Carey Services has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s leading organization of high-quality early childhood professionals and programming. The agency earned this accreditation for its Grant and Blackford classroom programming and this adds value to the early childhood partnerships and services in those two counties.

“We’re proud to have earned the mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our commitment to this community and the children as we reach the highest professional standards for early childhood education,” said Cathy Queen, director of Early Head Start at Carey Services. “NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know children in our high-quality program have teachers who create engaging classrooms, enhance relationships with their parents and families, and develop rich experiences for their students to assure they are school ready for Grant and Blackford County schools.”

Carey Services serves 48 children ages 1-3 and their families in classroom settings in Grant and Blackford counties, as well as 82 children ages 0-3 and families in home-based programming. Carey Services has provided the Early Head Start program since 1998 and routinely receives high marks in state and federal reviews. In earning accreditation through NAEYC, Carey Services is eligible to achieve a Level IV Paths to Quality – the highest level of quality for childcare in Indiana.

To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Carey Services’ Early Head Start went through a voluntary, extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against 10 NAEYC early childhood program standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria. The program received NAEYC accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

“It’s a lengthy and rigorous process to achieve NAEYC accreditation, and we are proud to meet these high standards for children and families in Grant and Blackford counties,” said Jim Allbaugh, president and CEO for Carey Services. “Carey Services is focused on assuring optimal brain development is achieved in the first few years of life to set a child’s path for success in school and in life.”

In the 25 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. Carey Services is now one of over 7,000 programs currently accredited by NAEYC, nationwide.