NAEYC Accreditation means that your child’s program meets NAEYC’s 10 standards of excellence in early childhood education. Programs that meet these standards provide a safe and healthy environment for children, have teachers who are well-trained, have access to excellent teaching materials, and work with curriculum that is appropriately challenging and developmentally sound. These programs are continuously improving themselves to provide the best possible educational opportunities for children.

  • Child care centers
  • Preschools
  • Kindergartens
  • Other center-based programs serving children from birth through kindergarten

There are more than 10,000 NAEYC-accredited programs, serving nearly one million children today.

Frequently asked questions abut NAEYC Accreditation

  • Enrollment – Programs must go through a self-study before applying for accreditation to determine whether or not they are meeting NAEYC standards and to identify any areas that need improvement.
  • Application – Programs submit an application and determine a time frame for completing a formal self-assessment report.
  • Candidacy – Fundamental licensing, staffing, health, and safety requirements must be met by all programs.
  • On-Site Visit – Observation of the program by NAEYC assessors takes place to determine if the program meets all 10 NAEYC standards.

Throughout the five-year term of accreditation, programs must submit annual reports and are subject to random, unannounced visits by assessors to ensure that they continue to meet the standards.

Click here to learn more about NAEYC resources for Teachers and Administrators

Family involvement is important, and standards have been created to ensure plenty of collaboration with families. Your feedback is always welcome and families are encouraged to contact NAEYC if they think their program is not meeting any of the 10 NAEYC standards.

Click here to learn more about NAEYC resources for Families

NAEYC is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children

  • Nearly 100,000 members
  • A national network of more than 300 local, state and regional affiliates
  • A growing global alliance of like-minded organizations