Shortly after submitting Programs will receive an initial email from NAEYC with information about the site visit process. Included in that email will be a link to complete the Site Visit Scheduling Form. Programs must complete the Site Visit Scheduling Form within 30 days of receiving the email.

The site visit window is the window of time in which NAEYC will conduct the visit. Unless otherwise notified by NAEYC, a program's visit window is 6 months long. The 6-month visit window starts 9 months before the Valid Until Date (VUD) and will end 3 months before the VUD. This means that if a program submits their 4^th Annual Report on time, there will be a 3-month “buffer” period before the visit window begins. Take for example, a program with a VUD of November 1, 2024:

• 4^th Annual Report due – 11/1/2023 (1 year before VUD)
• 3-month buffer period – 11/1/2023 – 2/1/2024
• 6-month visit window – 2/1/2024 – 8/1/2024
• 3-month window for scoring – 8/1/2024 – 11/1/2024

NAEYC strives to visit all programs within their window, however it is sometimes necessary to extend visit windows. Programs will not be penalized in any way if NAEYC extends the visit window.

An assessor is assigned after the program has completed the Site Visit Scheduling Form.

The assessor will review the information provided by the program and begin planning the visit. The assessor will: 

• set a 15-day window in which the visit will occur,
• create a visit schedule,
• book travel arrangements, and
• provide the program with a business-day prior notification of the site visit.

There are two contact points with the assessor prior to the visit: 

1. A 15-day window e-mail, and
2. A call on the business-day prior to visit.

15-Day Window Notification: The first contact from the assessor will be an e-mail with the 15-day window in which the site visit will occur. It is important to check email boxes regularly, including spam and junk folders. The 15-day window notification is a courtesy to programs. Failure to receive this e-mail does not mean the visit cannot happen or that the data collected during the visit is invalid.

Business-Day Prior Notification: The program will next receive a call from the assessor on the business-day prior of the visit. Depending on program closures, exclusion dates, federal holidays, and weekends, this notification may be one or more days prior to the visit date. Assessors call programs as early in the day as possible and no later than 2:00 PM local time for the program.

Required Assessment items are related to practices and policies deemed critical to creating safe early learning environments for young children. These items address licensing/regulatory status, adequate supervision, appropriate guidance and discipline, and safe infant sleep arrangements and practices.

These items are assessed on every site visit, regardless of visit type (standard site visit, verification visit, random visit, provisional part 2 visit). Programs not meeting any applicable required item will be deferred accreditation.

If at any time during the site visit the assessor believes there is reason a required assessment item is not being met, they will rate the assessment item as unmet on the relevant tool and provide a written report to the Early Learning Program Accreditation Quality Assurance team. The report then goes through an administrative review process where a final determination is made as to whether the assessment item is being met or not.

If it is determined that the required assessment item is not being met, the Early Learning Program Accreditation Quality Assurance team will notify the program within three business days following the conclusion of the site visit.

NAEYC uses a sampling method when choosing classes for assessment. Assessors will see 50% of the total number of classes, up to 10. Additionally, assessors need to see at least one class in each age category, and if the program has more than one site they must see at least one class at each location.

If there is more than one class within an age category, a randomization software will select which class(es) will be assessed. Programs are told which classrooms have been selected for assessment during the Orientation Meeting.

Class Portfolios are reviewed only for those classes that have been chosen for observation.

Decision will be ready within 90 days of the completion of the site visit. The decision will be one of two options:

• Accredited – This means that the program has been approved for a new accreditation term (or – in the case of a provisional, random, or verification visit – that the current accreditation term will be maintained).
• Deferred – This means that the program has not been approved for a new accreditation term (or – in the case of a provisional, random, or verification visit – that the current accreditation will be revoked).

Programs will receive a decision and an Accreditation Decision Report (ADR) via email to the primary and secondary contacts on file.

For renewing programs, the 5^th year fee must be paid before you are able to view your decision or your ADR. Annual accreditation fees are paid in arrears (i.e., at the end of each accreditation year), so the 5^th year fee covers the accreditation period from the 4^th annual report through the valid until date. Because the 5^th year fee covers the 5^th year of the accreditation period, it is due regardless of the outcome of the site visit.

Programs have no obligation to pay this fee before their valid until date, but they will not be able to view the outcome of the visit until it is paid. ADRs are ready within 90 days of the completion of the visit. However, it is up to the program when they want to view that decision.

If the program wishes to wait until the valid until date to find out the results of the visit, they are welcome to do that. If the program wished to find out the results of the visit as soon as they are ready, they can pay the 5^th annual fee and view the ADR. NAEYC will not provide programs with any information regarding the outcome of the visit until the 5^th annual fee has been paid.

• Candidacy visits – The program’s accreditation term begins as of the date of the decision. The term is valid for five (5) years through the 1^st of the subsequent month. For example, if the decision date is February 10, 2023, the accreditation term will be valid until March 1, 2028.
• Renewal visits – The program’s accreditation term will be extended by five (5) years from the current valid until date regardless of the date of the decision. For example, if a program received a decision on June 10, 2023 but current their valid until date is November 1, 2023, the new accreditation term will be extended through November 1, 2028.
• Provisional, Random, and Verification Visits – The program will retain its accredited status without any change to the term or valid until date.

• Candidacy visits – The program will be moved back to Enrolled status and may reapply for accreditation as soon as they would like.
• Renewal visits – The program will remain accredited through the end of the current accreditation term (i.e., until the valid until date). Upon the expiration of the term, the program will be moved back to Enrolled status and may reapply for accreditation as soon as they would like.
• Provisional, Random, and Verification Visits – The program’s current accreditation term will be revoked. The program will be moved back to Enrolled status and may reapply for accreditation as soon as they would like.

Any program that is deferred is entitled to appeal that decision. Accredited programs that are under an active appeal process will retain their accredited status until the resolution of the appeal process.