The National Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has established new
national standards for preschool, child care and
kindergarten programs. The 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program
Standards outline what the association believes all programs
should do to nurture and educate young children. Beginning
next month, the standards will be the foundation of the
NAEYC Accreditation system, which assesses the quality of
early childhood education programs, and helps families make
the right choice for kids.
"NAEYC is encouraging all programs for young children to
meet these new national standards, which are based on the
latest research and the experience of early childhood
educators," said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director
of NAEYC. "The new program standards are an important step
forward for NAEYC Accreditation, for programs working to
improve, and for families looking for high-quality programs
for their children."
The NAEYC Accreditation system is designed for programs for
children from birth through five years, including child care
centers, preschools, Head Start programs and kindergartens.
Since the voluntary system was created in 1985, the number
of programs earning the mark of quality from NAEYC has grown
significantly, and today there are more than 11,000 NAEYC-accredited
programs, serving nearly one million young children and
their families. Many states – and the U.S. military child
care system – recognize the value of NAEYC Accreditation and
use it as part of their efforts to improve the quality of
programs for young children.
The 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards – and more
than 400 related criteria – are based on the latest research
on the education and development of young children, and were
prepared with feedback from thousands of experts and
educators from around the country. All NAEYC-accredited
programs, and all programs seeking NAEYC Accreditation,
must:
- Promote positive relationships for all children
and adults
- Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas
of child development – cognitive, emotional, language,
physical, and social
- Use developmentally, culturally, and linguistically
appropriate and effective teaching approaches
- Provide ongoing assessments of child progress
- Promote the nutrition and health of children
and staff
- Employ and support qualified teaching staff
- Establish and maintain collaborative relationships
with families
- Establish and maintain relationships and use resources
of the community
- Provide a safe and healthy physical environment
- Implement strong program management policies
that result in high-quality service
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, child care
centers, preschools, kindergartens, and other programs for
young children must complete a rigorous four-step review
process including an on-site visit , to prove that they meet
NAEYC’s program standards. Programs use the accreditation
criteria to demonstrate that they are meeting each of the 10
standards. NAEYC Accreditation is awarded for a period of
five years, during which programs must submit annual reports
and are subject to unannounced visits to ensure they remain
in compliance. The NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards
and Accreditation Criteria are also helpful tools for all
programs working to improve, even if they are not seeking
NAEYC Accreditation. The NAEYC Self-Study process (the first
step toward NAEYC Accreditation) is open to any program
serving young children.
NAEYC has spent several years reinventing the accreditation
system to reflect new research and understanding of
high-quality early learning and to better meet the needs of
programs, families and other stakeholders. As part of the
reinvention process, the NAEYC Governing Board appointed a
Commission on NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and
Accreditation Criteria. The commission drafted the 10
standards, and worked with teams of educators,
administrators and researchers to develop 417 criteria
related to the standards. The new standards and criteria
were approved by the NAEYC Governing Board in 2005. The
reinvention process has also included new policies and
procedures designed to make the NAEYC Accreditation system
more efficient, reliable, and accountable.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children
is the largest and most influential organization of early
childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the
quality of programs for children from birth through age
eight. Founded in 1926, the organization now has nearly
100,000 members, and a national network of over 300 local,
state, and regional affiliates. NAEYC and its affiliates
work to improve professional practice and working conditions
in early childhood education, and to build public support
for high-quality early childhood programs.
Uxbridge Public Schools
Early Learning Center (ELC)
11 Church Street
Uxbridge, MA 01569
Phone: 508-234-9164 / Fax: 508-278-6136
