The QCC County Program Profile provides county data from the Common Data File (CDF) and the Annual Progress Report (APR). For counties that are a part of a consortium, the QCC County Program Profile provides a combined view of the CDF and APR. Both qualitative and quantitative data are presented to provide a local view of early learning and care climate.

Humboldt County’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) program, Quality Counts Humboldt, is administered by a Consortium consisting of First 5 Humboldt, Changing Tides Family Services (CTFS), and the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE), as well as other supporting agencies. Consortium members and Quality Counts staff housed at each of the agencies, including the IMPACT, QRIS and QIG Coordinator and the Workforce Pathways Advisor, work closely together to administer all four of these Quality Improvement grants under the QCC umbrella. The California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Block Grant uses the QRIS Quality Continuum Framework – Measured Quality Elements with six rating areas (and five levels): (1) Child Observation, (2) Developmental and Health Screenings, (3) Minimum Qualifications for Lead Teacher, (4) Effective Teacher-Child Interactions, (5) Ratios and Group Size and (6) Director Qualifications. The Quality Improvement Grant (QIG), Improve and Maximize so all Programs can Thrive (IMPACT Legacy) grant and Workforce Pathways grant, have a stipend structure based on hours of Professional Development or units of Higher Education that the participants complete. Support offered to participating programs and individuals includes peer coaching, development of Quality Improvement Plans, technical assistance and assessments as needed for the rating process.

• First 5 Humboldt
• Humboldt County Office of Education
• Changing Tides Family Services
• Cal Poly Humboldt State University
• Local Child Care Planning Council
• College of the Redwoods
• Northcoast Children’s Services
• Yurok Tribe
• Hoopa Tribe

Our county is geographically large and very rural, with long driving distances between some communities. There is very little childcare of any kind in some of the outlying areas, and each community has some of its own unique characteristics, needs, and culture to be considered when we publicize grants. We engage in consistent outreach to eligible programs who either have not participated yet or who participated for several years and then did not reenroll. Much of our outreach is based on relationships we have cultivated through many combined years in the ECE field in Humboldt County and we continually call on these relationships to increase our outreach and encourage those providers that have not yet chosen to participate in a grant, have not yet heard about the grant opportunities, or are new to childcare, to apply to participate. Outreach is also conducted via publicity on social media, occasional direct mailings to eligible programs, emailing of flyers and information to eligible programs, phone calls to teachers and providers, informational meetings scheduled at least once a year, word of mouth, and announcements at various meetings and trainings throughout the year.

Our coaches are or have been childcare providers themselves and work other full-time jobs in addition to coaching grant participants. We remain committed to a peer coaching model with coaches who can share lived experience as well as technical support and expertise in the development of Quality Improvement plans, setting goals, and providing technical assistance. Professional development offerings to grant participants have included: ASQ trainings, and start-up kits, CLASS assessments and follow-up reports, (for CSPPs due for rating only), CLASS intro Training, Workforce Registry training, Hubbe training and Technical Assistance and Reflective Practice. Additionally, grant participants have access to CCIP training at the R & R, CPIN training and other local and online options for professional development. IMPACT or Region 1 Hub sponsored trainings open to all have included Reflective Practice, Emotion Coaching, Racial Equity for Early Childhood series, Trauma Informed Practice, ASQ training, Rainbow Kits training and CoPs, Strengthening Families 5 Protective Factors series, Outdoor Classroom Principles, Heart-centered Self-Care, Teaching Pyramid TK Module Training, and several sessions at the First 5 Humboldt Annual Symposia. Consortium members are also part of a Trainers Collaboration that meets quarterly with other agency trainers to coordinate scheduling and sharing of professional development opportunities.

CSPP Programs participating in QRIS are rated with the Quality Continuum Framework – Measured Quality Elements, with rating Tiers 4 and 5 eligible to receive stipends. Tiers below that receive coaching to help bring them up to the next tier. Participants in the QIG, IMPACT and Workforce Pathways grants participate as individuals and their programs are not rated. Individuals can earn stipends based on the number of Professional Development hours or Higher Education units completed.

From an FFN provider:
“As a grandmother providing child care for my granddaughter, the Pathways Program has helped me to learn about ways to support her social-emotional wellbeing. I have gained increased knowledge and understanding about how to respond to her unique sensitivities and individual needs. I feel like I am a part of a community of Family, Friend and Neighbor child care providers who, alongside professional early childhood educators, are helping to nurture and support the next generations.”