Quality Improvement Resource Page
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) final rule outlines regulations for implementing the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 and administering the CCDF program. The final rule requires all American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) grantees to spend a percentage of their total CCDF expenditure on quality improvement activities. These are described as “activities designed to improve the quality of child care services and increase parental options for, and access to high-quality child care.” (45 C.F.R. § 98.83(g)(1)). Quality funds must be used to carry out quality improvement activities for at least 1 of the 10 following allowable quality improvement activities:
- Training and professional development
- Early learning and development guidelines
- Tiered quality rating and improvement system
- Quality and supply of infant/toddler services
- Child care resource and referral services
- Licensing and health and safety requirements
- Quality evaluation
- Accreditation
- High-quality program standards relating to health, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and physical development
- Other measurable quality activities as determined by the AI/AN Lead Agency (such as consumer education activities and services to support AI/AN language and culture)
This resource page provides resources from the Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center related to enhancing the quality of child care.
Quality Requirements
- Quality Improvement in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) CCDF Programs (presentation slides)
- Supporting Continuous Quality Improvement
Quality Activities
- Activities to Improve the Quality of Care (handout)
- Examples of Quality Improvement Activities (handout)
- Exploring Ideas and Innovations for Quality Activities in AI/AN CCDF Programs (presentation slides)
- Meeting Community Needs through Quality Improvement (presentation slides)
- Quality Spending and Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Practices (presentation slides)
- Trauma-Responsive Care: A Framework for Resilience for Tribes (presentation slides)
Planning for Quality Improvement
- Building Quality with Effective Program Budgeting (presentation slides)
- Calculate Your Required Infant/Toddler Quality Spending (handout)
- Calculate Your Required Quality Spending (handout)
- Prioritizing Quality Goals through Strategic Planning (presentation slides)
- Projection of the Quality Expenditures and Budgeting Template (On-Demand recorded session)
Policies and Procedures for Quality Improvement
- Developing Policies and Procedures for Improving Quality (presentation slides)
- Program Administration and Continuous Improvement of Your Tribal CCDF Program (presentation slides)
- Sample Quality Policies and Procedures (handout)
Additional Tools and Resources
- Quality Improvement Resource List (annotated resource list)
More from the Child Care Technical Assistance Website
The Office of Child Care's Child Care Technical Assistance website provides training, resources, and materials to stakeholders at the state, Tribal, regional, and local levels to support high-quality services for children and families. The following Office of Child Care's National Centers have a variety of resources to support the implementation of quality requirements:
- National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA Center): The ECQA Center provides resources and technical assistance to help grantees plan and implement approaches to quality in all early care and education settings for children from birth to school age.
- National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE): NCASE provides resources and technical assistance to expand the supply of and access to high-quality afterschool and summer learning and development opportunities for school-age children, particularly those from low-income families.
- National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (DTL Center): The DTL Center provides resources and technical assistance to regarding the implementation of evidence-based practices that are culturally and linguistically responsive, lead to positive child outcomes across early childhood programs, and support strong professional development systems. The DTL Center has many resources to support training and professional development efforts and quality early childhood teaching practices.
The Tribal Child Care Capacity Building Center can help you navigate the many resources available through the Office of Child Care's Technical Assistance website.