From preschool s to master’s programs, education facilities every where are touting that they are accredited. But, does that really mean anything and what difference does it even make? Accreditation can mean a lot when it comes to the quality of your education, but only if you know what you’re looking for.
While any child care provider that a family chooses should be licensed be the state, that doesn’t mean that there is any quality of care, education or facility. Licensing is considered the bare minimum standards that a facility has to be in order to operate legally. It can give you a good idea if there are any major concerns or issues associated with the center, but now how good a center is.
Accreditation for childcare and early learning centers can signal that the facility is a high quality educational program. This can depend on the accrediting organization. Some organizations are very rigorous in their standards and encompass every component of an educational program. Other organizations are specific to one geographic area or facility component and require very little more than completing a 20 question questionnaire. This is where parents need to do a little leg work.
Two of the most heard of accrediting bodies for childcare programs are the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA). These programs are rigorous and require a year of paperwork, evaluations and extensive portfolios before the program is granted a site visit. During site visits, evaluators asses the curriculum, classrooms, staff, physical facility and more to verify that the program meets a high prescribed standard of care and education at each location. While there are minor differences in the priorities of the accrediting bodies, both of these assure highest quality. Locally, Kindercare and New Horizon Academy are accredited by these organizations.
Other accrediting bodies certify a whole program all at once. AdvancED Corporation does this type of accreditation under to bodies: North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). For this type of accreditation, the company’s headquarters provide proof of a company wide set of standards, adherence of those standards and records of licensing, teacher qualifications, etc, to the accrediting organization. This is again followed up with a facility visits. In some instances, not all locations will be visited. Primrose School is one example of local programs with accreditation from AdvancED Corporation.
To find out more about the different accrediting bodies, the National Association for Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) has some great resources for parents. Remember, it’s up to you to do the research and make sure that your child is getting the best!
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