The Quality Start Riverside County Experience
Quality Start Riverside County believes that caring for and educating young children is one of the most important jobs in our community. That’s why Quality Start supports and empowers programs and educators to improve early learning quality and develop professionally. Quality Start wants to help you help the children in your program by giving you the tools, trainings, and resources you need. It also helps parents in your community find information about your program.
From the moment you apply to Quality Start, you will be supported. As a Quality Start participant, you will receive:
- Help with completing a self-assessment, which is a reflection exercise designed to help you identify and understand your program’s strengths and areas of improvement at the start of the process.
- Individualized technical assistance, such as training and professional development.
- Materials to let families, colleagues, and others know that you are participating in Quality Start and are dedicated to quality.
- Recognition and rewards for your commitment.
When joining Quality Start, you will choose to enroll in either the Quality Improvement System (QIS) or the Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS). QIS participants are not rated. QRIS participants are rated.
How Does Quality Start Riverside County Support Quality?
Quality Start is based on the California QRIS matrix, which sets common standards for early learning programs. All participating programs receive quality improvement supports based on this matrix. Programs that participate in QRIS are rated using the matrix. These ratings help programs set quality improvement goals around key areas. Here are the seven areas of quality that Quality Start supports:
Child Observation
How a program uses assessments to better understand the learning needs of its children and then plans appropriate learning experiences.
Health and Child Development
Whether the program ensures that all children receive annual health and developmental screenings, and provides referrals for follow up if necessary.
Teacher Training and Education
The teacher or family child care provider’s formal education in a field related to early learning, as well as ongoing professional development activities. The highest rating is awarded for bachelor’s degrees and higher.
Positive Teacher-Child Interactions
The teacher or provider’s emotional support, instructional support, and classroom organization. Rated programs receive the CLASS assessment. The CLASS assessment is conducted by a trained, independent assessor.
Number of Children Per Teacher
The ratio of adults to children, as well as the total number of children in the classroom. Family child care programs don’t receive this rating.
Environment
Looks at the health and safety, materials, classroom, and class schedule. Rated programs are assessed using the Environmental Rating Scale (ERS) assessment. The ERS assessment is conducted by a trained, independent assessor.
Director Training and Education
The program director’s formal education in a field related to early learning, as well as ongoing professional development activities. The highest rating is awarded for master’s degrees and higher. Family child care programs don’t receive this rating.
The Quality Start Riverside County Participant Guide
We’re committed to helping QSRC participants take advantage of all the benefits of being a member of the Quality Start movement. Check out our Participant Resource Guide for everything you need to know!
Learn More and Sign Up
Quality Start Riverside County will help you provide excellent early care and education and give the children in your program a quality start.
After watching the video, download and save the Application/MOU form. You can fill it in on the computer, or print it, fill it out, and scan it back in. Once you have completed the application, please email it to info@qualitystartrc.org.