The Robert H. Lange Christian Preschool is one of the first early childhood programs to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, (NAEYC) - The nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals. To earn NAEYC Accreditation in the new system, RHL went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation Criteria. The program received NAEYC Accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten NAEYC program standards. We are so proud to tell you that RHL scored 100% on three of the standards and 100%+ for the remaining seven standards. Extra points were earned for meeting emerging criteria. RHL is accredited until May 2016. 

In the 20 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 11,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC - approximately 8% of all preschools and other early childhood programs. "The new NAEYC Accreditation system raises the bar for preschools, childcare centers and other early childhood programs," said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. RHL's Accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education, and to help give children a better start." The NAEYC Accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. 

As of September 2006, the Association's revised program standards and criteria have introduced a new level of quality, accountability, and service for parents and children in child care programs. The new standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development. NAEYC is committed to utilizing the newest studies and analysis on positive child outcomes to ensure young children continue receiving the highest quality care and education possible.

Quality Start OC Quality Rating & Improvement System (QRIS) is a voluntary program designed to support, promote and improve the quality of early learning programs throughout Orange County. Early learning programs are assessed according to a rating matrix and sites are assigned a rating between 1-5 stars. 

Star ratings will help programs to focus on areas for improvement, and provide valuable information for parents seeking early learning programs for their children. Participation in the QualityStart OC QRIS is voluntary. Programs that elect to participate do so to demonstrate their commitment to quality, and their dedication to keeping abreast of current research and best-practices in early learning. QRIS measures how the children are developing, school readiness, teachers and teaching, program and the environment. 

Click here to see a helpful flyer for parents with tips on school readiness for 3-5 year olds.

At Start Well, the vision is that all young children in Orange County have healthy social and emotional development and access to early mental health supports.

This Program supports ECE providers and families to ensure they are skilled and competent in providing a nurturing environment focused on social and emotional well-being and behavioral health of all children.

The goal is that early care and education providers deliver research-based practices which promote children’s social and emotional development, prevent challenging behaviors and identify early mental health needs. That parents and ECE providers have a strong responsive relationship with each other to support the social and emotional development and mental well-being of children. That parents understand social and emotional development and are able to support their children’s mental health needs. That children have access to responsive adults in a nurturing environment to develop their resiliency and social-emotional well-being and that the systems that support young children are more closely integrated and linked.

Every child deserves an effective, challenging, and motivating education. Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, and children should have the opportunity to achieve their own American dreams. Research shows that when parents are empowered to choose the education environments that they believe work best for their kids, students are more likely to succeed and graduate from high school. That is because every child is unique, and students thrive when they’re matched with learning environments that meet their individual needs. During NSCW, schools, homeschool groups, organizations and individuals plan tens of thousands of independent events.These celebratory events raise public awareness of the different K-12 education options available to children and families, while spotlighting the benefits of school choice.

Started in 2011, NSCW is now the world’s largest annual celebration of opportunity in education. Over the past seven years, there have been more than 58,000 NSCW events planned across the country and around the world.