- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Working Moms
Talk to me about NAEYC accreditation
I know generally what it is, but I am wondering if a childcare center being NAEYC accredited is a sign of a "better" center or simply means they pay a fee every year. Thanks!
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Talk to me about NAEYC accreditation
naeyc is generally an indication of a center with a certain standard level. it's actually pretty hard to get accredited, and you have to be open at least a year before you can even begin the application process. the center i work at is in the process of looking at accreditation and wow....the regulations they have are pretty intense. i know my center can do it, but we still have some things to work on. you even have to have a year's worth of curriculum to show the accreditors.
that being said, just because a center is NOT accredited does not mean it is not a good place for your child, and likewise an accredited center might not have the services, staff or even just the right "feel" to it for you.
In short, accreditation insures a certain level of standards, but a center could have those same standards or be above and beyond even if not accredited.
hth a little!
Our center just went through the re-accredidation process and we got to see the binders they had to put together. The process is a lot of work. It really focuses on the educational component of the center, and it involves multiple classroom visits from the NAEYC.
A daycare without it could still be very good, but having NAEYC accredidation basically is an approval of their programs by a third party.
It's my understanding that it's a sign of a "better" center, but I hated one of the NAEYC-accredited centers in my area that I visited. It seemed really disorganized and unfocused. If I hadn't seen on NAEYC's actual web site that it was accredited, I would seriously wonder if it had lost its accreditation and just kept the NAEYC-accredited signs up.
But I loved the other two NAEYC-accredited centers in my area. They were my top two choices out of the ~8 centers that I visited.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
NAEYC accreditation IS very hard to get. In addition to what has already been stated here, NAEYC accrediation has to meet a very HIGH standard based upon human development research. One standards is that there is NO staff turn over in three years. Yeah, 3 years. The reason why this is so important is because research has shown for YEARS the importance of a secure attachment with a primary caregiver (usually the mom). Infants also can develop a secure attachment with others, in this case day care providers. By having no staff turn over with in three years, it is giving your child the secure attachement that it needs in order to develop properly. You are giving your child a gift when you allow this to happen.