Steps and Requirements to achieve NAEYC Accreditation

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What Programs that were accredited prior to September 16, 2006 need to know

As of September 16, 2006, two major changes were made to NAEYC Accreditation.  First, the system itself has changed; there are now four steps to the process and there are new forms, terminology and deadlines.  The second change pertains to the criteria.  The system is now based on the NAEYC Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria, which were developed over a five-year period and are intended to raise the bar of quality early childhood education.

How do these changes affect your program? 

• The NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria are effective September 16, 2006 and your program will be required to meet these standards. This means that all programs will submit Annual Reports after September 16, 2006 that show that they meet these standards and criteria. Unannounced visits conducted after September 16, 2006 will be conducted using these program standards and criteria as measures. Please note: under NAEYC’s Accreditation  system, programs must demonstrate that they meet 80% of the criteria within each standard and meet specific required criteria – to meet the required criterion related to pediatric first aid, programs accredited under the 1998 Accreditation Criteria (prior to September 15, 2006) may demonstrate that a training session in pediatric first aid is scheduled for the program’s staff.
• The NAEYC Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria are available in the publication NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria, the NAEYC Self Study Kit, or NAEYC’s website at www.naeyc.org.
• The system to pursue reaccreditation is different. Programs will follow the same four steps to achieve accreditation, both those working on accreditation for the first time and those that are currently accredited and are seeking reaccreditation.  The system has strict timelines that programs must follow, which will allow NAEYC to make sure that site visits are on time.   Click here for further information on the Four Steps.
• It is the program’s responsibility to know when their program’s accreditation expires, and to follow the timelines and submission deadlines to make sure that they complete each of the steps in the process. Failure to follow these deadlines will result in a lapse in the program’s accreditation