Quality Improvement Initiative
Council Initiative Improves Quality within 194 Child Care Settings in Westchester
A quality child care program ensures the health and safety of children, supports the building of positive relationships, and provides rich opportunities for learning. While many of Westchester's 760 regulated providers are working very hard and care about children, some do not realize how they are falling short.
So, the Child Care Council of Westchester stepped in, and over the course of 5 years, implemented and tracked 15 quality improvement projects with 194 child care center classrooms and family providers in Westchester County, delivering intensive technical assistance, modeling, coaching, training, and resources specific to the needs of each.
The Council utilized the Environmental Rating Scales (ERS) developed by the early childhood experts at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Only 23% of the initial program quality assessment scores were in the good to excellent quality range and 39% were "minimal quality" or worse. After a Council quality improvement specialist worked with the staff at each program over a period of months, the program quality assessment was re-administered, with dramatic results!
97%of participating programs/providers improved their quality scores
80%of the scores were in the good to excellent range
34%of the scores were in the very good to excellent range
Our quality improvement work continues on a regular basis through our extensive services to professional child care providers. Learn more about our services for Child Care Professionals.