the basis upon which an accreditation decision is initially granted. However, accredited programs will remain accountable to maintaining high quality practices overtime through ongoing quality assurance measures, including unannounced site visits. 
• Accreditation+ content is the same as the Accreditation tier, but there are higher requirements for ongoing engagement with quality assurance.

What are the protocols for a random visit? What happens to a program during a random visit and what are the requirements to maintain accreditation? 

Accreditation and Accreditation+ programs will be subject to Random Visits. An assessor will arrive at the program unannounced and conduct classroom observations in addition to several assessment items observed throughout the program space. No portfolio evidence will be reviewed as part of this Random Visit process. 

The specific scoring requirements will be announced once the revised assessment tools have been evaluated for validity and reliability through a pilot process.  

Will there be a transition period where programs can choose which system they want to go through? 

All currently accredited programs will transition to the Accreditation+ tier when the new system rolls out. Programs can move to another tier during their renewal. 

How far in advance will the changes be shared for programs coming through the first time?  

New content will be made available publicly as soon as it is ready. Programs will have ample time to transition to the new system. Please register to receive Program News to ensure you receive all updates. 

Will all programs receive a scheduled site visit at least once in order to achieve “Accreditation”?  

No. At the accreditation level, no observation part is required to become accredited. Programs that pass the documentation part of the assessment will be granted a full 5-year accreditation term.

This accreditation will be conditional on passing any and all random visits. Random visits will take place on an ongoing basis. As the name suggests, these visits will be random throughout the time that a program is accredited and may take place at any time (though programs will be able to show when they are closed or not serving children).  

• Many accredited programs will be randomly selected for a visit once in their accreditation term.  
• Some programs will be randomly selected more than once for a visit in their accreditation term. 
• Some programs may not be selected for a random visit during their accreditation term.

NAEYC’s randomization system is designed such that the longer an accredited program goes without a random visit, the higher the likelihood of being selected for a visit. 

Should programs wait until the new system launches to start their accreditation process? 

We encourage programs to continue their accreditation journey in the current system while we build the new one.

Will the new accreditation be recognized by my state QRIS system? 

NAEYC staff are communicating with each state to share the changes coming and work with them to continue supporting accreditation. Each state has its own system and will make decisions based on their unique circumstances.  

I am currently accredited.  How will the new system recognize my current accreditation? 

Thank you for your commitment to quality!  Currently accredited programs will transition to the Accreditation+ tier. Specific communication will be sent to accredited programs soon that will provide specific details on how the new system will impact their program.

Can a program be outside the United States receive Recognition status? 

NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation will continue to be primarily US-focused. The only exception to this is early learning programs found on US military bases overseas. 

Can a Home-day care or family childcare receive Recognition status? 

NAEYC is excited to expand Early Learning Program Accreditation to family childcare homes in the new system. We believe that quality exists in all settings, and it is long overdue for our accreditation to recognize family childcare homes.