NAEYC Accreditation and Quality Child Care1
By: Jamilah R. Jor'dan

Choosing child care is one of the most difficult decisions parents/families will face. Families' reliance on child care has risen significantly over the past 30 years.

More than two-thirds of all infants receive nonparental child care during their first year of life, with most enrolled for about 30 hours each week. In 1993, 9.9 million children under age 5 needed care while their mothers worked. Another 22.3 million children ages 5 to 14 have working mothers, and many of them require care outside school hours.

Increasingly, by necessity and choice, families turn to professional caregivers and early childhood programs for support. Families have different child care needs and they need to decide what type of child care setting (center or home-based) will meet their needs. Also, cost, availability of service and convenience are factors which need to be considered. When the time comes, choosing caregivers and early childhood programs which reflect the highest standards, particularly those which are accredited, is an important thing families can do. While the accreditation process examines the total program, emphasis is placed on the quality of interactions among staff and children and the developmental appropriateness of the curriculum--what is the child's experience in the program?

What is Accreditation?
Early childhood program accreditation means that an early childhood program - child care center, preschool, kindergarten, or before-and/or after- school program voluntarily applied for accreditation by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs the accreditation department of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Accredited programs have demonstrated a commitment to providing a high quality program for young children and their families.

What is a quality early childhood program?
Quality early childhood programs can be found in a school, church, preschool, day care center, Head Start program, home, among other settings. Whatever the setting early childhood teachers/caregivers form the foundation for the future success in school and life. The National Academy of Early Childhood Programs defines a high quality early childhood program as one that meets the needs of and promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of the children and adults-families, staff, and administrators--who are involved in the program. Quality programs are developmentally appropriate meaning the activities and materials are "appropriate" for the child's age and meets the child's individual needs.

Although there are many different types of child care the following are indicators that individuals should look for or inquire about when observing or selecting quality child care programs:

Teacher /child interactions. Observe the interactions between the staff and children to see if they are actively involved with each other and with various materials and activities. Do adults engage children in conversation? Talk to children at eye level?

Curriculum. Are there a wide variety of materials available for children? Are the materials accessible? Are the materials geared to the interests and developmental level of the child? Is there balance between child-directed and teacher-initiated activities? Are the materials in the environment reflective of the population served? Are there materials in the environment that teach children the value of diversity?

Staff/child ratios and group sizes. Ratios and group sizes are important predictors of quality. Research strongly suggests that smaller group sizes and larger numbers of staff to children are related to positive outcomes for children such as increased interaction among adults and children, enhanced language, social, and intellectual development in children; less aggression, and more cooperation among children. For infants, groups should not exceed 6 to 8 children. Group size will increase with age, but should not exceed 20 for older preschool children and 24 for school-age children.

Low staff turnover. This is important in order to reduce the anxiety caused by changing faces and styles of handling. Consistency is important so the caregiver is familiar with the background, needs and interests of the child. One should ask about the rate of turnover and the steps that are being taken to recruit and retain qualified staff.

Staff Qualifications and Professional Development. The quality of the staff is the most important factor of the quality of an early childhood program. Teachers with a strong knowledge of early childhood development understand children's needs at different stages of their development. They have realistic expectations for children, are more sensitive and responsive to the children in their care. On-going professional development is important and provides opportunities for staff to keep current with practices in the field and emerging issues.

Program Administration. The way a program is administered will affect all the interactions within the program. Effective administration includes good communication, positive community relations, fiscal stability, and attention to the needs and working conditions of staff members.

Physical Environment. The physical environment affects the behavior and development of the people, both children and adults, who live and work in the environment. The indoor and outdoor environment should be designed to promote involvement in daily activities. The amount of space should be sufficient for the number of children enrolled in the program. Activity areas should be identifiable.

Relationships among Teachers and Families. Parent/family involvement is important because they are the primary influence in the child's life. All communication between program staff and families should be two-way. Close communication and trust between the teacher and child's family will help ease family members concerns and will help children benefit from their experience in the child care program.

Health and Safety. The environment should be safe and healthy for children. Check to see if the program is licensed and whether or not the license is current. Licensing represents minimum standards for safety, supervision and cleanliness. If the program is exempt from licensing, the program should meet state or local building code, sanitation code, and licensing code for early childhood programs/child care centers subject to licensing. Note whether or not the building is clean, safe, attractive, well-lighted and ventilated. Is the equipment clean and in good condition? Good quality early childhood programs act to prevent illness and accidents, are prepared to deal with emergencies that occur, and also educate children concerning safe and healthy practices.

Nutrition and food service. Meals and/or snacks are planned to meet the child's nutritional requirements as recommended by the Child and Adult Care Food Program of the United States Department of Agriculture in proportion to the amount of time the child is in the program each day. Are children served well-balanced meals? Are eating utensils and portions child-sized? Is the eating experience pleasurable? Is conversation encouraged?

What are the benefits?
A good early childhood program benefits the child, family and the community. To succeed, children need quality learning experiences before they get to school--especially during the first four years of their lives, when most brain development occurs. The early childhood years are the most important learning years. At least 80 percent of human brain development occurs in the first 2-1/2 years of life. Studies suggest that a child's ability to learn can increase or decrease by 25 percent or more, depending on whether he or she grows up in a stimulating environment. The importance of children's early experiences to future development cannot be minimized.

Children who attend quality early childhood programs:
1. Are better prepared to adjust to kindergarten and school.
2. Demonstrate greater skills on tests of cognitive ability and language development.
3. Are assigned to special education programs less frequently.
4. Demonstrate greater social competence as preschoolers, in kindergarten and primary grades and in secondary school years.
5. Show greater motivation for learning and commitment to schooling.
6. Are more likely to graduate and pursue post-secondary education or training.

Individuals need to observe and ask lots of questions to obtain the information that is needed to assess the quality of an early childhood program. For families, it is especially important to periodically assess their child care arrangements to make sure it is meeting their child's needs as well as their own. For a list of accredited child care programs in Chicago or Illinois contact the Chicago Accreditation Partnership at (312) 554-1300.

References:
1. National Association for the Education of Young Children (1998). Accreditation Criteria & Procedures of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

2. National Association for the Education of Young Children (2000). What are the benefits of high quality early childhood programs? Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

3. National Association for the Education of Young Children (1992). Supporting quality programs for young children through early childhood accreditation. What business and community leaders should know. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

1 Reprinted from the Spring/Summer 2000 issue of Continuance. Continuance is produced by the Intergenerational Initiative at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Reproduction rights granted.