Accreditation Support
Once a program reaches 4 stars in the Nevada Silver State Stars Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), they are ready to begin the next step of national accreditation.
What is Accreditation?
Achieving national accreditation represents the mark of quality in early childhood education. Accreditation gives programs the chance to be measured against high standards in the areas of education, health, and safety. Accreditation is a voluntary process that gives programs the opportunity to evaluate what they do well and identify areas of improvement. Through the process of accreditation; staff, administration, and families become a stronger team as they continue to improve quality.
View a statewide list of nationally accredited programs.
Technical Assistance
There are currently two specialists assisting child care centers and family home providers with the process of accreditation. Technical assistance includes support to navigate the accreditation process, classroom or home observation, and staff training. The Office of Early Learning and Development covers all costs for all accreditation materials and fees, provides quality improvement grants, and a one-time accreditation bonus. Grant and bonus amounts are based on the number of children served. To learn more about accreditation, feel free to contact the Office of Early Learning and Development staff member in your area.
Southern Nevada:
Ron Barakat:
(702) 668-4325
rbarakat@doe.nv.gov
Northern Nevada:
Tiffany Olivas:
(775) 327-0683
tolivas@doe.nv.gov
Accrediting Agencies:
The six approved accrediting agencies are:
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
NAEYC Accreditation means that a program meets NAEYC’s 10 standards of excellence in early childhood education. Programs that meet these standards provide a safe and healthy environment for children, have teachers who are well-trained, have access to excellent teaching materials, and work with curriculum that is appropriately challenging and developmentally sound. These programs are continuously improving themselves to provide the best possible educational opportunities for children.
Search for child care centers in Nevada
who have achieved accreditation through NAEYC.
National Accreditation Commission (NAC)
The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC) identifies quality standards for the care and education of young children, B-school age, promotes professionalism and program quality and is managed by the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP), the organization that believes effective management is the critical link to superior child care.
Search for child care centers in Nevada
who have achieved accreditation through NAC.
The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
NAFCC sponsors the only nationally recognized Family Child Care Accreditation System. This system was designed by providers, parents, and other experts during a 4-year, consensus-building process specifically to address the unique standards for family child care. The NAFCC provides professional and association development to promote quality child care by strengthening the family child care profession. NAFCC accreditation sets high standards enabling providers to deliver quality Early Care and Education and helps parents and policy-makers identify high-quality family child care.
Search for family child care providers in Nevada
who have achieved accreditation through NAFCC.
The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation has been supporting educational programs strive for excellence since 1993. This non-profit organization was created to encourage the availability of high quality early education programs for America's families. Now, as an independent and nationally recognized program, the NECPA is maintaining its pursuit for excellence by delivering its accreditation philosophy to hundreds of early childhood programs across the country.
Search for child care centers in Nevada
who have achieved accreditation through NECPA.
The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
The Association of Christian Schools International accreditation programs are for preschool, elementary, and secondary schools. Recognized at the national level as well as by many regional and state accrediting agencies, these programs provide a comprehensive evaluation model for Christian schools. The ACSI accreditation program was one of the first programs to be officially recognized by the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA).
The National After-School Association (NAA)
The National AfterSchool Association is the only national professional association for the afterschool field. With over 9,000 members and 36 state affiliate organizations, NAA represents the voice of the afterschool field in the areas of professional development, program quality, public policy and current issues affecting children and youth in their out of school time. Afterschool programs seek accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA).
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