Related Research

Julie Piazza-King, Director, Family Life Child Care Program, on Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS)

Almost 22,000 children attend child care programs in the State of Ohio everyday. The importance of high quality early care and education is well documented and the long term benefits continue to be studied. With this research has come the development of Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS). At this point in time, 36 states have now adopted some form of QRIS. These rating systems are gaining in popularity, because one of the most important benefits of rating systems is the incentive that they offer child care providers to improve their quality of early learning and education. 

 

In the State of Ohio, the Quality Rating and Improvement System is called Step Up to Quality. Step Up to Quality is a voluntary Three Star Quality Rating System that recognizes and promotes early care and education programs that meet quality benchmarks that lead to improved outcomes for children. These benchmarks are based on national research, and include low child to staff ratios, group size, accreditation, staff education, specialized training, improved workplace characteristics and early learning standards.

 

The Family Life Child Care Centers have been participants in this program since its inception in 2005. All 5 of our centers are rated at a 2 or 3 star level. Only a small percentage of licensed child care centers in the State of Ohio have achieved this level of distinction.

 

Because the Quality Rating and Improvement System is a relatively new concept, most of the research has focused on the relationship between the star rating and the environmental rating scales used to assess the quality of the program's environment. More research is now being done on the relationship of star ratings, and positive individual child outcomes. The State of Ohio is in the process of conducting a large scale study of over 4000 children who are receiving care in more than 400 centers. This study will target the anticipated positive child outcomes associated with receiving a prescribed level of care. To read more about quality rating systems and the research study being conducted in the State of Ohio you can click here to download the full article. To learn more about the Family Life Child Care Program, contact our Enrollment Specialist at 440.260.6001.