You have chosen an early childhood program for your child that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. NAEYC administers the largest and most widely recognized accreditation system for all types of early childhood schools and child care centers. NAEYC is the nation's largest organization of early childhood educators.

What is accreditation?
Early childhood programs accredited by the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Criteria for High-Quality Early Childhood Programs, and been found to be in substantial compliance with the Criteria. The Criteria can be found on NAEYC's Web site at www.naeyc.org/accreditation.

What is a high-quality early childhood program?
A high-quality early childhood program provides a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of young children.

In accredited programs, you should see

• frequent, positive, warm interactions among teachers and children
• planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development, such as reading stories, block building, painting, dress-up, and active outdoor play
• specially trained teachers and administrators
• ongoing professional development
• enough adults to respond to individual children
• many varied age-appropriate materials
• respect for cultural diversity
• a healthy and safe environment for adults and children
• inclusive environments
• nutritious meals and/or snacks
• regular, two-way communication with families who are welcome visitors at all times
• effective administration
• ongoing, systematic evaluation

Accreditation is valid for five years. During that period, programs should maintain compliance with accreditation standards, document program improvements, and provide notification about major changes.

For more information about NAEYC accreditation, visit their Web site at www.naeyc.org or call 800-424-2460, ext. 11360.

The NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation is not affiliated with and is not responsible for the administration, acts, personnel, property, or practices of accredited programs.

Back to Top