What is NAEYC Accreditation?
The National Association for the Education of Young Children - the world's largest organization of early childhood educators - established its accreditation system to raise the quality of early childhood education and help families and others identify high-quality child care centers, preschools, kindergartens, and other early childhood programs.
Why does NAEYC Accreditation matter?
NAEYC-accredited programs are committed to providing high-quality educational services to young children and their families. While the accreditation process examines all aspects of a program - including health and safety, teacher qualifications, and administration - the focus is on the quality of interactions between teachers and children and the nature of the child's experience.
How does a program become accredited?
To earn accreditation, programs comply with national standards of quality that go well beyond state health and safety licensing requirements. The NAEYC Accreditation criteria address all aspects of an early childhood education program, including
- Teacher Qualifications and development
- Teacher-to-child ratios
- Teacher/child and teacher/family relationships
- Curriculum
- Physical environment
- Health and safety
In NAEYC-accredited early childhood programs, you will see
- Frequent, positive, and warm interactions among teachers and children
- Teachers and staff with professional qualifications and training
- Planned learning activities and materials appropriate to children's age and development
- Communication with families
- Enough adults to respond to individual children
- A healthy and safe environment for children
- Nutritious snacks and meals
For more information about NAEYC Accreditation, please visit www.naeyc.org/accreditation
