National Association
for the Education of Young Children
The National Academy of Early Childhood Programs
1509 16th Street NW
Washington DC 20036-1426
202/232-8777
800/424-2460
Fax: 202/238-1846
Internet: http://www.naeyc.org
E-mail: academy@naeyc.org
The National Association
for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a national non-profit
professional association with over 90,000 members. Through
the Academy of Early Childhood Programs, NAEYC offers a voluntary,
national accreditation system. Accreditation criteria assess
program quality in the following 10 areas: interaction among
teacher and children; curriculum; interactions among teachers
and families; administration: staff qualifications and professional
development; staffing patterns (includes ratios, group size);
physical environment; health and safety; nutrition and food
service; and program evaluation.
NAEYC’s accreditation
process has three steps. The first is a comprehensive self-study
process that involves program administrators, staff and parents
in a self-study process that prepares them for accreditation.
The result is a Program Description that is sent to the Academy.
The second step is verification of the Program Description
by a trained validator who observes the program. The final
step is a comprehensive review of both the Program Description
and the validator’s on-site report by a three-person Commission.
Accreditation must be renewed every three years. Substantial
changes in staffing, program design or facilities must be
reported and may require a validator visit to determine whether
a new Program Description should be submitted to the Academy.
National Early Childhood
Program Accreditation (NECPA)
1016 Rosser St.
Conyers, GA 30012
800/505-9878
Accreditation under the National Early Childhood Program
Accreditation Commission, Inc. begins with the preparation
of a comprehensive self-assessment that includes a self-study
instrument and parent and staff questionnaires. The assessment
process involves management, teachers, staff, parents and
children. Quality indicators that are the basis for accreditation
are organized into the following categories: administration
and general operations; professional development and work
environment; indoor environment; outdoor environment; developmental
programs; parent and community involvement; formal school
linkages; and health and safety. The second phase of accreditation
is the verification visit, conducted by an objective, qualified
and trained individual. The final phase is the review of
all materials (self-study, surveys and verification report)
by Councils of peers professionals and educators. Accreditation
must be renewed every three years.
National Association
for Family Child Care
The Accreditation Program
P.O. Box 10373
Des Moines, IA 50306
Internet: http://www.nafcc.org
National Association
for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is a professional organization representing
family and group family child care home providers. NAFCC
has offered accreditation since 1987, modeled on the NAEYC
accreditation system. A new accreditation system, with self
study and survey tools developed specifically for the diverse
population of family and group family child care homes, has
been developed through a multi-year collaboration with the
Family Child Care Project at Wheelock College.
The basic accreditation
process includes a self study; parent surveys; quality improvement
based on the study of the quality indicators; a validation visit;
Accreditation Commission review; and renewal. The new set
of Quality Standards was developed by NAFCC, Wheelock College’s
Family Child Care project, a large advisory board, and hundreds
of family and group family child care providers, parents,
educators and early childhood experts. The Quality Standards
have four parts, addressing: 1) relationships (provider-child,
provider-family members, provider - provider); 2) environment
(home, equipment and materials); 3) activities (child directed,
provider initiated); 4) developmental learning goals (social
and self, physical, cognition and language, creative); 5)
safety and health; and 6) professional and business practices
(ethics and legality, professional activities, assistants
and substitutes).
National Clearinghouse
for the Military Child Development Program
Department of Defense
Office of Family Policy
4015 Wilson Blvd., Suite 917
Arlington VA 22203-5190
888/CDP-3040
Internet:
http://military-childrenandyouth.calib.com/index.htm
E-mail: bmerandi@rci-adp.com
By Executive Order,
the Department of Defense and each of its major branches, must
have a plan for providing technical assistance to community child
care programs. The Clearinghouse Web site lists the types
of materials that are available and a list of all local military
sites that offer training and technical assistance.
All divisions of the
military are encouraging their child care centers to be accredited.
Further, all centers must meet accreditation standards by the
year 2000. Usually NAEYC, but can be other accreditation
systems. There is a new accreditation system developed for
family and group home child care, which is discussed below.
U.S. Army Division
of Community and Family Support
Child and Youth Services
4700 King St.
Alexandria, VA 22302-4418
703/681-7227
888/237- 3040
E-mail: perreauj@hoffman-cfsc.army.mil
The Family Child Care
Accreditation System developed by Child and Youth Services in
conjunction with the Department of the Navy is now in effect for
family child care providers serving Army and Navy personnel.
There is a current effort to bring together the new National
Association for Family Child Care Accreditation Criteria
(to be released in 1999) with the Army’s Family Child Care
Accreditation Standards.
Council on Accreditation
for Children and Family Services
120 Wall St., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10005
212/797-3000
Fax: 212/797-1428
Internet: http://www.coanet.org/
E-mail: coanet@aol.com
The Council on Accreditation
for Children and Family Services. (COA) is an international organization
that accredits a wide variety of service agencies. COA has
accredited 1,000 behavioral health care programs and 3,000
social service programs in the United State and Canada. Child
care centers and family child care homes are included as
social service agencies. The accreditation process includes:
1) self-study and completion of the Self-Study Manual; 2)
on-site evaluation by an accreditation team; 3) the accreditation
report on the organization’s compliance with standards; 4)
objective evaluation of the report by the Accreditation
Commission; and 5) monitoring to ensure continuing compliance.
