TCU’s KinderFrogs School earns national accreditation

Fort Worth, TX

8/28/2006

TCU’s KinderFrogs School has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals. The five-year accreditation is the strongest system available to early childhood programs and KinderFrogs is the only university-affiliated program in the Fort Worth area that has earned the accreditation.

“We’re proud to be accredited by NAEYC, and recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards, “ said Marilyn Tolbert, director and Jean W. Roach Chair of Laboratory Schools at TCU. “NAEYC Accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences.”

Due to the lengthy accreditation process, KinderFrogs faculty and staff worked on the accreditation for two years. The process involved submitting program information to determine eligibility as an applicant for NAEYC Accreditation. The information included licensing status, program staff and leadership understanding the NAEYC process and a high volume of paperwork.  Once the application was accepted, KinderFrogs began a self-study of their program to ensure that it met each of the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Standards. This included self-evaluation of all procedures, classrooms, relationships with families, staff, health and safety, curriculum, and facilities.

More than 11,000 early childhood programs – serving over one million young children – are currently accredited by NAEYC.  “In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of child care and preschool programs earning NAEYC Accreditation,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC.  “By earning accreditation, KinderFrogs School at TCU has become a leader in a national effort to raise the quality of early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start.”

TCU welcomed their smallest “Horned Frogs” in 2000 and the school became a reality through the energy and commitment of a group of dedicated parents, donors and community members. The KinderFrogs School provides early childhood educational services to children with Down syndrome and other developmental delays, as well as typically developing children. The KinderFrogs School serves young toddlers and pre-schoolers ages 18 months to five years.

KinderFrogs School also serves as an on-campus training site, providing research, training and service opportunities for TCU students and faculty in School of Education and in other university programs. It is licensed through the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.

NAEYC created its accreditation program in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality child care and early education programs.  To earn NAEYC’s accreditation, a program conducts a self-study to determine how well it meets the standards.  After necessary improvements are made, the program is observed by independent, professional validators, and then reviewed by a national panel.  Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a five-year period.

For more information on TCU’s KinderFrogs School, visit www.kinderfrogs.tcu.edu.