Horizons Earns National NAEYC Accreditation
Horizons has once again received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC.) NAEYC Accreditation ensures that programs are safe, well prepared, and intentional about ensuring children’s developmental and learning success. In the 30 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. Less than 10 percent of all childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition. NAEYC Accreditation correlates with children’s greater readiness and success in school and beyond; increased educational attainment rates; and overall positive health outcomes related to nutrition and access to outdoor experiences.
“All of the children in our program are experiencing homelessness which has proven negative effects on their development. NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous process and validates that our program is of the very highest quality, which our students need,” said Kate Barrand, President and CEO of Horizons. “This achievement is objective proof that our teachers and staff provide an exceptional environment for children.”
To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Horizons went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to verify and ensure that the program met each of the ten program standards which are based upon research-based best practices. NAEYC-accredited programs are always prepared for unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for five years.
Horizons’ evaluation was comprehensive with 344 total items scored. Assessor scores came from the team’s prepared portfolios, classroom observation and interviews. After all the scores were tabulated, Horizons overall score was 94%, a reflection of program excellence.
“Our strong performance is consistent with the emphasis we put on being culturally responsive and seeing our families through the lens of trauma-informed practices. Understanding the individual child and their family and customizing our approach allows us to positively impact each family in meaningful ways,” said Jayd Rodrigues, Executive Director of Early Education at Horizons.
