Accreditation Of Child Care No Guarantee, Study Asserts

Child-care centers that win accreditation offer higher-quality care than those that don't, but accreditation alone does not guarantee excellence, a new report concludes.

Until day-care teachers earn better pay, the report warns, high-quality care throughout the nation's child-care system will remain an elusive goal.

The report by the National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy group based in Washington, says accreditation falls short mainly because it does not adequately address the negative effects of rapid teacher turnover. Taken along with accreditation, however, stability of teachers, higher pay, and nonprofit status predict high-quality programs, the report scheduled for...