Photo: Associated Early Care and Educaton

Today we congratulate the center- and school-based early education programs in Massachusetts that earned accreditation or reaccreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children since November 20.

To those who earned accreditation or reaccreditation, NAEYC offers a marketing and communications tip: Spread the word to your local newspaper or other media outlet. Accredited programs can find a news release template in their program record. It’s a great way to publicize your accomplishment and draw attention to the importance of high-quality early learning settings.

NAEYC accreditation is a widely accepted proxy for quality, and Massachusetts boasts more NAEYC-accredited programs than any other state in the country.The Department of Early Education and Care includes accreditation in the standards for the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), designed to assess program quality, provide incentives for programs to improve and offer valuable information for parents.

The rigorous NAEYC accreditation process measures 10 standards that range from curriculum to family engagement. Accredited programs use a research-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum that promotes children’s social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive growth. They support teachers’ professional development, promote children’s health and nutrition, use age-appropriate methods to assess children’s development and maintain collaborative relationships with parents and guardians.

Congratulations to the following 24 programs that earned accreditation or reaccreditation since November 20:

Abington. Abington Integrated Preschool
Avon. Avon Children’s Center
Boston. Yawkey Knobit Kreyol Center for Early Education and Care (Dorchester),United South End Settlements (South End)
Brockton. Self Help Inc. Head Start
Dartmouth. Kiddie Kampus II
Fairhaven. Little People’s College
Foxborough. Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Framingham. Framingham Center Nursery School
Lawrence. Greater Lawrence Community Action Council Child Care Center
Lexington. Technology Children’s Center of Lincoln Laboratory
Marlborough. The Cottage Children’s Center
Medford. Gentle Dragon Preschool, Tri-City Community Action Program,  Eliot-Pearson Children’s School
Milford. Shining Star Early Childhood Center
Newton. Plowshares Education Development Center
Pittsfield. Allendale Elementary School, . KidZone Child Care/Educational Centers
Reading. Renaissance Education LLC (dba The Goddard School)
West Boylston. West Boylston Community Nursery School

Westwood. Barn Yard Child Care Center

Westfield. Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center, Clapboardtree Nursery School