Early Childhood Systems Reform

The purpose of this research brief is to report on two aspects of child care licensing for all 50 States and the District of Columbia state child care center licensing regulations and child care center licensing policies.

999_1208_Center_Licensing_Trends_Brief_FINAL.pdf

This interesting research paper produced from the Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum comments on the change in child care from a welfare to work program to a school readiness initiative within states.  May state leaders, policy makers and advocates will recognize a parallel story within their states as this Wisconsin piece reflects on the history, unintended consequences and provides conclusions and questions for consideration.

CLASP’s guide aims to help states look beyond the major sources of child care and early education funding and consider alternative federal financing sources to bring comprehensive services into early childhood settings.

Report - Putting It Together Financing Johnson-Staub.pdf

For anyone who is developing a QRIS, revising a QRIS or responsible for an existing QRIS, this paper by Anne Mitchell is a must read in thinking strategically and critically about what to think about in structuring different elements of a Quality Rating and Improvement System.

Considerations for QRIS Standards.pdf

Often states reference “parental choice” and “OCC requirements” as to why they cannot limit use of child care subsidy for children in higher star levels in a QRIS.  As can be seen from this Policy Interpretation Question issued by the Office of Child Care in 2011, they have clarified that the CCDF parental choice requirements do NOT prevent a state from establishing quality requirements for recipients of child care subsidy, in

Report.pdf

This policy information memo from the Office of Child Care provides guidance and state examples of polices to promote continuity of eligibility for child care subsidy in support of continuity for children and families.  Continuity of subsidy is also important to the financial sustainability of providers.  It is one way that states can begin to think about how their policies can strengthen provider capacity to effectively work the "Iron Triangle".

ReportOCCMemo2011.pdf

The field of early childhood education continues to grapple with the issue of understanding quality in classrooms. The lack of clarity in definition (or conceptualization) and related ability to assess (or operationalize) quality has contributed to a reliance on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R), which is often interpreted to be synonymous with the quality of a classroom. Likewise, the ECERS-R (although a measurement tool) is often used to define quality.

High-quality child care has been shown to improve the academic success and life adjustments of children living in poverty. During the past decade, many American states have adopted voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement (QRI) systems in an attempt to increase the level of quality in child care. Using data compiled by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies and the U.S.