Improving early childhood quality through standards, accreditation and registration

Abstract

Social practices and community values and issues are always in the process of redefinition and reconstruction. This means that our views on what is appropriate for children’s care and education are constantly changing. Nineteenth and 20th century models of early childhood care and education, including regulatory and staffing models are often not appropriate for 21st century children and families. Recent media and policy focus on child care and early education issues is well overdue. Finally, the volumes of research showing the benefits of strong, rich early childhood programs on children’s development and learning have captured community attention. Quality early childhood programs help children reach key developmental milestones and have longer term social and academic benefits for students and families. Now, this knowledge must translate into vision and action for improved quality. This chapter foreshadows greater regulation in early childhood care and education and proposes a registration scheme for early childhood practitioners, accreditation of early childhood practitioner preparation programs, and a set of standards for professional practice. It highlights the links between quality inputs (environment and staffing) and quality outputs (children’s development and learning), and stresses the importance of getting the right staffing mix in early childhood settings. Generally, the concept of regulated pathways to practice is well established. However, while there is wide agreement on the importance of regulatory pathways to professional practice, there is less understanding about how these could benefit the complex and idiosyncratic early childhood sector.