Accreditation &
Decision Process

The Indiana Accreditation Project provides financial and technical assistance for early care and education and school age facilities wishing to initiate, complete and maintain Path to QUALITYTM
Level 4 and national accreditation.

Making the Accreditation Decision

National accreditation is a BIG step and necessary to achieve the highest level of Paths to QUALITY™. There are so many questions that choosing the right accrediting body can be overwhelming. Which one is right for my facility? How long does it take? Am I eligible? What do I need to do next? This page is designed to help you answer these and many other questions!

While there are many accrediting bodies available to early childhood education facilities, only six are approved for Paths to QUALITY™ Level 4.

The table below shows you as a Home, Center, Ministry, or School for which accrediting body your facility is eligible.

blue table with Accrediation Eligibility Without COGNIA information

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

Now that you have decided for which accrediting body your facility is eligible, it is important to consider your timeline for accreditation and find an accrediting body that make it possible for you to meet your goals. The table below give you an overview of the steps to accreditation and time average amount of time it takes a professional or facility to become accredited by each accrediting body.

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DO I AND MY STAFF HAVE THE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING?

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an accrediting body and defining your timeline is education and training requirements. Below you will find a table that provides an overview to the education, training, and experience requirements for each accrediting body. Find the row with that aligns with your education level and follow it across to see what accreditation options best fit you!

Remember if you need more education to become accredited, T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Indiana® provides scholarships to many of the higher education and technical institutions in Indiana.

blue table with Accrediation Education, Experience & Training Requirements At-A-Glance information

WHAT DOCUMENTS WILL I NEED TO GATHER FOR ACCREDITATION?

Documentation in the form of policies, forms, and pictures, are the best way for you to tell the story of your unique facility to any accrediting body. So, there is A LOT to gather. The table below gives you an overview of the type of documentation that you will need to access for each of the accrediting bodies.

blue table with Accrediation Required Documentation Topics (Portfolios) Without COGNIA information

ACCREDITING BODIES
NAEYC logo
NAFCC logo
NECPA logo
ACSI logo
2020 COA logo

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