Re-Accreditation
Responsibilities of accredited child care centres
Getting accredited is an achievement. You and your staff worked hard to complete the self-study process and the site visit gave you the opportunity to show off the results of all that hard work. At last all the work is done! Well, not quite….
While there are a number of advantages to being accredited – public recognition for the quality of your services and, of course, additional funding to help support that quality – there are also some responsibilities and expectations that go along with your new status.
Incorporate Accreditation Feedback Report into your QEP and continue to work on your three-year plan
The cornerstone of accreditation is continuous quality improvement. Therefore, the expectation is that after you are accredited, you will incorporate the items listed in the Accreditation Feedback Report into your Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and then continue to work on these items along with the action plans in your QEP over the next three years.
Submit annual reports
In addition, each year just prior to your anniversary date, you are required to submit an annual report to the AELCS office that provides details and evidence of the work you have completed on your Quality Enhancement Plan. Part of your score for re-accreditation will be based on how well you have met your goals in the three years since accreditation.
Notify AELCS of changes in your program
As an accredited program you are required to immediately inform the AELCS office of changes in:
- ownership (share or asset sale)
- program name change
- location
- licensed or contracted capacity
- contact person (new Director/owner etc.)
- contact information such as telephone number, email address
Self-report non-compliances
You are awarded accredited status for a three-year term with the expectation that you will continue to offer a program that meets the ten ACCAP Quality Standards. We monitor this in a number of ways. First of all, annual reports are submitted as mentioned above.
Secondly, Alberta Children and Youth Services alert us to changes in the licensing status of accredited programs. However, please be aware that it is an expectation that the accredited childcare service will self-report to AELCS any licensing status changes and all non-compliances. Lastly, we monitor compliance by investigating complaints sent to our office.
Unannounced visits
AELCS retains the right to conduct unannounced visits to accredited programs at any time for any reason.
