This report, completed in Fall 2002, provides a benchmark scan on research and current practices regarding credentialing of home child caregivers and also accreditation and licensing of home child care programs in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Credentialing and accreditation have been identified as methods through which home child care providers may voluntarily enhance the quality of child care provided in their homes. This review of the literature investigates current practices in place in Canada, the United States, Australia and Europe with respect to the credentialing of caregivers and accrediting of their home child care programs. Licensing of home child care is also reviewed because it is often a prerequisite to both credentialing and accreditation. Detailed descriptions and a comparison of the two most prominent credentialing and accreditation systems for home child care in the United States are provided. Research findings on the positive outcomes and associated challenges of credentialing and accreditation are reviewed and suggestions for future research are identified. Brief summaries of each paper reviewed for this investigation are included. Since new credentialing and accreditation initiatives are emerging, this review provides a benchmark scan of programs and knowledge about accreditation, as available in the Fall of 2002.