NAEYC & SACS-CASI Accreditations

Foundations received the prestigious National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation in June 2006. Only the top 8% of child care centers in the Nation achieve this accreditation. In March 2008, the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) also accredited Foundations.

"Accreditation is an activity, not a status. Schools are accredited because of the way they move, not the way they stand." John A. Stoops, Late Executive Director, CITA "...the greatest benefits of accreditation are the external mark of quality, high standards and school improvement process and support."

Foundations is actively engaged in the continuous process of self-evaluation and improvement required by both the SACS-CASI & NAEYC accreditations, because Foundations recognizes the positive impact it has on the children's learning as well as the parents' and teachers' experiences.

"The primary gauge of quality has been accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children... whose seal of approval is regarded as the gold standard by parents, educators and facilities." - The Wall Street Journal, March 24, 2006

Foundations for the Future was designed from the ground-up to meet the highest standards. Foundations voluntarily underwent a comprehensive process of internal self-study, and invited external professional review to verify compliance with over 400 NAEYC criteria and SACS-CASI standards. However, this was just the baseline for Foundations. Through the addition of the Premium Services for Children and Parents to our AQ program, Foundations goes beyond many of even the highest standards.

What are the benefits to children attending an accredited school?

Accreditation means that students have:

• Qualified teachers who are continually working to improve their practices and teaching methods in order to increase student performance
• Access to a rich, diverse and sound curriculum
• Access to a range of student activities and support services
• Transferability of credits from school to school
• Greater access to scholarships and loans that require attendance at an accredited school

Accredited schools:

• Promote positive relationships for all children and adults to encourage each child's sense of individual worth.
• Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of child development: cognitive, emotional, language, physical and social.
• Use developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching approaches.
• Provide ongoing assessments of a child's learning and development and communicate the child's progress to the family.
• Promote the nutrition and health of children and protect children and staff from illness and injury.
• Employ and support a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children's learning and development and to support families' diverse needs and interests.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with each child's family.
• Establish relationships with and use the resources of the community to support achievement of program goals.
• Provide a safe and healthy physical environment.
• Implement strong personnel, fiscal, and program management policies so that all children, families, and staff have high-quality experiences.

For more information on SACS-CASI accreditation, visit www.sacscasi.org, and visit www.naeyc.org for more information on the NAEYC accreditation.