WHAT IS QUALITY ?WHAT IS QUALITY ?

Why is Quality Important?Why is Quality Important?

The importance of quality after The importance of quality after school care cannot be school care cannot be underestimated as today’s underestimated as today’s children face more risks in children face more risks in their lives than ever before their lives than ever before during the “between home and during the “between home and school” hours of 3:00-6:00 PM. school” hours of 3:00-6:00 PM. One of the factors that helps One of the factors that helps build resiliency in children is build resiliency in children is sustained, long-term sustained, long-term relationships with caring adults relationships with caring adults other than their parents. After other than their parents. After school care for children can school care for children can provide these much needed provide these much needed relationships. relationships.

Quality IndicatorsQuality Indicators  

A program of early A program of early childhood childhood education is education is recognized to be recognized to be of high quality: of high quality:

Quality definition developed by the Greater Richmond Early Child Quality definition developed by the Greater Richmond Early Child Development CoalitionDevelopment Coalition

Quality Subcommittee, 2001Quality Subcommittee, 2001

When the program promotes When the program promotes children's emotional and children's emotional and intellectual well-being byintellectual well-being by

enabling children to experience stable, enabling children to experience stable, consistent relationships with caregivers;consistent relationships with caregivers;

insisting on warm, responsive, and respectful insisting on warm, responsive, and respectful interactions between each caregiver and each interactions between each caregiver and each child;child;

maintaining small group size and high staff/child maintaining small group size and high staff/child ratios; andratios; and

collaborating with families and communities for collaborating with families and communities for optimal knowledge of and support for each childoptimal knowledge of and support for each child

When the program promotes When the program promotes children's developmental children's developmental

progress  byprogress  by

supplying a rich variety of age-appropriate supplying a rich variety of age-appropriate materials and activities;materials and activities;

facilitating learning through play; andfacilitating learning through play; and recognizing and responding to individual recognizing and responding to individual

differences among children with respect to differences among children with respect to development, learning style, and disability development, learning style, and disability and,  and, 

When the program promotes When the program promotes children's physical well-being bychildren's physical well-being by

providing safe and healthy indoor and providing safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environments for learning and outdoor environments for learning and play;play;

teaching practices – to children and staff – teaching practices – to children and staff – that prevent illness and injury; andthat prevent illness and injury; and

attending to children's nutritional needsattending to children's nutritional needs

Providers are best able to supply Providers are best able to supply such programs whensuch programs when

teachers are highly qualified and well teachers are highly qualified and well trained;trained;

staff are supported financially and staff are supported financially and professionally in ways that reduce professionally in ways that reduce turnover; andturnover; and

budgetary and management promotes and budgetary and management promotes and reflects commitment to high quality care. reflects commitment to high quality care.

Quality MeasuresQuality Measures School Age Care School Age Care

Environmental Rating Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS)Scale (SACERS)

Accreditation (NSACA)Accreditation (NSACA) Credential (SAC)Credential (SAC) Degrees (Certificate, AA, Degrees (Certificate, AA,

BS, MS)BS, MS) Regulation ( License)Regulation ( License) USDA-CACFPUSDA-CACFP Professional AffiliationsProfessional Affiliations Professional Training and Professional Training and

ExperienceExperience

SACERS 7 Quality SubscalesSACERS 7 Quality Subscales

Space and FurnishingsSpace and Furnishings Health and SafetyHealth and Safety ActivitiesActivities InteractionsInteractions Program StructureProgram Structure

Staff DevelopmentStaff Development Special Needs Special Needs

(Supplementary Items)(Supplementary Items)

School Age Care Environmental School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS)Rating Scale (SACERS)

A quality school age child care program expands A quality school age child care program expands children’s experiences, extends their learning, children’s experiences, extends their learning, and provides warm and caring support for and provides warm and caring support for children from 5 to 12 years of age with varying children from 5 to 12 years of age with varying needs.needs.

SACERS defines quality with the use six SACERS defines quality with the use six categories containing 43 items.categories containing 43 items.

The SACERS items are arranged as a 7-point The SACERS items are arranged as a 7-point scale with descriptors for each. (1) inadequate, scale with descriptors for each. (1) inadequate, (3) minimal, (5) good, (7) excellent.(3) minimal, (5) good, (7) excellent.

Space and Furnishings for Care Space and Furnishings for Care and Learningand Learning

Indoor spaceIndoor space Space for gross motor Space for gross motor

activitiesactivities Space for privacySpace for privacy Room arrangementRoom arrangement Furnishings for routine Furnishings for routine

carecare Furnishings for learning Furnishings for learning

and recreational activitiesand recreational activities Furnishings for relaxation Furnishings for relaxation

and comfortand comfort Furnishings for gross Furnishings for gross

motor activitiesmotor activities

Basic CareBasic Care

Health PracticesHealth Practices Safety PracticesSafety Practices AttendanceAttendance DepartureDeparture Meals/snacksMeals/snacks Personal GroomingPersonal Grooming

ActivitiesActivities

Arts and craftsArts and crafts Music and movementMusic and movement Blocks and Blocks and

constructionconstruction Drama/theaterDrama/theater Language/readingLanguage/reading Math/reasoningMath/reasoning Science/natureScience/nature Cultural awarenessCultural awareness

InteractionsInteractions

Greeting and departingGreeting and departing Staff-child interactionsStaff-child interactions Staff-child Staff-child

communicationscommunications Staff supervisionStaff supervision Discipline/guidanceDiscipline/guidance Peer interactionPeer interaction Staff-parent interactionsStaff-parent interactions Staff-staff interactionsStaff-staff interactions

Program StructureProgram Structure

ScheduleSchedule Free choiceFree choice Community resourcesCommunity resources Provisions for Provisions for

exceptional childrenexceptional children

Staff DevelopmentStaff Development

Opportunities for Opportunities for professional growthprofessional growth

Staff meetingsStaff meetingsSupervision and Supervision and

evaluation of staffevaluation of staff

What do parents look for?What do parents look for?

1.1. Caregiver/teacher Caregiver/teacher Years of experienceYears of experience Training/educationTraining/education Adult-child interactionsAdult-child interactions

2.2. Setting/EnvironmentSetting/Environment Family FriendlyFamily Friendly Developmentally and age Developmentally and age

appropriateappropriate Condition of indoor/outdoor Condition of indoor/outdoor

equipmentequipment

3.3. ActivitiesActivities Daily schedule (balance of Daily schedule (balance of

indoor/outdoor, indoor/outdoor, quite/active, quite/active, developmentally developmentally appropriate, etc.)appropriate, etc.)

Top 5 services parents value:Top 5 services parents value:

1.1. Information on community activities for Information on community activities for children and familieschildren and families

2.2. Information on support services for Information on support services for familiesfamilies

3.3. Computers with software for childrenComputers with software for children

4.4. Enrichment classes (for a fee) such as Enrichment classes (for a fee) such as dance, martial arts, music, or gymnasticsdance, martial arts, music, or gymnastics

5.5. Flexible payment plansFlexible payment plans

Building RelationshipsBuilding RelationshipsThe key to quality is all about relationships:The key to quality is all about relationships:

How do you build a trusting relationship How do you build a trusting relationship with parents and children? with parents and children?

1.1. Create a safe environment for Create a safe environment for childrenchildren

2.2. Ensure that all children, evenEnsure that all children, even those with the most challengingthose with the most challenging

behaviors, have access to behaviors, have access to ongoing positive relationships.ongoing positive relationships.

Quality Self-AssessmentQuality Self-Assessment

A self-assessment is:A self-assessment is:

1.1. Not a TestNot a Test

2.2. It is a tool to help you determine your It is a tool to help you determine your strengths and weaknessesstrengths and weaknesses

3.3. Helps you to set improvement goalsHelps you to set improvement goals

For More InformationFor More Information

1-866-481-1913 (VACCRRN)1-866-481-1913 (VACCRRN)oror

www.vaccrrn.orgwww.vaccrrn.orgoror

1-866-KIDSTLC (for referrals)1-866-KIDSTLC (for referrals)