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WHAT IS QUALITY ?

WHAT IS QUALITY ?. Why is Quality Important?.

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WHAT IS QUALITY ?

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  1. WHAT IS QUALITY ?

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

  3. Quality Indicators A program of early childhood education is recognized to be of high quality: Quality definition developed by the Greater Richmond Early Child Development Coalition Quality Subcommittee, 2001

  4. When the program promotes children's emotional and intellectual well-being by • enabling children to experience stable, consistent relationships with caregivers; • insisting on warm, responsive, and respectful interactions between each caregiver and each child; • maintaining small group size and high staff/child ratios; and • collaborating with families and communities for optimal knowledge of and support for each child

  5. When the program promotes children's developmental progress  by • supplying a rich variety of age-appropriate materials and activities; • facilitating learning through play; and • recognizing and responding to individual differences among children with respect to development, learning style, and disability and, 

  6. When the program promotes children's physical well-being by • providing safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environments for learning and play; • teaching practices – to children and staff – that prevent illness and injury; and • attending to children's nutritional needs

  7. Providers are best able to supply such programs when • teachers are highly qualified and well trained; • staff are supported financially and professionally in ways that reduce turnover; and • budgetary and management promotes and reflects commitment to high quality care.

  8. Quality Measures • School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS) • Accreditation (NSACA) • Credential (SAC) • Degrees (Certificate, AA, BS, MS) • Regulation ( License) • USDA-CACFP • Professional Affiliations • Professional Training and Experience

  9. SACERS 7 Quality Subscales • Space and Furnishings • Health and Safety • Activities • Interactions • Program Structure • Staff Development • Special Needs (Supplementary Items)

  10. School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS) • A quality school age child care program expands children’s experiences, extends their learning, and provides warm and caring support for children from 5 to 12 years of age with varying needs. • SACERS defines quality with the use six categories containing 43 items. • The SACERS items are arranged as a 7-point scale with descriptors for each. (1) inadequate, (3) minimal, (5) good, (7) excellent.

  11. Space and Furnishings for Care and Learning • Indoor space • Space for gross motor activities • Space for privacy • Room arrangement • Furnishings for routine care • Furnishings for learning and recreational activities • Furnishings for relaxation and comfort • Furnishings for gross motor activities

  12. Basic Care • Health Practices • Safety Practices • Attendance • Departure • Meals/snacks • Personal Grooming

  13. Activities • Arts and crafts • Music and movement • Blocks and construction • Drama/theater • Language/reading • Math/reasoning • Science/nature • Cultural awareness

  14. Interactions • Greeting and departing • Staff-child interactions • Staff-child communications • Staff supervision • Discipline/guidance • Peer interaction • Staff-parent interactions • Staff-staff interactions

  15. Program Structure • Schedule • Free choice • Community resources • Provisions for exceptional children

  16. Staff Development • Opportunities for professional growth • Staff meetings • Supervision and evaluation of staff

  17. What do parents look for? • Caregiver/teacher • Years of experience • Training/education • Adult-child interactions • Setting/Environment • Family Friendly • Developmentally and age appropriate • Condition of indoor/outdoor equipment • Activities • Daily schedule (balance of indoor/outdoor, quite/active, developmentally appropriate, etc.)

  18. Top 5 services parents value: • Information on community activities for children and families • Information on support services for families • Computers with software for children • Enrichment classes (for a fee) such as dance, martial arts, music, or gymnastics • Flexible payment plans

  19. Building Relationships The key to quality is all about relationships: How do you build a trusting relationship with parents and children? Create a safe environment for children Ensure that all children, even those with the most challenging behaviors, have access to ongoing positive relationships.

  20. Quality Self-Assessment A self-assessment is: • Not a Test • It is a tool to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses • Helps you to set improvement goals

  21. For More Information • 1-866-481-1913 (VACCRRN) or • www.vaccrrn.org or • 1-866-KIDSTLC (for referrals)

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