Quality Initiatives

Quality Counts for Children

A Pinellas County Continuous Quality Improvement Program

NOTE: The Quality Counts for Children is currently in transition. Please be patient as we review the best way to meet the needs of the community and align with changes from the state.

In the fall of 2010, the Quality Counts for Children staff will be conducting provider meetings for your input on how best to meet the needs of both centers and homes currently participating or who wish to participate in the Quality Counts program. Key questions to be addresses during the meetings:

• What additional supports could be added for those wanting or participate in the Quality Counts for Kids Program?
• What additional incentives (outside of monetary incentives) could be added to the program?

Notification of meeting dates will be sent through the Early Learning Coalition's E-News. To subscribe to the E-News click on the link: (insert link)

Quality Counts for Children (QCFC) is Pinellas County's exciting new continuous quality improvement program for legally operating child care centers and family child care homes that are invited to participate and selected, based on additional criteria established by the program's funder, the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, Inc.

It is a voluntary continuous improvement program based on a point system in which a program receives points for every quality benchmark it achieves. Quality Counts for Children uses licensing standards as a foundation and sets a continuum of five clearly defined levels of increasing quality.

Program Vision

To make it possible for Pinellas County's families with children ages birth until they enter kindergarten to have access to quality child care. We will furnish information and support to early learning providers to improve and sustain the quality of their programs. We will provide families with an easy to use tool to select the best programs for their children.

Benefits for Providers

• Access to materials, equipment, professional development, etc.
• Training for staff and directors
• Technical Assistance
• Assistance in screening to identify special needs
• Financial Awards (amounts are subject to change based on availability of funding)
• Recognition in the community as a star level provider
• Early learning coaching/networking

Quality Standards/Rating Criteria for Center Based Programs

• Curriculum and Instructional Assessment
• Family Engagement
• Learning Environment
• Program Administration
• Ratio and Group Size
• Screening and Identification of Special Needs
• Staff Qualifications

Quality Standards/Rating Criteria for Family Child Care Homes

• Business Administration
• Curriculum and Instructional Assessment
• Family Engagement
• Learning Environment
• Provider Qualifications
• Screening and Identification of Special Needs
• Provider as Employer (only if applicable)

How to Participate

During the transition, participation in the program is on temporarily on hold. Dates for future participation will be sent through the Early Learning Coalition's E-News. To subscribe to E-news, click on the link: (insert link)

Quality Counts for Children is driven by the director or family child care provider. She/he uses the evaluations from the QCFC team to improve quality in their program. Our overall goal is to improve the quality of early care and education throughout Pinellas County. Together, we can achieve a community that is healthy and strong in early learning education and care.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Cheryl Miller at 727-548-1439 or cmiller@elcpinellas.org.

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