Increasing Access to High Quality Environments – Quality Start

Counties throughout the state of California manage their own Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). The QRIS in San Bernardino County is effectively led by four highly committed partners. The Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), First 5 San Bernardino, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) are responsible for the design, development, and implementation of Quality Start San Bernardino County (QSSB).

“This collaborative provides us the best opportunity for sustaining a long-term quality improvement program that will serve child care providers, children and families for years to come. The merits of quality teacher-child interactions are well documented. Improving these interactions and the quality of a child’s early learning environment are critical to their future success.” CCRC Regional Director, James Moses.

With the help of vital community members including San Bernardino County Preschool Services Department,  a member of the QSSB Steering Committee,  the collaborative has worked to create the day-to-day operation structure to fluidly transition from one partner to the next. The processes have been constructed with the objective of long-term sustainability.

Here’s a closer look at each of QSSB’s four partners and their role in the program:

First 5 San Bernardino

First 5 San Bernardino offers programs that promote, support and improve the early development of children from the prenatal stage to five years of age, under the guidance of the Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino, and in collaboration with the community and agencies providing services to children.

First 5 serves as the Fiscal lead of QSSB. Its focus is system building, policy and advocacy.

Child Care Resource Center

CCRC manages programs to assist with issues such as finding and selecting child care and child care financial assistance to families. Children and families benefit from these programs, allowing parents to go to work and attend school, contribute to the economy and strengthen their families and the community.

CCRC manages the Quality Improvement portion of QSSB.  It helps track the growth and outcomes of the program and its participants, and supports the partners with marketing materials and outreach.

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

SBCSS’s mission is to transform lives through education. County Schools delivers innovative and inspiring educational practices and direct instruction to alternative, juvenile court, special education and state preschool students.

Within QSSB, SBCSS manages enrollment and rating. In the past year, its recruited potential sites, hosted information meetings and visited participating programs to assess their level of quality according to state specified guidelines.

The Institute for Child Development and Family Relations (ICDFR) at California State University, San Bernardino

The ICDFR at CSUSB promotes the wellbeing of children and families in the inland region through its research, education and training and direct services. For over 15 years, the ICDFR has trained hundreds of early childcare educators, offered science-based parenting training for parents throughout the community and provided high quality child care at the Infant Toddler Lab School.

CSUSB has trained reliable raters that visit QSSB sites to complete the assessment portion of the rating. The assessments include the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS).

Each partner plays an integral role in QSSB. Their focus is on increasing access to high quality child care throughout the county and creating a successful, sustainable program.

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