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National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA Center) supports state and community leaders and their partners in the planning and implementation of rigorous approaches to quality in all early care and education settings for children from birth to school age. The Center's expert staff use collaborative approaches to do the following:

  • Advance strong health and safety standards and licensing regulations that align with the Child Care and Development Fund and Head Start Performance Standards.
  • Support the development and enhancement of state quality initiatives, including quality rating and improvement systems.
  • Enhance quality assurance systems through the use of technology, data analysis, and research that promote continuous quality improvement, efficiency, and innovation.

Contact Us

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Announcements

Webinar on September 26 about Staffed Family Child Care Networks

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance invites you to register for a webinar on September 26 about staffed family child care networks.

New Resources about Staffed Family Child Care Networks

National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance has three new resources to help you to learn more about staffed family child care networks.

New Resources From the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA Center) is pleased to announce the release of new and updated resources that support states and territories in the implementation of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) requirements. These and other resources are available on the...

Highlighted Tools

Licensing

The National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations is a tool for finding and searching state child care licensing regulations and licensing agency contact information. It also includes links to other state and national early childhood program standards.

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Program Standards Crosswalk

The Program Standards Crosswalk is a tool designed to help States that are developing and aligning program standards for licensing, quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), and/or prekindergarten programs, to search and compare the content of several sets of national standards.

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QRIS Resource Guide

The QRIS Resource Guide provides guidance for States as they explore key issues and consider decision points during the planning and implementation of a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS).

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Provider Cost of Quality Calculator

The Provider Cost of Quality Calculator (PCQC) is a tool that calculates the cost of care by levels of quality based on site-level provider data. The tool can help state policymakers, child care providers, and other stakeholders understand the costs associated with delivering high-quality child care services.

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State Success Stories

Featured State Highlight: New Improvements to Maine’s Licensing ProgramNew Improvements to Maine’s Licensing Program
During the last year, the lead agency for the federal Child Care and Development Fund, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), increased their commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of children in licensed child care programs. The Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services (DLRS) was supported in launching several major program enhancements. New management staff was hired to do strategic planning, assess risks, focus on quality assurance and program improvement, build staff leadership qualities and improve staff satisfaction. Learn More

Resources and Information

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80 resources found.
Developing a Staffed Family Child Care Network: A Technical Assistance Manual

This technical assistance manual is written for leaders and stakeholders at the state, regional, and local levels who are planning to offer supports to the family child care (FCC) provider community through staffed FCC networks.

Staffed Family Child Care Network Cost Estimation Tool

The Family Child Care Network Cost Estimation Tool (CET) is designed to assist State, regional and local organizations in better understanding the costs associated with operating a staffed family child care (FCC) network.

Staffed Family Child Care Networks: A Research-Informed Strategy for Supporting High-Quality Family Child Care

This brief includes a description of family child care networks and addresses supports a staffed family child care network can provide, particularly to special populations (family, friend, and neighbor care, license-exempt providers, English language learners, and dual language learners); the ess

Key Competencies for Licensors of Child Care Programs
A technical assistance resource document that outlines the knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that a licensor of child care programs needs in order to perform his or her job duties successfully.
 
Developing and Revising Child Care Licensing Requirements

Having clearly written, research-based, measurable licensing requirements is the first step in protecting children from health and safety risks and promoting quality care.

Promising Practices for Out-of-School Time Licensing and License-Exempt Systems

This practice brief, Promising Practices for Out-of-School Time Licensing and License-Exempt Systems, shares emerging strategies and promising practices on preparation and supportive policies for providers, PD require­ments, and license-exempt monitoring.  It features state examples from Minnesota and New Hampshire and insights on OST licensing.

Designing Family-Friendly Consumer Education on Child Care

This brief provides research-based information to support state agency staff as they design and implement consumer education websites and other resources, such as quality rating and improvement systems.

Mapping the Early Care and Education Monitoring Landscape

This tool is designed to help state and territory leaders document current early care and education (ECE) monitoring systems as they evaluate opportunities for alignment and integration.

Briefs about Health and Safety Topics

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 made major changes designed to protect the health and safety of children in early care and education (ECE) settings.

Interpretive Guides for Child Care Licensing Regulations

Interpretive guides for their child care licensing regulations generally help child care licensing staff understand the purpose of licensing requirements and the methods they should use to assess facilities’ compliance with the requirements.

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