For Immediate Release

October 30, 2023                                                                                                                                                                                   

WASHINGTON — The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs is pleased to announce that it has granted first-time accreditation to programs at four institutions of higher education and renewed accreditation for programs at five institutions during its summer meeting. This brings the total number of accredited programs to 203 in 38 states and territories.

Early childhood professional preparation programs serve a wide range of students and prepare early childhood educators for a variety of early learning settings. Accreditation serves as a mechanism for ensuring a consistent and high level of program quality and alignment to the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators while respecting the unique mission and context of each degree program, its host institution, and its community.

"NAEYC Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs is a hallmark of quality assurance for the early childhood preparation profession," said Mary Harrill, Senior Director of Higher Education at NAEYC. "We congratulate all of the programs that have recently achieved accreditation. Their dedication to program improvement, to the students they serve, and to the early learning settings in which their graduates will work is to be commended.”

To earn and retain accreditation, professional preparation programs must demonstrate that they:

• Meet NAEYC’s Higher Education Accreditation Standards;
• Respond to the unique needs of their degree candidates and communities;
• Provide intentional learning experiences aligned to the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators for their degree candidates to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to be effective; and,
• Continuously assess and reflect on their degree candidates’ performance.

The following programs have first-time accreditation:

• Indiana Wesleyan University (IN) – B.S. Early Childhood Education (Licensure Track) & B.S. Early Childhood Education (Non-Licensure Track)
• Patrick & Henry Community College (VA) – A.A.S. Early Childhood Development
• University of Wisconsin Whitewater (WI) – B.S.E. Early Childhood Education (dual license)
• Western Washington University (WA) – B.A.E. Early Childhood Education

The following programs have renewed accreditation:

• Community College of Rhode Island (RI) – A.A. Early Childhood Education/Child Development
• Henderson Community College (KY) – A.A.S. Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
• Lehigh Carbon Community College (PA) – A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
• Quinsigamond Community College (MA) – A.A. Early Childhood Education
• Truckee Meadows Community College (NV) – A.A. Early Childhood Education; A.A.S. Early Childhood Education

For more information, visit the NAEYC Early Childhood Higher Education Accreditation system website. To download a printable copy of this release, click here.