Accreditation

We are now accepting applications for child care programs interested in receiving support while pursuing accreditation.

About the Accreditation Facilitation Project

Have you considered becoming accredited or would like to improve the quality of your program?

If you operate a licensed child care center or family child care home in Miami-Dade County, Enhanced Accreditation Facilitation is now available through the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe Accreditation Facilitation Project (ELC AFP). This funded initiative assists programs with the accreditation process.

If you are interested in becoming accredited or are currently pursuing accreditation and would like additional support, contact the AFP at 305-646-7220 x271 or cbrogan@elcmdm.org.
Services available include:

Hotline for general information and resources
Program visits
Free in-depth face-to-face consultation by an Accreditation Specialist
Incentives for achieving accreditation

Your program may be eligible to receive this assistance if you have, or have a substantial plan to have:

Clean DCF Licensing Inspection Reports for the past 12 months
All staff members with a minimum of a FCCPC or national CDA
All staff members with a minimum of 45 hours of in-service hours in the 12 months prior to accreditation application
An (ELC) approved curriculum in use
Written comprehensive policies and procedures

Why Should a Program Seek Accreditation through ELC AFP?

Some rewarding incentives may include:

Receive a higher reimbursement per School Readiness child
Tax incentives through the Department of Revenue or county tax appraiser for participating in the Gold Seal Quality Care Program
Vendor membership discount
Enhanced program marketing
Recognition for increased resources and funding opportunities
Additional child enrollment opportunities through community and government programs

For help in deciding which accreditation agency may be right for your program, become a part of the ELC AFP.

Licensing Versus Accreditation – What is the Difference?

Most child care providers are licensed and some are licensed and accredited. What is the difference?

Licensing is when a facility meets the minimum standards required by Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) for a child care program to be open for business. These requirements include minimal standards for health and safety, ratio, group size and more.
Accreditation means that the child care provider has met higher quality standards, usually set by a national organization. These child care programs have met standards beyond those established by DCF. Accredited programs seek to offer the best quality of care for your child.
For child care centers, there are many different types of accreditation, for example NAEYC, APPLE, NACECEP, and others. For family child care homes, accreditation is by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC).