A Unique and Valuable Opportunity

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is very excited to announce a unique and valuable opportunity.

As a participating partner in the Houston Family Child Care Home Collaborative, An accreditation coach will work side-by-side with a cohort of 15 Family Child Care Educators beginning April 2026, the NAFCC FCC Accreditation Cohort Project’s Goal is to help educators earn NAFCC Accreditation.

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Accreditation Accelerator Houston Accreditation Cohort Kashmere Gardens

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Purpose and Vision

Our mission at NAFCC is to support and leverage a national network of educators and partners to expand and advance the power of family child care, connecting practice, policy, and research. As part of our mission, we arelaunching the Houston FCC Accreditation Cohort Project.

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Initiative Objectives

To improve the quality of the program, increase engagement with the NAFCC and promote NAFCC Accreditation, a nationally recognized certification.

Benefits for the Educators

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Accreditation fees are paid by the Cohort Project

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Coach support and training resources provided by your NAFCC coach and the Houston Collaborative Partners

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Virtual ZOOM meetings and face-to-face visits conducted throughout the project

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National recognition for modeling a high-quality family child care program

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NAFCC Accreditation Certification Follows the Educator

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As a member of NAFCC, an accredited educator has access to educational resources to advance their professional leadership development

NAFCC Eligibility Requirements

FCC Program Requirements

The following items detail the requirements needed to participate in the NAFCC Accreditation Cohort Project:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • You must have a high school diploma or GED.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience running an FCC business.
  • Must be part of Texas Rising Star
  • Preferably live in Harris County
  • Must have an active FCC license
  • Must use a research-based curriculum or be willing to use one.
  • The educator is willing to comply with the NAFCC 2024 Quality Standards
  • The educator cares for the children a minimum of 15 hours per week.
  • Be in good health, with physical stamina and mental competence to care for young children
  • NAFCC accreditation requires the educator to be present on-site and actively participate at least 80% of the time care is offered.
  • If you have a Co-Educator:
    • Include the Co-Educator in the accreditation process.
    • Definition of Co-Educators: Two providers who share equal decision-making and responsibility.
    • Each co-educator must be present on site and actively participate with the children at least 60% of the time.
    • Both co-educators receive a score on all standards during observations and both answer interview questions.
    • The Educator and Co-Educator must be members of the NAFCC
    • Ambassador level = $45 paid annually by the educator

Licensing Requirements

The following criteria are part of the North Carolina License for Family Child Care

  • The educator follows all the regulations of the authorized licensing body.
  • The Educator has successfully passed state and federal criminal background checks
  • The Educator has no open or pending violations on his or her license.

Child Enrollment

This criterion is part of the NAFCC accreditation requirements for FCC programs. This is to ensure that the observations made accurately document best practices with a small group of children.

  • The educator must have at least three (3) children enrolled in the program both when applying and during observations.
    • At least one of these children should reside outside the program

Professional Development

120 hours are a requirement to apply for NAFCC accreditation.

  • 120 hours of professional development or childcare-related training in the three years prior to the NC Accreditation Project application.
  • Each training must be aligned with one or more of the 8 Core Knowledge Areas:
    • Child growth and development
    • Observe, document, and evaluate to support young children and families
    • Health, Safety and Nutrition
    • Curriculum
    • Inclusive practices
    • Learning environments
    • Building family and community relationships
    • Diversity: Family, Language, Culture and Society
    • Program Management, Operation, and Evaluation

Participation Commitments

The educator demonstrates commitment to the accreditation process by accepting the following criteria.

  • The Educator maintains an active membership in the NAFCC
  • The educator is willing and able to participate in Zoom meetings and trainings.
  • The educator is willing and can count on the credentialing coach to conduct on-site visits throughout the project.
  • At least three children must be present during the observations

Ethical Conduct

The following describes the professionalism that participants in the Accreditation Cohort must always demonstrate.

  • Compliance with the Code of Ethical Conduct.To review this document, please visit online:
    – NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement.

Upcoming Activities

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Saturday
March 28

Houston Kick-Off Event at Lakeshore Learning

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Monday
April 18

Houston Cohort Application Period Ends

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Friday-Thursday
April 17-30

Site Visits

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Monday
May 4

Acceptance Letters Sent

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Monday
May 11

Cohort Official Launch

Steps of Enrolling in the NC Accreditation Project

Step 1

If you are interested in participating in this Accreditation Project, please send the following information to Erica Miles at emiles@nafcc.org.

  • Completed information accepted through April 18,2026.
  • A blank application form for you to fill out is included at the end of this announcement
  • Space is limited in this cohort

The application form will include:

  • Translation button at the top of the application form.
  • Copy of current license with the state of Texas.
  • Verification of federal and state criminal background checks successfully conducted within the last 3 years.
  • Copy of current training in Pediatric CPR and First Aid.
  • Copy of degree or CDA certificate, if applicable.
  • Number of training watch hours showing which competencies are addressed.

Step 2

  • Site visit by coach.

Step 3

Acceptance letters will be sent to the participants the week of May 4, 2026.

Step 4

The first ZOOM group meeting for the Accreditation Cohort will be during the week of May 11, 2026.

An in-person meeting will take place. The exact date to be confirmed.

Contact us to answer any questions about this Accreditation Project in English or Spanish.