After a rigorous process, the UNL Children’s Center has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

“It is the most well respected accrediting program for early childhood (programs),” said Jaci Foged, director of the UNL Children’s Center.

NAEYC accredited programs are designed to help children succeed in school through better educational programs, annual conferences for teachers and directors and more required certifications. There are 66 in Nebraska, 38 of them in Lincoln.

NAEYC accredited programs set the standard of excellence in early childhood education with classroom play for purpose and to move children further in their cognitive, social, emotional and physical developments.

“They require so much more of a program than what the state requires,” Foged said.

One example is CPR certification, Foged said. The state requires just one person in the building to be CPR/ First Aid certified, but NAEYC requires all employees who work alone with children to be certified. Doctor’s notes are also now required for all medications given to children, even over-the-counter ones, she said.

UNL’s Children’s Center was built with these higher standards in mind. When the center opened in 2009, the director at that time was planning for the accreditation process, Foged said. Policies were written to meet a majority of the requirements and the center hired teachers with required education and certifications.

The center is located at 22nd and W streets and provides full-time care for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Each classroom is staffed with a lead teacher and an assistant teacher, both who have earned a bachelor’s or associate degree in early childhood education or a closely related field. Teachers plan activities to engage the minds of children in their daily activities.

The application process was a long one, with four steps to gain accreditation — self-study, application and self-assessment, candidacy and meeting standards.

To start the application process, Foged first looked at material from the NAEYC website to start training teachers, update policies and adjust classrooms.

“NAEYC support’s diversity and makes sure you have different kinds of toys and options for children to play with and learn from,” Foged said.

Next, the center submitted an application to show its serious interest in accreditation. Surveys were then distributed to parents and staff, and questions had to be answered based on the data in only eight weeks. A bid packet was created.

“I think that’s why a lot of programs don’t make it in,” Foged said. “They don’t have the right staffing or participation in surveys, so they don’t become accredited.”

The NAEYC then has six months to go over the bid packet and visit the program.

A member of the NAEYC visited the children’s center in July for two days. They looked at six of the 11 classrooms and saw how employees were meeting the criteria necessary for accreditation.

“Then there is a 90-day window for them to tell you if you are accredited, deferred or denied,” Foged said.

Foged heard the good news on Oct. 9 — the center was granted accreditation.

The center has earned the title for five years and will send an annual report about how things are going and how they are following policies. “It’s a whole building’s responsibility to achieve and attain the accreditation,” Foged said. “The staff has to be involved, all of the parents and families have to be onboard and the backing of the university got us to go for it.

“Without all of those components, it could have never happened.”