Competency

Analyze opportunities for quality improvement and program goals in early childhood programs.

Student Success Criteria

View the grading rubric for this deliverable by selecting the “This item is graded with a rubric” link, which is located in the Details & Information pane.

Scenario

You are a director or owner of an early childhood education program. You understand the importance of following your state’s rules and regulations. Your goal is not to have any violations from annual visits. In addition, you are planning to participate in your state’s quality rating and improvement system. You value the importance of continuous quality improvement, and you are exploring the option of accreditation for your program. You will be conducting research on these opportunities and plan to share this with your parents/guardians at a Lunch and Learn to gain their support as your first step.

Instructions

For this deliverable you will complete two components: Part 1: You will conduct research on your state’s operational rules and regulations. Part 2: You will create a detailed outline with the information you would share at the parent/guardian Lunch and Learn.

Part 1: Research

Conduct research on your state’s operational rules and regulations, the state’s quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), and the accrediting body appropriate for your program. Learn more about the state regulations by visiting the website Child Care Aware. Review the content specific details to know what areas to research and include in your presentation.

Part 2: Presentation Outline

Using the guide below, write an outline of a Lunch and Learn presentation you will give to parents sharing information from your research and your rationale for participation in the regulations and quality improvement.Use this format for your outline.

Topic 1: Describe your state’s system for rules and regulations.

• Provide the name of the organization/agency regulating childcare.
• Explain the process for oversight.
• Explain why rules and regulations are necessary.
• Include an overview of three regulations you believe are the most critical for quality childcare and explain why they are important to quality.
• Include one regulation from each of the following categories:
• staff-child ratios
• educational/training requirements for staff
• medical information required for children
• Inform families about your system for how these regulations will be followed. What will you do to ensure that your program will meet or will continue to meet these requirements on an on-going basis? Why does this matter?

Topic 2: Describe your state’s quality rating and improvement system (QRIS).

• Include the name of the system.
• Explain how the system helps support quality improvement for childcare in your state
• Explain why the rating system (QRIS) is important for their children.
• Describe the steps for your program to participate in the quality rating and improvement system. What will you need to do first, second, and third? How will parents be able to be involved?

Topic 3: Describe the option you would like to pursue regarding accreditation.

• Include the name of the accrediting body.
• Describe the standards or what they look for in a quality program.
• Explain how long it may take to be accredited and how much it will cost to participate.
• Set two goals your program will need to complete before starting the accreditation process. Indicate what, when, and how these goals can be achieved.

Topic 4: Identify two barriers to overcome when establishing systems for achieving these goals.

• Detail each barrier along with at least two possible solutions to overcome each barrier.