We're Committed to Accreditation—and That's No Small Thing!

We try not to crow about our accomplishments too much, but recently we had great news to share with our families, our children, and our center staff, too. In May 2016, Woodcreek KinderCare in Roseville, California, became our 1,000^th center to earn national accreditation.

Accreditation is a mark of excellence, but it’s also an experience. Accreditation means that every day our teachers and staff are upholding the highest standards in early childhood education. That’s why KinderCare Education is committed to achieving accreditation for every single one of our nearly 1,500 eligible centers. And yes, you did read that correctly: We won't be satisfied until ALL of our centers are accredited!

We’re proud to be a national leader in early childhood education, and we’re proud that KinderCare Education has more accredited centers than any other early childhood education provider in the country.

Here’s what accreditation means for you—and for all of us working so hard to give children the very best start in life.

1. What Exactly is an Accredited Center?

Accreditation is awarded by an independent, third-party organization. That independence is critical: It validates that we truly are living up to our high standards every day.

Accrediting agencies evaluate every aspect of a center, from the qualifications of our staff and educational programs, to the nutrition of our meals and our safety practices, to how well we build relationships with our families and the communities we serve.

Site visits, staff and family surveys, classroom observations, and safety checks are all part of this independent review. (Consider this: Our primary accrediting body, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), identifies more than 400 criteria for accreditation that demonstrate a program is meeting high standards. That’s thorough!) And, even after we achieve accreditation, the accrediting agency may visit us at any time—and each center must submit annual reports as well as renew its accreditation status every few years.

2. What Does Accreditation Mean for Families?

When families choose an accredited center for their children, they will experience the difference. Maintaining accreditation is just as important as obtaining it, and accreditation means that we’re embracing a culture of continuous improvement.

We’re committed to building strong relationships with each family—and acting on what we hear. Those relationships are the foundation to giving our best every day to families and children. They also make our centers more like communities of caring adults, all of us working together to give every child the very best early learning experiences and the very best start in life.

3. My Center Isn’t Accredited. What Does that Mean?

Every single one of our eligible centers are now in the process of becoming accredited, though some are at the beginning of that journey, and some are close to completion. (The process is so thorough that it can take up to two years!) But all of our centers, under the direction of the best leadership in the business, are currently expected to meet and uphold accreditation standards. We promise: That accreditation seal is coming!

4. How Can I Find out More about My Center’s Accreditation Process?

Whether your center has achieved accreditation or is en route to achieving it, you can find out more from your center director. You can also take a look at the information from two of our accrediting agencies: the National Association for the Education of Young Children or the National Accreditation Commission.