Perspectives from the Field

Many parents have questions about finding a child care program that meets high quality standards. What rules and standards govern child care quality? Are they the same for child care centers and family child care programs? What is child care accreditation, and who determines the accrediting standards? What is involved in child care accreditation, and what effects can it have? Do parents have a part to play in accreditation?

The federal government does not regulate child care except for child care on military installations. Like education, each state has its own child care licensing laws and regulations, and some counties and cities have additional child care policies. Therefore, child care regulations vary from state to state and from program to program. Child care centers must comply with a different set of standards than either family child care programs or school-age care programs. Licensing regulations establish an important safety net in child care, a level of care that is good enough to do no harm (although in a few cases, state licensing regulations are so minimal they allow for harmful care [1]).

National professional membership associations have established voluntary accreditation programs for child care centers, family child care homes, and school-age care programs to encourage and recognize a higher level of quality than state licensing standards. (A listing of the various national accreditation programs appears in the For More Information section at the end of this article.) Seven states require their pre-K programs and other child care centers receiving state assistance to be accredited or in the process of receiving accreditation ([4], p. 28). In addition, 1996 amendments to the Military Child Care Act require all military child development centers to meet accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) [3].

Much of the research on child care accreditation has been done on child care center programs accredited by NAEYC, the first national organization to accredit early childhood programs on a large scale. This research indicates that NAEYC-accredited programs consistently score higher than nonaccredited programs on measures of child care quality [2; 5].

To help parents understand the connection between accreditation and child care quality, Parent News spoke with five individuals who have experienced child care accreditation from different perspectives: a child care center director, a teacher in a child care center, a parent with a child enrolled in an accredited program, a mentor who assists center and family child care programs with accreditation, and a family child care provider. In the interviews that follow, readers can see how child care accreditation has contributed to a clearer definition of quality for early care professionals and to improved services for young children in care.

Center Director Perspective
Center Teacher/Parent Perspective
Parent Perspective
Child Care Mentor Perspective
Family Child Care Provider Perspective

Center Director Perspective

Parent News spoke to Jill Moore, director of the Early Learning Center, about the center's experience as one of the first child care programs to become accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the state of Illinois. Early Learning is located in Champaign, Illinois, and provides full- and part-time child care to children 1½ - 5 years of age.

Parent News (PN):
When did Early Learning get accredited by NAEYC? How long did the process take? What were the primary steps?

Jill Moore (JM):
Early Learning received accreditation from NAEYC in 1987. NAEYC began its process of accrediting center programs in 1985, and Early Learning was one of 17 programs in Illinois in the process of self-study at the time. Early Learning was also the first center in Champaign County to receive accreditation.

The primary steps in the accreditation process include (1) a self-study, which took us about 6 months to complete; (2) a validation visit, which took a couple of months to schedule but only a day for the actual validation visit; and (3) a response from the national commission that reviews the materials, which took a couple of months to arrive.

The initial self-study involved several steps. First, we introduced the idea to our center staff and to parents. It was critical that we had them buy into the process. Then, a team of teachers and I (as director) conducted classroom observations. In addition, the director, staff, and parents at the center completed questionnaires that asked about both programmatic and administrative aspects of the center. I then had to complete a comprehensive report and summaries of these various pieces to submit to the commission that determined whether or not we were eligible to receive accreditation.

The validator's job when she or he visits is to look at the responses from the staff, parents, and director to assess the degree of agreement among their answers. The validator also looks at the classrooms and checks to see that ratings from the classroom observations are accurate. The validator interviews teachers and the director about items not observed. The validator's final role is to look at evidence or documentation that supports statements made about the program administration and physical environment.

PN:
The accreditation process takes a great deal of time and effort from many different individuals. What are the benefits of accreditation to the center, its staff, children, and families?

JM:
There are two primary benefits from the accreditation. The first is that it's wonderful to have a national organization supported by hundreds of early childhood professionals speak with one voice about what is best practice with young children. It becomes a visible recognition and justification for why we do what we do every day with children. It helps support our position about what constitutes high-quality care when we talk to parents, to the public, to employers, and to other early childhood practitioners.

The second primary benefit of accreditation is its value as a preservice and inservice training tool. Even though we are only required to complete the entire accreditation process every three years, we do so informally every year. The materials provide an effective and comprehensive mechanism for evaluating our work with children. The self-study materials help new and experienced teachers assess their classroom environment and their interactions with children.

Since the accreditation process must be repeated every three years, we have been through the process five times. The first two or three times we saw some improvement in various program criteria, which, to me, underscores the amount of time it takes to make significant program changes. Using the self-study guide regularly over a period of time helps us to recognize those improvements. In this way, the accreditation guide becomes a living document for us. As a director, the process helps me to fine-tune administrative policies and to consider other approaches to administration. I think our center has become more family friendly because of the accreditation process' emphasis on soliciting parents' opinions and input.

PN:
Are there any shortcomings or negative aspects of the accreditation process?

JM:
I had hoped our accreditation status would attract more teachers and more parents to our program. The publicity effect has been slower and less pronounced than I think we had all hoped initially. In the past couple of years, I've heard parents verbalize its importance. I think public recognition of its contribution to high-quality child care is coming slowly. Accreditation has not made our center immune to staff turnover, which is a serious national problem in our field.

PN:
What are the primary obstacles to getting accredited? Why don't more programs do so?

JM:
As you indicated, the accreditation process is a big job and takes a lot of time and work. There is a fee to become accredited, which can be an obstacle for programs. In Illinois, our child care resource and referral agencies help to offset the cost and will also help with staff training if that is needed to meet certain accreditation criteria. I'm aware of some programs where the staff is reticent about entering into the process. Of course, staff turnover makes progress toward completing the accreditation process very difficult.

PN:
What can parents do to help programs become accredited?

JM:
Parents can help support the idea of accreditation when the director brings it up, or they can suggest that their director look into becoming accredited. Parents help when they share their experiences by completing the questionnaires. Parent cooperation is part of the accreditation equation.

Center Teacher/Parent Perspective

Parent News talked with Michele Styan, a preschool teacher at Early Learning Center in Champaign, Illinois. Michele is also a parent of a child who was in the preschool program when Early Learning went through the accreditation process. She shared her dual perspectives on child care accreditation.

Parent News (PN):
Explain your dual roles at Early Learning. What hats were you wearing when Early Learning was going through the accreditation process?

Michele Styan (MS):
I have been a preschool teacher at Early Learning for six years. My son, who recently started kindergarten, was in the preschool program with me for three years. I have gone through the accreditation process twice during my years at Early Learning.

PN:
How has accreditation benefited you--or not benefited you--as a teacher of young children?

MS:
The accreditation process gives me an opportunity to review what I do in the classroom, to focus on what I'm doing well, and to see where I can make improvements. As a staff, we refer to the classroom observation book (which is part of the accreditation process) on a regular basis, to see if our day-to-day classroom practice is measuring up to the standards of best practice. The process really opens my eyes to new approaches and reinforces existing approaches.

For example, the accreditation process has strengthened our child-oriented approach in many aspects: from child-initiated project work to soliciting child input in developing our classroom policies. The criteria outlined in the accreditation process clearly support this approach.

PN:
How has accreditation benefited you--or not benefited you--as a parent of a child in the program?

MS:
My position as an early childhood teacher made me a more informed parent than I otherwise might have been. It can be difficult to switch back and forth from being a parent to being a teacher in a program. The accreditation process gave me a formal opportunity to respond as a parent to our program for children, to say what is working well for my child and where I'd like to see improvements made. I greatly appreciated that avenue to share my views as a parent.

Parent Perspective

Parent News talked with Barbara Hancin-Bahtt, a parent of two children who have been enrolled at the Early Learning Center in Champaign, Illinois. Barbara shared her perspective on the importance of child care accreditation in making a child care placement decision.

Parent News (PN):
Explain your current and past experience with child care accreditation.

Barbara Hancin-Bahtt (BHB):
We moved to Champaign, Illinois, from Columbia, South Carolina, one-and-a-half years ago. Our children were enrolled in an accredited child care center in South Carolina. We were very pleased with that program, and the fact that it received national accreditation was part of the reason we were satisfied. When we moved to Illinois, we wanted some assurance that our child would be in a good program. We looked for a program that was accredited as well. That process led us to Early Learning Center, where we enrolled our preschool son and infant daughter.

PN:
Why was it important to you to look for a program that was accredited?

BHB:
There is a wide range of options in child care. It isn't always easy to tell which options are of high quality, which ones are of poor quality, and which ones are simply mediocre. It is particularly difficult when you come from another region and are not privy to the local, informal parent discussions about which programs are good for children and which ones are not. The accreditation system reflects a national dialogue on standards for the child care profession. These represent an extra set of standards that go beyond the minimal licensing standards set by states. I don't know how often licensing offices check up on compliance rates, nor do I have easy access to their measures of high-quality care. I do know that NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children, an organization responsible for accrediting child care centers) does regular checks on the programs it awards accreditation to, and through its accreditation criteria it strives to create a stimulating environment for every child.

When a center director and staff go through all the work required to become accredited--a process that is strictly voluntary--it tells me they are pretty serious about what they do. It means they are willing to be put to a test on quality. I don't think it is a coincidence that the centers that have achieved accreditation are typically the ones with the fewest vacancies.

PN:
As someone who has actively sought out the "accreditation seal" in your search for child care, what message do you have for parents new to child care and those who have been longtime users of child care?

BHB:
The accreditation seal was very reassuring to me in my search for new child care and continues to reassure me as my daughter remains at Early Learning. My son is now in kindergarten and no longer at Early Learning. I view accreditation as part of a larger picture and not the only measure of a program's worth. To me, accreditation symbolizes a program's interest in professionalizing. It lets me know that someone else is watching out that certain standards of quality are met. Nothing could be more important to my children's well-being and to my peace of mind.

Child Care Mentor Perspective

Parent News talked with Laurie Ducey, a mentor with the Child Care Resource Service (CCRS), a child care resource and referral agency located at the University of Illinois in Urbana. Laurie consults with center and family child care providers about the accreditation process. Laurie shared the insights she has gained in the first year of the mentor program.

Parent News (PN):
Why was this new mentor position created?

Laurie Ducey (LD):
In February of 2001, the Child Care Resource Service (CCRS), a child care resource and referral service located at the University of Illinois and serving East Central Illinois, received an increase in state funds to support child care accreditation. In our experience working with child care centers and homes interested in child care accreditation over the years, we learned that providers and programs typically get stuck in the process of accreditation because the task becomes overwhelming or because they have questions that go answered. The CCRS decided that the best use for these new funds was to establish a mentor program to encourage programs to become accredited and to help shepherd them through the process.

PN:
How successful has the mentor program been in its first year?

LD:
The CCRS has over 1000 child care programs in its database. When the mentor program started a little over a year ago, we had no program in the accreditation process. I am currently working with 24 programs that are at various stages of getting accredited. This group of 24 is fairly evenly split between center and family child care programs, between new and experienced programs, and between programs in rural and urban settings.

PN:
Why have these programs decided to apply for accreditation?

LD:
In most cases, child care programs or providers seek accreditation to improve their program professionally. Many of these individuals are also taking classes in child development or pursuing their Child Development Associate Credential, leading workshops at regional conferences, or assuming leadership in their local professional association. They see accreditation as a natural extension of their own efforts for professionalism.

In spite of their motivation to seek accreditation, many providers find the task of becoming accredited daunting, particularly when they initially receive the materials from the accrediting body. My job is to allay their fears and to help them figure out how to approach the process step by step. I meet with each program individually and together with other groups of providers to review the accreditation instrument, to determine what resources they will need to complete the process, and to consider ways to involve their parents, staff, and boards of directors (in situations where these are relevant).

PN:
What impact has the accreditation process had on the child care programs and providers you work with?

LD:
The self-study phase of accreditation is the first and most time-consuming phase of the process for both child care centers and homes. The self-study provides an opportunity for professionals to look deeply into their program, to review elements of best practice in what they do every day with children. The impact of the lessons learned from the self-study is felt from day one in many different ways.

All programs and providers learn more about what constitutes high-quality child care. In some cases, these are not new lessons but are lessons that become reinforced as they review what they once learned about quality. The experience of defining and discussing concrete examples of high-quality child care is particularly powerful for family child care providers who often don't have colleagues around to discuss best practice with.

Many providers feel a sense of pride about their programs because they realize they are already meeting many of the criteria of high-quality child care. Many feel a new enthusiasm for their jobs as they look at what they do in new ways and as they learn new approaches to working with children. In child care centers, the process often instills a team spirit in the staff as they work together to assess their program and prepare for their accreditation visit.

PN:
It's evident that early childhood professionals benefit from the accreditation process. Do children and families benefit as well?

LD:
The benefits to the parents and children in the program are felt indirectly and vary from program to program. In general, all parents and children benefit from a clear, well-defined early childhood program where all the staff members are using the most current, developmentally appropriate practices with children. That kind of intentionality and consistency among staff members is good for children. Parents see positive results in their programs and appreciate the new enthusiasm that is often sparked by the process.

One of my tasks is to help centers and homes prepare materials to send home to parents about accreditation--what accreditation means, what it measures, what they might see in their child care program as a result of the accreditation process. Sometimes, parents have questioned a shift from more teacher-directed to more child-directed activities that programs might make during the accreditation self-study phase. Parents wonder if their children will learn as much with this new approach. The materials providers and directors send home about how children learn best and what is developmentally appropriate help to allay parents' concerns. In some cases, parents have reported to providers that the information they received from their child care program during the accreditation process about child development and developmentally appropriate practice improved their parenting skills at home.

PN:
From what you describe, the accreditation process sounds like a win-win proposition. Why don't more programs and providers become accredited?

LD:
There are different reasons for different programs. The time and energy to learn about the process is an obstacle. The availability of the CCRS mentor services helps for sure, but it still takes time and energy that many providers simply don't feel they can spare.

The cost can be an obstacle because the fees are steep relative to what these teachers and caregivers earn. In Illinois and in other places, the CCR&Rs have funding to offset the cost of accreditation to providers. Our local CCR&R pays the entire accreditation cost and will also pay for training needs through professional development grants and occasionally for supplies and equipment that might be needed to meet accreditation criteria.

A final frustration for programs is the amount of time it can take for the accrediting body to send out validators and observers. It can be discouraging to have all the self-study pieces in place and then be put on hold for a period of time before moving to the next phase of the process.

PN:
What can parents do to help programs and providers become accredited?

LD:
Parents can support the process of accreditation in a variety of ways. They can encourage their program or provider to pursue the accreditation process. They can assist with fundraising if new equipment is needed to meet accreditation criteria. Parents can be supportive and understanding if their center staff or their provider needs to take time off for staff development training. Finally, parents can celebrate along with their child care program when accreditation is achieved.

Family Child Care Provider Perspective

Parent News talked with Jean Lieder, a family child care provider in Bloomington, Illinois. Jean has been caring for children in her home for 13 years. She is a founding member of the McLean County Family Child Care Association and is active in the newly formed Illinois Association for Family Child Care. Jean received her initial accreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) in 1995 and was reaccredited in 1999.

Parent News (PN):
You were one of the first family child care providers to test the accreditation waters. What motivated you to do so?

Jean Lieder (JL):
Before starting my family child care business, I worked on accreditation as a center director. I knew that accreditation signaled high quality. Recent research provided the tools to define and measure high-quality family child care. I wanted to be one of the first to get that public attention for my profession, to highlight the good-quality child care that was already in existence in my area, and to encourage other exemplary family child care homes to get the recognition as well.

PN:
Has accreditation lifted up the field of family child care?

JL:
Accreditation has clearly benefited the profession. Accreditation jumpstarted the national conversation about quality in child care. Because of the work of NAFCC and other organizations, family child care providers are more interested in defining quality and in assessing their own quality. Parents have also become far more educated about child care quality. Fifteen years ago, parents referred to family child care providers as babysitters. They often questioned the value of licensing for our profession. Minimal levels of quality seemed good enough. Today, many more parents know about and expect high-quality family child care services.

Accreditation has also made groups not directly connected to child care take notice. Employers, business organizations, and policy makers are now talking about the need for high-quality child care. It is a workforce and productivity issue.

After I received accreditation, I got calls from other child care providers and from parents. I also received calls from small business organizations and from local policy makers who understood the significance of my national recognition. I held an open house to celebrate when I received my initial accreditation. My city council representative was among the group of families, friends, and colleagues who came to recognize this national award of excellence.

PN:
Did accreditation have an impact on the families and children in your care?

JL:
My families were happy to take part in the process and were very proud when I received my accreditation from NAFCC. The accreditation self-study process encourages a provider to review the principles of high-quality child care, reflect on her strengths, and consider the physical environment available to provide child care. One of the outcomes of my self-study was a shift from serving a mixed-age group to a focus on caring for infants and toddlers. My parents valued the changes I made. They said they felt the new focus resulted in higher quality and more appropriate care for the infants and toddlers in my program.

PN:
Were there any unanticipated outcomes to the accreditation process?

JL:
The degree of increased visibility for my program and me was a little surprising. I mentioned the contacts I get from groups within my community whenever there is a dialogue about family child care quality. Because NAFCC publishes the names, cities, and phone numbers of all their accredited homes on their Web site, I also hear from families relocating to Bloomington from other parts of the country who rely on national organizations like NAFCC to point them toward high-quality child care.

The increased visibility of my program means that I cannot let my standards slip. I must be conscious and deliberate about offering the best care possible every single day. That's a challenge, but one that's worth it to me and to the children and families I serve.

PN:
How can parents support family child care accreditation?

JL:
Parents can encourage their employers and elected officials to provide scholarships to help providers get the things they might need to become accredited. For example, fences are required in yards in family child care homes where natural barriers are not present. Fencing in an entire back yard can be very costly.

Another way parents can be supportive is to show understanding when their provider needs to take time off to participate in training to meet accreditation standards. Professional development is an essential element of high-quality family child care. Accreditation doesn't end with the award of a certificate. It is an ongoing process. To remain accredited, providers must develop a staff development plan that indicates how they intend to continue to grow professionally each year. Parents and children are the direct beneficiaries of good training.

For more information

National Association for Family Child Care
http://www.nafcc.org/accred/accred.html

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/default.asp

National School-Age Care Alliance
http://www.nsaca.org/accreditation.htm

National Early Childhoood Program Accreditation
http://www.necpa.net

NAEYC Accreditation as a Strategy for Improving Child Care Quality
http://www.ccw.org/tpp/pubs/NAEYC.PDF

When Babies and Toddlers Are in Child Care, Accreditation Is a Key to Quality
http://npin.org/library/pre1998/n00144/n00144.html

What Research Tells Us about NAEYC Accreditation
http://npin.org/library/2000/n00427/n00427.html

Accreditation Provides Benchmarks for Quality
http://www.nccic.org/ccb/ccb-mj95/accbench.html

Ten Reasons Why Family Child Care Providers Like Accreditation
http://www.nafcc.org/tenreasons.html

A Child Care Primer for Parents
http://www.voiceofwomen.com/childcare.html

Sources

[1] Azer, Sheri; Morgan, Gwen; Clifford, Richard M.; & Crawford, Gisele M. (2002). Regulation of child care. Chapel Hill, NC: National Center for Early Development and Learning.

[2] Cryer, Debby, & Phillipsen, Leslie. (1997). Quality details: A close-up look at child care program strengths and weaknesses. Young Children, 52(5), 51-61. (ERIC Journal No. EJ547957)

[3] Howe, Maryalice B. (2000). Improving child care and promoting accreditation: The military model. Young Children, 55(5), 61-63. (ERIC Journal No. EJ616879)

[4] Jacobson, Linda. (2002). Defining quality. Quality counts 2002: Building blocks for success. Education Week, 21(17), 24-32.

[5] Whitebook, Marcy; Sakai, Laura; & Howes, Carollee. (1997). NAEYC accreditation as a strategy for improving child care quality. Washington, DC: National Center for the Early Childhood Workforce. (ERIC Document No. ED415028)