Choosing day care is more than finding a place that is convenient with your commute. It’s about trust. It’s about feeling confident that your child is spending their day in a place that truly cares about how they learn, grow, and feel.
At Celebree School of Tysons-Jones Branch, our NECPA accreditation is one of the ways we show families that commitment. It’s not just a badge on the wall. It’s a reflection of how we think about quality, care, and early education every day.
So what does that mean for you and your child? Let’s talk about it.
What Is NECPA Accreditation?
NECPA stands for the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation, a nationally recognized organization focused on encouraging quality and recognizing excellence in early care and education since 1991. Accreditation through NECPA is voluntary, which is important. Schools choose to pursue it because they want to go beyond the minimum requirements and hold themselves accountable to higher benchmarks.
NECPA accreditation involves an in-depth review of how a school operates day to day. This includes:
- Adult and child interactions
- Health and safety practices
- Staff qualifications and training
- Communication and partnerships with families
In short, it looks at how children are cared for, taught, and supported, not just what’s written in a handbook.
Licensed vs. Accredited: What’s the Real Difference?
A licensed day care meets state requirements to operate. That covers important basics like safety standards, staff screenings, and classroom ratios. These are non-negotiables, and every Celebree School meets or exceeds them.
Accreditation goes a step further. It looks at how a school actually functions day in and day out. How teachers interact with children. How learning environments are set up. How families are supported and included.
If licensing is the starting line, accreditation is the commitment to keep raising the bar.
Why Does NECPA Accreditation Matter?
Being NECPA-accredited matters because it speaks to the way we show up for children in our care. It means our team is intentional about creating classrooms that feel safe and engaging, while being thoughtfully designed for how young children learn best.
For parents, that shows up in meaningful ways:
- Your child’s day is filled with purposeful learning, not just supervision
- Health, safety, and staff training are treated as priorities, not afterthoughts
- Communication with families is open, ongoing, and genuinely valued
Children do best when care and education work together. NECPA accreditation supports that approach and helps keep us accountable to it.
See the Difference for Yourself
If you’re comparing licensed day care options and wondering what really separates one school from another, accreditation is a great place to look. Even better is seeing it in action.
We invite you to visit Celebree School of Tysons-Jones Branch, ask questions, meet our team, and experience the difference for yourself.
Schedule a tour and discover what accredited care can look like for your family.
