APPLE OVERVIEW

Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE) is a voluntary national accreditation program. In the state of Florida, programs must be a member of the Florida Association for Child Care Management in order to receive this as a member benefit. The two step accreditation process, a self study followed by a verification visit, is an evaluation of the indicators of quality as reflected in each individual program. All components of a program are examined including: Administration, classroom environment, parent and community involvement, advocacy on behalf of children and child care, staffing credentials, staff to child ratios, teacher/child interaction, literacy and curriculum.

APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR APPLE ACCREDITATION VERIFIERS

You have an opportunity to "put back" into the early childhood community by becoming a verifier for the APPLE Accreditation Program. Currently the APPLE accreditation office is accepting applications for early childhood professional who are interested in conducting verification visits at early learning programs. Qualifications required for candidates can be reviewed online at www. faccm.org. Qualified candidates attend two day training sessions offered throughout the state.

For more information about this wonderful opportunity to assist programs in obtaining national recognition through APPLE accreditation, please call the APPLE Program Office: 1-877-634-9874. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Please note that APPLE has a new address:

APPLE
12811 Kenwood Lane
Suite 112
Fort Myers, Florida 33907

Programs that enroll school-age children must also complete the School-age Unit Certificate Endorsement (SAUCE). The endorsement accredits the school age portion of the program.

 FAQ   (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Who can apply?
2. What is the accreditation process?
3. How long does the entire accreditation process take?
4. What is an automatic deferral?
5. How long is accreditation valid for?
6. Can accreditation be revoked?
7. I've heard that for APPLE accreditation the center needs to have thousands of books. Is that true?
8. Can my center choose not to have our school-age program accredited through APPLE SAUCE?
9. I run a stand-alone school-age program. Can my program become accredited under SAUCE?
10. I am thinking of retiring and selling my child care business. Is accreditation transferable to new ownership?
11. What is the cost for accreditation?

1. Who can apply?

a. The program must be a licensed child care program or a child care program that is a member in good standing with a nationally recognized faith based program or nationally recognized educational program. The program must be a FACCM member if located in Florida. The program must have a substantial compliant licensing history or be in substantially compliant with the leveling tool used by either of programs listed above. These programs must be inspected by the department of health. Copies of all inspections must be provided along with the application. In the state of Florida, programs must be a member of the Florida Association for Child Care Management in order to receive this as a member benefit. FACCM Membership is a yearly fee based on your centers licensed capacity.

2. What is the accreditation process?

a. The program submits an application for accreditation along with the required fee. The program then receives the accreditation package with instructions. The program engages in a self-study of it's policies and procedures as well as a thorough review of administrative, curricular, staffing and personnel details to assess where the program currently stands and where the program wants to be. The program documents all required criteria and components in a portfolio, which will be submitted for APPLE Commission review. Successful completion of this, the first phase of accreditation, leads to the second phase, the verification visit. The verification visit is an onsite visit by an APPLE verifier to the program to substantiate that the program is in fact in compliance with the accreditation criteria.

3. How long does the entire accreditation process take?

a. That really depends on the degree of readiness the program starts with. Since every program is different, there is no definitive answer. However, the self-study portion, which includes the creation of a portfolio, must be completed in 18 months. The portfolio requires extensive documentation, some of which must be accumulated over a period of 6 or more months. The second part of the accreditation process is the verification visit, which cannot be scheduled until after the portfolio has been examined and deemed up to APPLE's standards. It may take several months before the verifier is assigned to visit the program and then several weeks after the verification visit to learn of the outcome. Deferral of the portfolio requires resubmission extending the process.

4. What is an automatic deferral?

a. Automatic deferrals occur when the facility is missing or fails to comply with key components of the self study or verification visit.
b. When a facility operates more than two grouping of Infants or Toddlers in one room without a clear separation of classes.
c. Failure to meet the CDA requirement for staffing. One CDA staff member is required in each classroom.
d. Failure to submit the program's curriculum outline.
e. Complete background screening for all employees.
f. Inaccurate or fraudulent submissions or omissions.
g. Leaving a child or children unattended.
h. Chemicals within the reach of children.
i. Failure to account for the children in care.

5. How long is accreditation valid for?

a. APPLE accreditation is valid for 3 years with annual renewals required. Upon a renewal of accreditation, the accreditation is valid for 5 years with a possible drop in accreditation visit in that time frame.

6. Can accreditation be revoked?

a. Yes. There are several reasons for which accreditation can be revoked. Remember that accreditation is a voluntary process of systematic self-evaluation and improvement. The program has made a commitment to quality. Failure to maintain the program quality, unprofessionalism, failure to file annual renewals as well as having the program's license to operate a child care suspended or revoked may trigger an unannounced verification visit or an APPLE Commission disciplinary review. The outcome of that visit or review will determine the action to be taken. That action may include revocation of accreditation.

7. I've heard that for APPLE accreditation the center needs to have thousands of books. Is that true?

a. Young children must have early literacy experiences and be exposed to books starting as infants. APPLE requires the program to have 15 books per child with some specifications. The books must be appropriate to the children's ages and in good repair. Children must be read to daily and have time to look at books during their free time. The teacher must understand the significance of early literacy and that importance must be reflected in the environment and in the curriculum. So, yes, you need to have books, but early literacy is much more.

8. Can my center choose not to have our school-age program accredited through APPLE SAUCE?

a. If you are going through the APPLE. accreditation and enroll school-age children under the same license number, the program must also complete the School-age unit endorsement.

9. I run a stand-alone school-age program. Can my program become accredited under SAUCE?

a. NO. The school-age unit is a certificate endorsement to the preschool (and/or infant/ toddler) accreditation. It is not a stand alone program.

10. I am thinking of retiring and selling my child care business. Is accreditation transferable to new ownership?

a. Yes, it is possible. However there are very stringent time constraints. The program is placed on provisional status during the period until all requirements are met. You are strongly advised to review the Accreditation Amendment procedure before the sale is completed.

11. What is the cost for accreditation?

a. See the APPLE application for fees.