The B.C. Center was granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) on May 31, 1996. This prestigious recognition has been achieved by only about 6% of early childhood programs nationwide- some 5,000 programs as of October 31, 1996.

NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous, voluntary process by which early childhood programs demonstrate that they consistently meet national standards of excellence. Child care cednters, preschools, kindergartens, and before- and after-school programs are eligible to seek NAEYC accreditation. Approximately 9,700 programs are engaged in seeking accreditation.

Programs seeking accreditation undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators, and classroom observations. They receive an on-site visit, conducted by early childhood professionals, specially trained by NAEYC, to validate their self-study results. All of this information is independantly reviewed by a team of national experts who grant of defer accreditation. Accreditation lasts for three years.

The heart of NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child's experience. The process carefully considers all aspects of the program's provision- including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, administration, and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the child's relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn-intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally.