(A publication of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Washington DC)
What constitutes a "high quality" child care program? An intricate blend of qualified and motivated people, an excellent work environment, and careful orchestration of the day-to-day business operation.
The quality of a child care program is based on:
(1) The daily experiences of the children and their families, based on staff-child interactions, curriculum, and communication with parents.
(2) The staffing practices that establish hiring procedures, staff qualifications, and staffing structure.
(3) The type of environment that supports the program, including program administration, physical environment, health and safety, and nutrition.
This brochure is designed to provide you with concrete indicators of each of these elements of quality, based on a national, voluntary Accreditation system for child care centers and preschools, administered by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). These indicators can provide you with the assurance that you are considering a quality program.
Interactions between children and staff provide opportunities for children to develop an understanding of self and others and are characterized by warmth, personal respect, individuality, and responsiveness. Staff facilitate interactions among children to provide opportunities for development of social skills and intellectual growth.
CONVERSATION
Adults spend the major share of their time talking to, listening
to, and observing the children. Adults engage children in
conversation, at their eye level, that encourages them to express
their feelings and ideas.
ACTIVITY
The environment is primarily marked by pleasant conversation,
spontaneous laughter, and exclamations of excitement rather than
harsh, stressful noise or enforced quiet.
INVOLVED CHILDREN
Children and adults are actively involved with each other and
with materials. Adults help children play cooperatively. Aimless
wandering, fighting, and withdrawn behavior is kept to a minimum.
ACCESSIBLE TEACHERS
Children show no hesitation to approach adults with questions,
bids for affection, and requests for help. Adults liberally
provide individual attention when they are asked or when it is
needed. Adults do not spend long periods talking to other adults
or involved in housekeeping chores that don't include children.
AFFECTION
Affection is expressed spontaneously and frequently; children in
distress are comforted.
The curriculum encourages children to be actively involved in the learning process, to experience a variety of activities appropriate to their stage of development, and to pursue their own interests in the context of life in the community and the world. Children learn through play that is planned by adults to teach them language, concepts about the physical world, social skills, problem-solving, motor coordination, and self-confidence.
VARIETY
A wide variety of materials is available that is geared to young
children's interests, such as picture books, records, puppets,
blocks, puzzles, paints, climbing equipment, and props for
make-believe play.
INVOLVEMENT
Hands-on activity is encouraged. Materials are readily accessible
to the children: For example, toys are on low shelves, not
in toy boxes; children are busy and actively involved with the
materials, rather than passively watching or following rote
instructions.
CHILD-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES
The planned, daily schedule balances indoor and outdoor
activities, quiet time and active time, periods when individual
children choose their own activities and periods for group
activities, and child-initiated and adult-initiated activities.
TEACHER-GUIDED ACTIVITIES
The teachers' role is to plan and arrange the learning
environment. It is important to see adults asking questions of
children, reading to children, making suggestions for "next
steps," setting up new experiences such as a special visitor
or holiday celebration, adding new materials as children master
familiar tasks, and observing and recording children's progress
in acquiring new skills and interests.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Multi-racial, multi-cultural, non-sexist, non-stereotyping
pictures, dolls, books, and materials are fully part of the
classroom to teach children the value of diversity and to ensure
that all children's backgrounds are respected.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Daily, routine activities are part of the learning process. For
example, children are given responsibility for setting tables at
mealtime and helping with clean-up during the day.
All communication between center and families is based on the concept that parents are the principal influence in children's lives. Parents are welcome as observers and contributors to the program.
INFORMED PARENTS
Parents are given written information about what to expect from
the program and what the program expects from them through a
parent handbook, newsletters, bulletin boards, and other similar
measures.
HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Parents have opportunities to communicate with the staff about
their child's needs and progress through notes, phone calls,
conferences, and face-to-face conversations at arrival and
pick-up times.
WELCOME ACCESS
Parents are welcome in the center at all times and are encouraged
to participate in a variety of ways, such as eating lunch with
the children, observing during the day, volunteering, and
attending parent meetings.
The quality and competence of the staff are critical determinants of the quality of an early childhood program. It is critical that the program is staffed by adults trained in child development, who can recognize and provide for children's needs.
CAREFUL HIRING
Hiring procedures include careful checking of personal references
of all potential new employees. New staff members serve a
probationary employment period during which the director makes a
professional judgment of their suitability for working with
children.
TRAINED TEACHERS
Requirements for directors and teachers include training in child
development or early childhood education. The training must
include specific instruction in the age group for which the adult
is responsible. The director has also received early childhood
training and has experience in management.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING
The program provides regular in-service training for staff to
improve and expand skills in working with children and families.
RECORD KEEPING
Accurate, current records are kept of staff qualifications,
including transcripts, references, and documentation of
in-service education.
The program is sufficiently staffed and organized to assure that the needs of individual children are met, and to maintain positive interactions and constructive activity among the children and staff.
SUPERVISION
There is a sufficient number of adults for the number of children
in the program to ensure adequate supervision, frequent personal
contact, and time for individual instruction as needed.
CONTINUITY
Staffing patterns are planned so the same adults have primary
responsibility for the same children each day. This allows for
greater consistency in the daily experiences of children and
enables the staff to be highly familiar with each child's needs,
interests, and background.
SMALL GROUPS
Group sizes are limited to facilitate constructive interaction
activity.
The quality of the early childhood experience for children is affected by the efficiency and stability of the program's administration. Effective administration includes good communication, positive community relations, fiscal stability, and attention to the needs and working conditions of staff members.
WRITTEN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The program has written policies and operating procedures.
RECORD KEEPING
Program records, such as attendance, health, budgets, and
confidential personnel files are maintained and regularly
updated.
INSURANCE
Accident and liability insurance is maintained for children and
adults.
STAFF MEETINGS
Staff meetings are held regularly to facilitate joint planning.
SELF-EVALUATION
The educational plan and budget are assessed to identify program
strengths and weaknesses and to specify program goals each year.
The indoor and outdoor physical environments are designed to promote involvement in activities and easy, constructive interactions among adults and children.
SPACE
The amount of space is adequate so children are not crowded and
freedom of movement is encouraged.
EASY MOVEMENT
The room arrangement and placement of materials make it easy to
identify different activity areas (block building, book corner,
water play, and dress-up areas, for example) and to move from one
area to another. Views are not obstructed, so adults can easily
observe the children.
ACTIVITY AREAS
Indoor space is arranged to provide a variety of activities. For
example, there are private areas and public areas, and there is
space for both active and quiet activities.
EXERCISE
Outdoor space and equipment also allow a variety of activities
such as riding, climbing, balancing, sand play and digging, as
well as individual play. The outdoor area includes a variety of
surfaces such as soil, sand, grass, hill, flat section, and hard
areas for wheel toys.
The health and safety of children and adults are protected. Good programs act to prevent illness and accidents, are prepared to deal with emergencies, and educate children about healthy practices.
LICENSED PROGRAM
The program is licensed, and is therefore in compliance with
legal requirements for the health and safety of children in group
settings.
HEALTH RECORDS
Health records, including immunization records and emergency
contact information, are complete and available for each child.
MAINTENANCE
The facilities are maintained in a safe, clean condition and are
in good repair.
SUPERVISION
Children are supervised by adults at all times and are released
only to authorized persons.
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
When transportation is provided for children by the center,
vehicles are equipped with age-appropriate restraint devices.
ACCIDENT REPORTING
All medical problems and accidents are recorded and reported to
staff and parents. Suspected incidents of child abuse by parents,
staff, or others are reported to appropriate local agencies.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Written emergency procedures are posted and staff are familiar
with these procedures and with evacuation routes.
HAND WASHING
Staff wash their hands before feeding and after diapering.
Children wash hands after toileting and before meals.
SAFE EQUIPMENT
Cushioning materials such as mats or sand are used under
climbers, slides, and swings. Equipment of this type is stable.
PRODUCT SAFETY
All potentially dangerous products such as medicines or cleaning
supplies are stored in original, labeled containers in locked
cabinets inaccessible to children.