Accreditation Process for Early Learning Programs

Little baby smiling with her fingers in her mouth

For more than 30 years, NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs has set the standard for excellence for the early childhood field. This accreditation system provides a mechanism for early learning programs to demonstrate their commitment to high-quality early childhood education. NAEYC accreditation is a journey not a destination. The stages in the accreditation process are intentionally designed to celebrate programs for where they are; and provide the path they need to meet more rigorous and comprehensive standards. NAEYC recognizes programs at all stages in their journey.

Stages in the Process

Click on a link below to learn more about the process

Register for an account and Program ID#
Stage 1: Enroll and Self-Study
Stage 2: Apply and Self-Assess
Stage 3: Candidate for Site Visit
--Site Visit Overview
--Accreditation Decisions
Stage 4: Maintain Accreditation

Register to start the NAEYC accreditation process

Programs that are interested in pursuing NAEYC Accreditation should begin by reviewing the following resources prior to registering for an account:

Register for an account

Follow the steps below to successfully register your email address and to receive a Program Identification Number

Register your email address for an account in the Accreditation Portal
Submit a Self-Report form to receive a Program Identification Number (Program ID#)
NAEYC will process your self-report form within five business days. You will receive an email confirmation once completed
Watch this short video on How to Navigate the Accreditation Portal
Once you receive the email confirmation, log into the Accreditation Portal using your registered email address
If you forgot your password, click on ‘forgot password’ to gain access to the Portal.

Congratulations! You are now registered and have access to the Accreditation Portal. Its time to Enroll. Follow the steps for Stage 1: Enroll and Self Study

Stage 1: Enroll and Self-Study

Follow the steps below to successfully enroll your program into the accreditation process

Any program interested in creating a high-quality early learning environment and experiences for young children and their families can enroll and conduct a self-study. Programs enroll in self-study to deepen their understanding of quality standards and begin to identify strengths and areas needing attention.

Now that you are registered and you have a Program ID#, your Overall Status in the Accreditation Portal says REGISTERED. Review the links below prior to completing the Enrollment checklist & tasks.

Stage 1 of the accreditation process consists on two parts, enrolling in the Portal and conducting a self-study within the program

Part 1: Enrolling in the Portal

View the screenshot of what the enrollment checklist in the Portal will look like
Login to the Accreditation Portal using the same email address that you registered with
- If you are associated with more than one program, be sure to click on the Program’s name from the home screen
Once you click on the programs name, you will be directed to your dashboard
Click on Step 1: Enrollment tab at the top of the screenScroll down and the checklist will appear directly on the screen Complete the 3 tasks shown on the checklist
- Program Profile
- Rights and responsibilities
- PaymentMake sure you receive a green check marks for each task
Click the blue ‘Enroll Now’ button to submit the Enrollment checklist to NAEYC
The Overall Status at the top right corner will change to ENROLLED and a completed date will be listed on the Enrollment tab
Once Enrolled the program will have access to TORCH our resource hub.

Your Program's 12-months timeline for Stage 1 has begun. Complete Part 2: Conducting a Self Study within the program outside of the Portal.

Part 2: Conducting a Self Study within the program

Use the below resources to conduct the process of self-study. Take this time to fully comprehend the Accreditation Standards & Assessment items, including recommended practices, definitions, rationales and how it all applies to your individual program.

Learn how to collaborate using the Gearing up for Self Study Handouts
Read and analyze the NAEYC Accreditation Standards and Assessment Items
Involve your staff, families, students, and community to gain a true representation of your program. Through this, identify areas where your program may need improvement. You can do this by collecting feedback, surveying, questionnaires and interviews.
Evaluate your current practices and align them with NAEYC recommended practices by identifying your program's strengths and weaknesses.

You are now ready to move forward to Stage 2: Application and Self-Assessment.

Stage 2. Apply and Self-Assess

Programs apply and self-assess to document evidence of meeting high-quality standards. In doing so, programs celebrate their strengths and address areas needing more attention. They ensure that the standards are part of their daily practices. Programs in this stage are actively preparing evidence for an accreditation site visit. They also demonstrate that they meet the accreditation eligibility requirements.

Programs in this stage of the process receive:

Self-assessment tools, tips, and planning guides
Site visit preparation tools, tips, and planning guides
Trainings and webinars
Official documentation to acknowledge status

Ready to apply and conduct a self-assessment?

Log in the Accreditation Portal
Complete application and submit fee
Once approved, prepare to advance to Stage 3 (Candidate for Site Visit) anytime within 12 months

Stage 3. Candidate for Site Visit

Programs in this stage have a strong understanding of the high-quality standards. They have conducted a rigorous self-assessment and can provide strong evidence that their environment, policies, and practices are aligned with the standards. These programs are prepared to host an accreditation site visit.

Programs in this stage of the process receive:

Self-assessment tools, tips, and planning guides
Site visit preparation tools, tips, and planning guides
Trainings and webinars
Official documentation to acknowledge status

Site Visit Overview

The NAEYC accreditation site visit provides an independent assessment of program quality by an assessor who has been rigorously trained to provide a reliable rating of the program. Once an assessor is assigned to your program, he/she will contact the program administrators to plan the visit.

Due to the pandemic, programs have an option to choose the best way to move forward with their accreditation site visit. Learn more about your options.

Accreditation Decisions

Data from the program records and the site visit will be used to make an accreditation decision. The Council for NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation oversees accreditation decisions by determining, reviewing and overseeing the accreditation standards and policies. Programs will receive their Accreditation Decision Report within three months of the site visit with one of the following accreditation decisions.

Accredited for a Five Year Term

Program met 80% of the assessment items measured across all standards together, and
Met 60% of the assessment items measured in each single standard, and
Program met 100% of required assessment items, and
Each class selected to be assessed met 70% of the assessment items measured

Deferred

Program met less than 80% of the assessment items measured across all standards together, and/or
Met less than 60% of the assessment items measured in each single standard, and/or
Program did not meet 100% of required assessment items, and/or
Each class selected to be assessed did not meet 70% of the assessment items measured.

Deferred programs have two options

The Council for NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs provides a formal appeal process for programs that receive an accreditation deferred decision. This appeals resource packet will help guide programs through understanding the appeal process, its related procedures, appeal timelines and requirements. During the appeal process, there is no change in the program’s public accreditation status. For more information view the Appeal Process (things to know) and the Decision Appeals Policy.
Deferred programs will be automatically returned to Stage 2 (Enroll and Self-Study) where they can continue the process at a pace that works for them. Site visits can be accelerated depending on how quickly the program completes the necessary steps in the Accreditation Portal and the availability of NAEYC assessors.

Stage 4: Maintain Accreditation

Accreditation demonstrates both a commitment to quality and continuous quality improvement. Accredited programs continuously ensure that their environment, policies, and practices are aligned with the standards.

Accredited programs maintain their accreditation status by:

Adhering to accreditation policies
Continuing to meet the accreditation standards and assessment items. 10% of accredited programs are randomly assessed via site visit yearly.
Reporting all critical incidents to NAEYC within 72 hours. The nature of the incident may require a verification of evidence with or without a site visit. Use this resource to implement supervision practices and routines.
Submitting Annual Reports with fees.

Programs should begin to reexamine their evidence when they submit Annual Report 3 and prepare for a renewal site visit when they submit Annual Report 4.