What Is Accreditation
Accreditation is a voluntary certification that demonstrates a childcare or early childhood education program meets quality standards set by an independent accrediting body. Unlike licensing, which is required by law, accreditation is a program's choice to undergo rigorous evaluation and meet benchmarks that typically exceed minimum state requirements.
Key Accrediting Bodies
The two largest accreditors in the United States are:
- NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accredits center-based programs and serves roughly 10,000 programs. NAEYC standards address curriculum, staff qualifications, family partnerships, assessment of child development, and physical environment. Programs must maintain a lead teacher with at least a bachelor's degree and meet specific staff-to-child ratios (for example, 1 adult per 4 infants or 1 adult per 8 toddlers).
- NAFCC (National Association for Family Child Care) specializes in accrediting home-based childcare providers. NAFCC accreditation requires family childcare homes to demonstrate quality in areas like health and safety, learning environment, and professional development.
What Accreditation Means Practically
An accredited program has undergone a comprehensive self-study and on-site visit by trained assessors. This process typically takes 6 to 12 months. Once accredited, programs must maintain standards and renew accreditation every three years.
For parents, accreditation signals that staff follow evidence-based practices in curriculum design and child assessment. Accredited programs track developmental benchmarks using standardized tools, meaning your child's progress in language, social-emotional skills, and pre-literacy is actively monitored and documented.
For early childhood professionals, accreditation often increases staffing costs because it requires higher staff-to-child ratios and more staff with formal training or degrees. This directly impacts program budgets and may influence tuition rates.
Accreditation and Child Care Subsidies
Some states prioritize accredited programs when allocating Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies. A few states offer bonus reimbursement rates (typically 5% to 10% above standard rates) to accredited providers. This creates a financial incentive for programs to pursue accreditation despite higher operational costs.
Common Questions
- Is accreditation the same as licensing? No. Licensing is required by state law and sets minimum standards for health, safety, and staff ratios. Accreditation is voluntary and usually requires higher standards. A program can be licensed but not accredited. An accredited program must also be licensed.
- How much does accreditation cost? Initial accreditation typically costs $1,000 to $3,000 in application and assessment fees, plus staff time for self-study. Ongoing compliance and renewal involve additional costs. Many programs view this as an investment that may be offset by higher enrollment or subsidy rates.
- Does my child learn better in an accredited program? Research shows accredited programs tend to employ teachers with higher education levels, use research-based curricula, and document child development more rigorously. These factors correlate with better child outcomes, though individual program quality varies regardless of accreditation status.