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NAFCC's
New Address1743 W Alexander St
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
Toll-free: 1-800-359-3817
Local: 801-886-2322
Fax: 801-886-2325
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NAFCC Accreditation Information
Background of the Accreditation Project
NAFCC developed its first accreditation system in 1988. Ten years later, there were NAFCC-accredited family child care providers in 44 states and the District of Columbia. A 1995 study of accredited providers conducted by the Families and Work Institute confirmed that accreditation increases providers' professionalism and self-esteem, improves quality of care, and develops leadership skills. In communities that support family child care, accredited providers find opportunities for further professional development such as becoming a mentor to other providers, an Observer for NAFCC, or a trainer.
In 1994, NAFCC began a major initiative to develop a new accreditation system for family child care. Instead of modifying existing approaches to assessing quality, NAFCC asked the Family Child Care Project at Wheelock College to create a new accreditation "from scratch." The goal was to recognize the special nature of high quality in this special form of child care. The Quality Standards for the new NAFCC Accreditation system were developed through a two-year, consensus-building process that included hundreds of providers, parents, resource and referral staff members, and other early childhood experts.
In 1998, the new system was piloted in five communities: Boston, Massachusetts; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Chicago, Illinois; Santa Cruz, California; and Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The new NAFCC accreditation began national operation in 1999.
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