High-quality child care helps children get ready for success in kindergarten and beyond. Yet child care quality varies considerably around Washington. Early Achievers, Washington’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), is Washington’s voluntary program for helping licensed child care providers offer high-quality care.
Quality early learning helps children succeed in school and beyond. Early Achievers connects families to child care and early learning programs with the help of an easy-to-understand rating system. Developed in collaboration with child care professionals, Early Achievers also offers coaching and resources for child care providers to support each child’s learning and development. Research shows this kind of assistance helps providers improve the quality of their programs. And when more young children are ready for school, we all benefit.
Early Achievers coming to your area
DEL is excited to announce the statewide expansion and implementation plan for Early Achievers. Based on the latest research on how children learn and grow, Early Achievers is a voluntary program that empowers participating child care providers with coaching and resources to support children’s learning and development. Early Achievers also helps parents and caregivers find high-quality child care and early learning programs that fit their needs through an easy-to-understand rating system. DEL is partnering with the Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral Network and the University of Washington to expand Early Achievers statewide by July 1, 2013.
Read the expansion plan
Quality standards
For two years, child care providers in five communities around the state participated in the development of Washington’s QRIS. An evaluation of the model showed promising results―with one-on-one coaching and funding support, the quality of care increases quickly. Based on feedback from participants and lessons learned from the field test, DEL has refined the QRIS standards:
Quality Standards
Overview of quality standards modifications
Child care providers who were part of the Seeds to Success field test are voluntarily participating in the updated QRIS as an early adopter July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.
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The QRIS model is based on a two-year field test, which was called Seeds to Success.
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Many other states have a QRIS and many more are developing one.
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