What is the Maine Roads to Quality Accreditation Project?

The Accreditation project strives to improve the quality of early care and education for children in Maine by increasing the number of accredited family child care providers, child care centers, nursery schools, and school age programs. Accreditation means that the program meets nationally recognized standards for high quality care and education. Quality programs promote the physical, social, and cognitive development of children.

Services provided by Maine Roads Accreditation Project:

Center-based Accreditation (NAEYC)

Family Child Care Accreditation (NAFCC)

School-Age Accreditation (NAA)

Maine Roads to Quality supports programs who are interested in accreditation by providing the following services:

• Information to any program who would like to know more about accreditation
• A mutual support group called a “cohort”, that meets regularly for programs who are ready to actively pursue accreditation
• Orientation to the accreditation self-study and improvement process
• On-site consultation
• Classroom observations and feedback
• Training and workshops for staff
• Partial funding for accreditation materials and fees based on annual funding
• Post-accreditation support for programs who have sustained accreditation through phone consultation, reporting requirements, targeted training

The Accreditation Project helps programs achieve national accreditation from the following organizations: (Check the websites of the indvidual organizations for their accreditation standards.)

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org)
• National Association for Family Child Care (www.nafcc.org)
• National After School Association (www.naaweb.org)

Benefits of Accreditation:

• Defines standards of high quality in the field of early care and education.
• Promotes continuous quality improvement through program self-assessment and ongoing professional development.
• Helps parents and policy makers recognize “Programs of Quality.” In Maine, parents of children in accredited programs receive a double tax credit on their state income tax.
• Increases reimbursement rates for children receiving subsidized child care.
• Advances professionalism in the field of early care and education.

For more more information, contact:

NAFCC Accreditation: Sonja Howard
showard@usm.maine.edu
Phone: (207) 230-0114

NAEYC & NAA Accreditation: Gretchen Greenberg
greenber@usm.maine.edu
Phone: (207) 228-8144