As a parent, one of the most essential decisions you’ll make is choosing the ideal childcare provider for your little one. You want your child to be safe, nurtured, and motivated to learn and grow, which is exactly what accreditation offers. When a childcare facility earns this credential, it has achieved the highest benchmarks for exceptional care and learning.

Understanding Accreditation

Three kids holding hands in a field

Accreditation is a process that centers can choose to participate in to demonstrate their commitment to high-quality care. This process involves an official review by a nationally-recognized outside agency to evaluate the daycare’s performance across various areas. Accreditation standards often exceed basic licensing requirements and cover all aspects of the daycare program, including relationships, the environment, curriculum, and health and safety practices. Achieving accreditation is a mark of distinction, indicating that a daycare has met rigorous standards and is dedicated to continuous improvement in providing quality care and education for children

To achieve this credential, childcare providers must exhibit they consistently adhere to rigorous guidelines, which include:

  • Health and safety.
  • Age-appropriate learning activities.
  • Positive caregiver-child bonds.
  • Staff training.

Accreditation can provide you with peace of mind as a parent. By choosing an accredited facility, you can be confident that your child is with passionate professionals who are truly devoted to helping them learn, grow, and thrive.

Benefits of Choosing an Accredited Childcare Center

Discovering the ideal childcare setting is an important moment for any parent. Accredited centers go beyond what’s expected for your young one’s growth. Caregivers provide your little one with personal support and modify their approach to fit unique needs.

Accreditation is important when choosing childcare for several key reasons:

  • Higher quality standards: Accredited programs must meet standards that often exceed state minimum licensing requirements. This ensures a higher level of quality in all aspects of care and education.
  • Comprehensive evaluation: The accreditation process involves a thorough assessment of the program, including staff qualifications, curriculum, environment, health and safety practices, and family engagement.
  • Commitment to improvement: Accredited centers demonstrate a dedication to continuous improvement in all areas of their program[3][4]. This means they are constantly working to enhance the quality of care and education they provide.
  • Focus on child development: Accredited programs implement curricula that foster all areas of child development, including cognitive, emotional, language, physical, and social skills.
  • Qualified staff: Accredited centers employ and support teaching staff with appropriate educational qualifications and professional commitment.
  • Safe and healthy environment: Accreditation ensures that programs provide a safe, clean, and well-organized environment for children.
  • Family involvement: Accredited programs establish collaborative relationships with families and involve them in their child’s education[1].
  • Research-based practices: Accreditation bodies ensure that programs use the latest research and best practices in early childhood education.
  • Better outcomes for children: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation has been correlated with children’s greater readiness and success in school, increased educational attainment, and overall healthier lifestyles.

By selecting an accredited childcare program, parents can be assured that the center has undergone rigorous evaluation and meets high standards for early childhood education and care.

Accreditation vs. Licensing: What’s the Difference?

When analyzing all your different options regarding childcare, you might come across the terms accreditation and licensing. While these two expressions may seem the same, they are quite different. Licensing is a mandatory credential all childcare centers must complete, while accreditation is a voluntary recognition for centers to pursue. There are also some other key differences.

Requirements

Each state approaches licensing differently, with some states and territories not requiring childcare facilities to be licensed. This often happens when childcare centers are already regulated by other government entities. Accreditation, however, is completely voluntary.

Scope

Licensing requirements cover areas such as ensuring that childcare staff have a criminal background check completed before employment, ongoing training policies, sanitation procedures, and emergency planning. Other conditions include building safety and child and caregiver health.

Accreditation covers some aspects similar to licensing requirements but often goes more in-depth to look at the quality provided. Standards looked at often include the relationships between providers and children, the center’s environment, developmental and learning activities, safety and health, and professional business practices.

How To Verify Accreditation

Ensuring your child’s optimal development is of utmost importance, and accreditation indicates that a facility is committed to delivering exceptional services. Here are some ways to verify a center’s accreditation:

  • Ask to see the center’s accreditation certification: If you’ve scheduled a tour or want to schedule an appointment to enroll your child in a childcare center, this is the perfect opportunity to ask about accreditation. Many centers have this information readily available to show that your child’s learning and care are in the best hands.
  • Visit the center’s website: Many learning centers include their accreditation details on their website — commonly on their main page or about us page — making it easy to find this information.
  • Explore online verification resources: Many online resources can provide insight into a facility’s accreditation status. Child Care Aware offers an extensive directory of accredited childcare providers and valuable resources to assist parents in selecting the optimal environment for their child’s development.

By diligently verifying accreditation, you can gain peace of mind knowing that your child is receiving the highest quality care in a nurturing environment. Qualified professionals who share your dedication to your child’s happiness and success are prioritizing their health, safety, learning, and overall well-being.

Questions To Ask When Choosing an Accredited Childcare Center

There is a lot for parents to consider when it comes to choosing a childcare center for their little ones. This might leave you wondering about key matters long after the appointment and tour of the facility. To help you remember every item you might want clarification of, here are some key questions to ask when choosing an accredited childcare center:

  • What factors go into developing your curriculum?
  • Can you describe your cleaning protocols?
  • When did you last renew your accreditation?
  • What is the provider-to-child ratio?
  • Can you provide more information about your staff and their qualifications?
  • What are some of the emergency plans in place to keep children safe?
  • Do you have a meal and snack plan? If so, has it been developed or reviewed by a nutrition specialist?
  • What are some of the daily activities you do with the children?

Make the Best Choice for Your Child With Crème de la Crème

As you search for the perfect daycare provider, choosing an accredited institution ensures your child receives the highest quality care that sets them up for success — not only for their upcoming learning career but for life. To provide your little one with an exceptional foundation for their future, choose a certified early learning option that matches your family’s values and goals. If you’re ready to take the next steps in providing your child with the best quality care, contact us at Crème de la Crème. We look forward to helping your child thrive.

Three children holding hands standing on grasses by Markus Spiske is licensed with Unsplash License