History & Accreditation

The nursery school program, now in its 63rd year, was first accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in 1987 and has maintained accreditation in good standing since that time. NAEYC administers the largest and most widely recognized accreditation system for all types of early childhood programs and child care centers. Accreditation was instituted in 1985, making First United Church Nursery School among the early schools in the nation to be accredited.

What is Accreditation?

Early childhood programs accredited by the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditations have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study and improvement. They have been visited to verify compliance with each of the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards, which consists of approximately 400 criteria. For more information about the standards and NAEYC Accreditation, visit www.rightchoiceforkids.org.

What is a high-quality early childhood program?

High-quality programs provide a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the development of young children. NAEYC-accredited programs show their quality by meeting the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards, which are based on the latest research on the education and development of young children. All NAEYC accredited programs must:

  1. Promote positive relationships for all children and adults.

  2. Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of child development – cognitive, emotional, language, physical and social.

  3. Use developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching approaches.

  4. Provide ongoing assessments of child progress.

  5. Promote the nutrition and health of children and staff.

  6. Employ and support qualified teaching staff.

  7. Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with families.

  8. Establish and maintain relationships with and use resources of the community.

  9. Provide a safe and healthy physical environment.

  10. Implement strong program management policies that result in high-quality service.

NAEYC Accreditation is valid for five years. During that period, programs make annual reports documenting that they maintain compliance with the program standards. All NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits by NAEYC assessors.

Please take a moment to watch this video on NAEYC Accreditation: Right Choice for Kids