What is Accreditation for Early Childhood Programs?:

There are a variety of agencies which accredit early childhood programs. Becoming accredited means programs voluntarily exceed the minimum regulations set forth in state child care licensing laws.

The National Academy of Early Childhood Programs is one example of an accreditation body. The Academy administers a national, voluntary, professionally sponsored accreditation system for preschools and child care centers. The Academy is a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation's largest organization of early child hood educators. Early childhood programs accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Academy's Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs, and been found to be in substantial compliance with the criteria.

What Makes Up a High Quality Early Childhood Program?

• Frequent, positive, warm interactions among adults and children

• Planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development, such as block building, painting, stories, dress-up, and active, outdoor play

• Specially trained teachers

• Enough adults to respond to individual children

• Many, varied age-appropriate materials

• A healthy and safe environment for children

• Nutritious meals and/or snacks

• Regular communication with parents who are welcome visitors at all times