Accreditation
What accreditation means
Accreditation is a voluntary, ongoing commitment. A program measures itself against clear standards, opens its doors to peer review, and keeps improving year after year.
Who can apply
- Members of Gold Accreditations in good standing.
- Licensed or registered by the state or local licensing agency, or license-exempt and meeting our health and safety standards.
- Open and serving children (a new program may apply once its license is approved, but is accredited only after it opens).
- Following local, state and federal law and a nondiscrimination policy.
After you are accredited
- Accreditation lasts 5 years.
- Annual report each year between March 15 and June 30 (not in the year you are accredited).
- Mid-accreditation review about halfway through.
- Substantive change report 30 days before a new director, owner, location or name (emergencies within 72 hours), and prompt self-reports of serious incidents.
- Reaccreditation: apply 10 months before your accreditation ends.
- Annual membership dues, due by December 31.
The process
Six steps
1
Apply and join
Become a member and send your accreditation application and fee.
2
Welcome call
We walk you through the standards and the member portal.
3
Self-study
Write how you meet each standard and upload your evidence, at your pace (up to 10 months).
4
Pre-site review
Reviewers read your self-study and ask for anything that is missing.
5
Site visit
Peer reviewers visit to see your program in action.
6
Decision and certificate
The Commission decides. Accredited programs receive a numbered certificate.
The standards
12 areas of quality
For each standard, a program writes a narrative of at least 100 words describing how it meets it, and uploads the evidence.
| 1 | Governance and Ownership Describe who owns and governs the program, how major decisions are made and recorded, how the budget is planned and monitored, how families are admitted without discrimination, and how the program is insured. |
| 2 | Administration and Operations Describe how the program is run day to day: enrollment, the family handbook, staff schedules, how the director is evaluated, yearly goals and how the program markets itself honestly. |
| 3 | Staff Qualifications Describe how you hire, screen and qualify staff, including background screening, required training, CPR and first aid, and the code of conduct staff agree to. |
| 4 | Nutrition and Food Service Describe how meals and snacks are planned, prepared and served, how special diets and allergies are handled, how food areas are kept clean and how pests are controlled. |
| 5 | Health, Safety and Sanitation Describe how children are kept safe and healthy: the facility layout, first aid, emergencies and drills, health screening, medication, bloodborne pathogens, and how staff are trained to recognize and report abuse. |
| 6 | Rest, Napping and Bedding Describe rest time: safe sleep practices for infants, how cots and mats are assigned, cleaned and stored, how bedding is laundered, and how children who do not sleep are supervised. This standard is also observed during the site visit. |
| 7 | Ratios and Group Size Describe how you keep staff-to-child ratios and group sizes within the required limits at all times, including arrival, departure, breaks and absences. |
| 8 | Curriculum and Assessment Describe the curriculum and how it is planned, what children are expected to learn at each age, how progress is assessed, and how results are shared with families. |
| 9 | Relationships with Families and Staff Describe how the program builds relationships with families and staff: family resources and events, communication, planning time, staff meetings, pay and benefits, the yearly calendar and surveys. |
| 10 | Professional Development Describe how new staff are oriented and how all staff keep learning: the training calendar, in-service hours and individual development plans. |
| 11 | Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Describe the program's license and inspection history over the last 12 months, any violations and how they were corrected, and how complaints are received and answered. |
| 12 | Transportation and Field Trips Describe transportation of children, if any: vehicles, drivers, inspections, logs, child safety alarms and field trip procedures. If the program does not transport children, say so and upload the transportation statement. |
Fees
What it costs
| Annual membership dues | $400.00 |
| Accreditation (first time) | from $2,500.00 |
| Reaccreditation | from $2,500.00 |
| Site visit, per peer reviewer | $100.00 |
Every program gets a written estimate before applying. Fees are paid in full at application and are non-refundable.