Andover YMCA Wins National Accreditation

By Josh Brennick.

The Andover/North Andover YMCA has recently received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) which is the nation’s leading organization of professionals in early childhood.

“We are proud to have achieved such great accreditation and recognition” said Maria Martinez, Executive Director of Child Care Services for the Merrimack Valley YMCA.  “NAEYC accreditation provides parents with the confirmation that their children are receiving the very best care and early learning experiences from experienced professionals.” 

To earn the accreditation from the NAEYC, the Andover/North Andover YMCA child care program underwent an extensive process that included self-study as well as measuring its services in relation to NAEYC’s 10 Early Childhood Program Standards and several related criteria for accreditation.  The program received an on-site visit from NAEYC to confirm that the program was in alignment with the 10 program standards.  The NAEYC Accreditation was created to set professional standards for early childhood education and help families identify high quality preschools, early education programs and child care centers.    In the 20 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education.  Programs that are accredited can receive unannounced visits during their accreditation period which lasts for five years. 

The Andover/North Andover YMCA child care center is open to the community and has limited enrollment. Its services are provided Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the year.