Frequently Asked Questions About Accreditation What is accreditation? Accreditation is a designation of quality awarded to child care programs that meet national standards established by accrediting organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Accreditation is a professional, voluntary self-study system. Who awards accreditation to child care programs? The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is one of the groups that evaluates child care centers to award accreditation. NAEYC is the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade. Other organizations that award accreditation include the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation; the National Association For Family Child Care which accredits family child care programs; and the National School-Age Care Alliance, which accredits programs serving school-age children. What is the value of a program becoming accredited? The accreditation process and the self-study materials provided by the accrediting organization, give center directors and staff valuable direction, guidance and information regarding how to improve the quality of many aspects of a child care program. The key benefits of pursuing accreditation and completing the self-study process are: Improved staff morale and competency Financial assistance for eligible programs through the Partnership for Quality Child Care Improved staff retention and recruitment Stronger relationships between program staff and families Validation of a program's standards and approach Enhancement of a program's reputation What are the criteria for accreditation? Each accrediting organization has its own criteria and standards. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) evaluates programs for accreditation using ten criteria: Interactions among teachers and children; curriculum; relationships among teachers and families; staff qualifications and professional development; administration; staffing; physical environment; health and safety; nutrition and food service; and ongoing evaluation of program effectiveness. An overview of NAEYC's accreditation criteria with more information can be found in the NAEYC Accreditation Criteria section of this website. What is the accreditation process? A detailed description of NAEYC's accreditation process, including the services provided by the Partnership, can be found in the Accreditation Process section of this website. Briefly, NAEYC's accreditation process consists of three key steps. Child care programs assisted by the Partnership for Quality Child Care, receive support from Partnership facilitators to complete the self-study process. 1. Self-Study: The child care program conducts a self-study to examine its performance in the ten key areas established by NAEYC that identify a quality program. The program submits a written program description to NAEYC. 2. Evaluation and Improvements: An independent, child care expert, called a validator, visits the program and verifies the accuracy of the program description submitted by the program to NAEYC. 3. Review: An independent commission of Child Care experts meets monthly in Washington, D.C. to review program descriptions. Although each program is somewhat unique to best serve the needs of its enrolled children, programs must significantly comply with NAEYC standards to become accredited. How long does the accreditation process take? Most child care programs average nine to 12 months to complete the entire accreditation process. Timing depends upon factors such as how quickly a program completes the self-study and makes any recommended improvements. Is there any way for a program to become accredited more quickly? The same NAEYC accreditation process applies to all programs. The Partnership for Quality Child Care can help motivated programs move through the process efficiently. Partnership facilitators are available to assist participating programs with the self-study process and help staff members implement recommended improvements. How long does accreditation last? NAEYC accreditation is granted for three years. To remain in good standing and ensure compliance with the accreditation criteria during those three years, each accredited program must submit an annual report to NAEYC. At the end of the three-year term, the program must repeat the accreditation process unless it can meet specific criteria that would allow a merit extension. How many changes will my program have to make to become accredited? All of the changes a program may need to make are designed to provide children with a high quality environment in which to learn and grow. The improvements a program must make to become accredited depend upon how closely the program meets the criteria at the start of the accreditation process. Many center directors who have pursued accreditation believe the process itself has great value for their program and staff because the self-study materials provide direction and guidance for improving the quality of program operations, teaching techniques and facilities. How does the Partnership for Quality Child Care help child care programs? The Partnership helps Chicago child care programs that serve low-income families pursue accreditation by providing technical assistance and funding. The Partnership will cover costs associated with pursuing accreditation - such as books, toys and other developmentally appropriate materials, physical improvements and repairs, classroom furniture and all or a portion of self-study materials and validation visit costs. In addition, individual program consultations and professional development opportunities are available for directors and teaching staff. Partnership grants may also pay some portion of expenses for staff members' professional development. Which child care programs are eligible for Partnership for Quality Child Care assistance? Programs located in the city of Chicago are eligible for assistance from the Partnership if they are at enrollment capacity and meet one of these requirements: Chicago Department of Human Services Child Care or Head Start programs, or Illinois Department of Human Services funded Head Start or social services agency network or independent child care centers, or Illinois Department of Human Services funded centers with at least 50% subsidized enrollment. Privately owned centers are eligible for assistance if they are at enrollment capacity and 50% of enrolled students use vouchers for tuition payment. If my center pursues accreditation, will we get more funding? Child care programs that are eligible to pursue accreditation with assistance from the Partnership for Quality Child Care receive funds to help buy furniture, toys, books and educational materials; make improvements to facilities; and pay accreditation application fees and some portion of expenses for staff members' professional development education. Will my program get computers? While Partnership for Quality Child Care grants do not cover computer purchases, Partnership facilitators may be able to help identify sources of funding for, or in-kind donations of, computers. How much money will the Partnership for Quality Child Care give my program? In order to receive consideration for a grant, all programs should have enough supplies and materials to meet local licensing standards. The amounts of Partnership grants are determined based upon the needs of each eligible program. Grants are given to fund the purchase of furniture, toys, books and educational materials; make improvements to facilities; and pay accreditation fees and expenses for staff members' professional development education to help programs improve the quality of their programs to meet the NAEYC accreditation criteria. Does the Partnership for Quality Child Care pay for college classes for program staff? Partnership grants pay some expenses for staff members' professional development education. Partnership facilitators can help identify appropriate early childhood education and training programs. Will the Partnership for Quality Child Care increase my teachers' salaries? The Partnership does not provide grants for increasing teacher salaries. Funding provided by the Partnership is for improvements and staff development that help programs meet NAEYC accreditation criteria. Will the Partnership provide insurance? The Partnership does not provide insurance to child care programs. What are developmentally appropriate practices? The degree to which an early childhood program is developmentally appropriate is an important factor in the quality of the program and in earning accreditation from NAEYC. NAEYC believes "a great deal of knowledge exists about how young children develop and learn, as well as the most effective ways for adults to support children's development and learning. Comprehensive knowledge of child development and learning and its implications for programming are the foundations of a good quality early childhood program." Partnership facilitators can give guidance to program staff regarding developmentally appropriate activities and examples are given in NAEYC's self-study materials used by child care programs in the accreditation process. Supplemental materials on this topic are available from NAEYC and other early childhood education sources.