Daycare accredidation

[rhiOrion]

I was just reading the stickied thread about interviewing daycare providers, and several people mentioned making sure the facility was accredited, and was part of NAEYC.

I went to the NAEYC page and only found 5 results for Durham, NC- and we're not a small area. There are TONS of daycare providers.

So what does it all really mean?

Also, I've heard lots of people tell me that I shouldn't give too much attention to the number of stars a provider has. So would a place only having 1 star give you any sort of red flags?

I have finally found a center that may have openings in July that is in our price range and near our house, but I don't even want to waste my time interviewing them if there is something inherently wrong with 1 star and not being part of NAEYC.

Thanks!

[staceychev]

I used to work for NAEYC, and they do a lot of great things. However, accreditation is an arduous and expensive process. For a lot of centers it's plain and simply cost prohibitive. Use their criteria for choosing a center, absolutely, but I wouldn't look on accreditation as the be-all-end-all. In fact, the center that DD just left (because of my maternity leave, then attending public Pre-K) was not accredited, but the director/owner was very aware of NAEYC policies and other best practices and followed them. You need to really talk to the director/provider and I'm also a firm believer in going with your gut. Mama instinct is huge.

[JElaineB]

I have been on the board at my son's previous child care center for almost 5 years. He attended there for 4.5 years including after-school care for a year. They are not and never will be NAEYC accredited because they are a mixed-age play-based center and do not have childeren assigned to classrooms with a lead instructor. The center itself is small (28 kids) and the two full-time directors are the lead "teachers" for all intents and purposes. Their ratio is 6:1 at all times, even for kids as old as 6+ years old. They are a great, wonderful place that I completely trust. My son loved it there and flourished. So I guess my point is, I don't put too much stock in accreditation, I would recommend that you evaluate each center individually on what factors you think are important.

[jdg]

I'm another one who would say not to put too much stock on the accreditation. The one NAEYC-accredited daycare in my town has only a middling reputation. There are several with better reputations (a couple that fit my own philosophies much more) that are not NAEYC-accredited. I would talk to others in your area about where they go and what they like/don't like about it, visit the ones that sound like they might "fit" you and your child, and choose from that.

[AndrewsMother]

The child care centers that our family loved the most, were not and are not NAEYC accredited. I toured many centers that were accredited by NAEYC, but none of them met to my standards.