Abstract
This study examines whether accreditation of military child development centers (CDCs) pays off in a context of rigorous quality standards and aggressive compliance monitoring under the Military Child Care Act (MCCA) of 1989. To collect information about the value of accreditation, we reviewed accreditation standards and inspection documents, fielded a military-wide survey of child development directors, and conducted one-on-one interviews at four Major Commands and on 17 installations with Command, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR), child development, and youth activities staff. We found that while the four annual unannounced inspections that the MCCA requires of each CDC have substantially improved staffing, facility quality, and health and safety procedures, the inspection process focuses on compliance with largely structural standards that are relatively easily monitored. In contrast, the accreditation process focuses on interactive aspects of caregiving and actively engages caregivers in self-evaluation designed to improve their caregiving behavior.
Although we could not directly assess the impact of accreditation on children's outcomes, there was near-consensus that improvements in caregiving precipitated by the accreditation process benefit children. Given minimal incremental costs, we conclude that universal accreditation is desirable and achievable.