Accreditation
Accreditation is a voluntary process that identifies and recognizes the high quality services of family childcare homes, childcare centers and school-age programs based on an examination of various factors.
Community Child Care Connection is able to assist you in becoming accredited as a childcare provider with support, consultation and help with accreditation fees. For more information, contact us.




To apply for Accreditation Assistance, please click here.
Becoming accredited involves a self-study done by the providers, a validation visit from the accrediting body, and a final decision made by a commission that reviews the information from applicants and validators. There are several accreditation programs available to you to complete this process:
Call Community Child Care Connection to help you decide which accreditation would benefit you and to start the process of becoming accredited.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
The purpose of the National Academy of Early Childhood (a division of NAEYC) is to improve the quality of care and education provided for young children in all types of preschools, kindergartens, child care centers and school-age child care programs.
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Serve a minimum of 10 children within the age group birth to five in part or full day group programs and/or school-age children served before and/or after school with at least two adults present. -
In operation at least 1 year prior to accreditation. -
Licensed by appropriate state/local licensing agency. If license-exempt, demonstrate compliance with its own state standards for early childhood programs. -
Include the entire program that comes under the eligibility criteria in the self-study and validation process.
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Self-Study Process: the program personnel and parents conduct a self-study to determine how well the program meets the criteria and complete needed improvements. -
Validation Visit: trained validators make an on-site visit to verify the accuracy of the program description. -
Accreditation Decision: a three-person commission considers the validated program description and makes a final accreditation decision.

National Accreditation Commission (NAC)
National Association for Family Child Care Accreditation (NAFCC)
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Offer care to 3 or more children in the home -
Primary caregiver -
21 years of age or older -
High school diploma or equivalent -
18 months experience as a family child care provider
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90 hours of documented training
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Self-Study Process: NAFCC will send a self-study packet (includes provider self-study workbook and standards guidebook). This packet should be used for assessment of the program in order to make quality improvements where needed. -
Observation Visit: after all quality improvements have been made, NAFCC will arrange for an on-site observation visit.

National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
National AfterSchool Association