How long does the accreditation process take?
The accreditation process from application to the actual awarding of accreditation is approximately 1 year. This time period can vary based on the overall readiness of the program, the quality of the self-study document, the availability of volunteers for the on-site review, scheduled meetings of the various committees, etc.
A program must submit an application and demonstrate that eligibility requirements have been met before a Council evaluation. Once the application has been submitted and accepted, a visiting team is assigned and a site visit is scheduled. The program must also submit a self-study report prior to the site visit. The time frame for the entire process can vary in length from one to two years.
Child care services are unique, and each will move through the self-study process at its own pace. The time between a request for a Self-Study Guide and its request for validation must be at least two months and at most one year. The time between the Validation Site Visit and the accreditation decision is approximately 21 days.
It usually takes 4-6 months to complete the process of accreditation once URAC receives your application. The amount of time it takes your organization to prepare the application may vary, depending on whether you have the appropriate policies and procedures in place and on the type of accreditation you are seeking.
