Steps and Requirements to achieve NAEYC Accreditation

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Accreditation Decisions

After the site visit, NAEYC will inform the program of its Accreditation Decision:  Accredited, Deferred or Denied.

• Accredited - Your program has achieved accreditation!  Please refer to maintaining accreditation for information on how to sustain your program’s accreditation throughout the five year term.
• Deferred -   The assessment scores indicate that the program could make improvements within a short period of time and meet the 10 Program Standards.  These programs will be offered the option to re-submit new Candidacy materials with a new candidacy due date.
• Denied -   The assessment scores indicate that the program needs a longer period of time to make the necessary improvements to meet all 10 Program Standards.  These programs are offered the option to continue towards NAEYC Accreditation by submitting a new Application and completing Steps 2 and 3 again.

There is a formal appeal process for programs that receive a decision of deferred and denied.