Out-of-school time programs with a traditional structure, which meet regularly, and serve children 12 and under, should become licensed as a guarantee of basic safety and a commitment to quality standards.

Programs and activities that are not center-based, that meet irregularly and that serve older youth are among the many programs for which licensing and accreditation are not currently available.

Families should ask about licensing and accreditation and programs should explore how these processes can improve quality and enhance reputation.

Licensing
In the state of North Carolina, youth-serving programs that are open less than four hours a day or only seasonally (e.g. summer) are not legally required to be licensed through the NC Division of Child Development. However, while not required, many out-of-school time programs choose to participate in the licensing process to demonstrate their commitment to quality. North Carolina's licensing system uses a range of 1 to 5 stars to rate programs. The higher the quality of a program, the more stars it receives. Licensed out-of-school time programs receive stars for demonstrating high levels of program standards, staff education, and compliance with state laws.

A family looking for quality out-of-school time programs should ask program staff about licensing. While not all high quality programs are licensed, if you find a program that has a four or five star license you have probably found a good program.

For more detailed information, contact the North Carolina Division of Child Development at (800) 859-0829 or visit their website at http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/general/home.asp

Accreditation
As an alternative to state licensure, out-of-school time programs may choose to become accredited. Accreditation is another good way to demonstrate a commitment to quality programming. Two primary organizations offer accreditation for out-of-school time programs – the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the American Camping Association (ACA).

The Council on Accreditation (COA) has afterschool program standards found on the website: http://www.coaafterschool.org/. The COA accreditation program replaced the NAA’s accreditation program on September 1, 2008, and includes a set of standards that are based on generally-accepted elements of best practice, outcomes-oriented, effective in advancing quality, and responsive to the unique needs and diversity of after school programs. COA’s standards include three different sections of standards: After School Program Administration (ASP-AM), After School Human Resources (ASP-HR), and After School Programming and Services (ASP-PS). The Administration Standards cover practices related to continuous quality improvement, financial management, risk prevention and management, and ethical practice. The Human Resources Standards address recruitment and selection, training and professional development, support, and supervision. The Programming and Services Standards set forth additional recommended practices for working with children and youth in out of school time. Programs will complete all three sections of standards.

American Camping Association (ACA) is also a national membership organization made up of camps. ACA accredits camps that meet the organizations 300 standards for quality, health and safety. For more detailed information, visit ACA's website at www.acacamps.org.