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.

Quality Start OC is a community partnership, led by the Orange County Department of Education, focused on raising the quality of early learning programs across the county. Quality Start OC focuses on four key areas:

1. Raising community awareness on the importance of investing in high-quality early learning, so all Orange County’s children have a strong start
2. Supporting parents who are looking for early learning experiences for their children by providing them a directory of resources, local programs, quality rating scores, and information on how to choose a quality program
3. Supporting educators and child care providers who are seeking to improve the quality of their programs—this includes the Quality Start OC Network that provides training and technical assistance to all types of early learning programs throughout the county
4. Operating the Quality Start OC QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System)

Funded through grants from the California Department of Education and First 5 California, Quality Start OC sets standards for early learning program quality, rates programs on a five-star scale, and provides resources to support continuous quality improvement (such as coaching, training, and technical assistance).

• IMPACT
• Hub
• Block Grants
• Certification grants
• No local funding

• Children and Families Commission of Orange County

We have a recruitment lead who regularly visits community events, agencies, and organizations to share information about Quality Start OC.

Tier 0–3 sites received a minimum of six coaching visits, and Tier 4–5 sites received two technical assistance visits focused on California Quality Improvement Plan completion. All participants are eligible for over 100 free professional learning opportunities on topics covering all QCC key tools and resources.

We have limited funds for cash incentives, preferring to focus on coaching and professional learning. Our non-California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Block Grant centers receive $500 per site annually as an incentive, along with a free membership to a professional organization of their choice (NAEYC or EveryChild). Family child care participants receive $300 per year, along with a professional membership (NAFCC or NAEYC).

A Center Director shared: Participation in Quality Start OC helped us improve the quality of our program by supporting positive teacher-child interactions. Additionally, the free professional learning opportunities have allowed our private preschool to limit our tuition increases.

A Family Child Care Owner/Educator shared: Me ha motivado a superame: regresar a la escuela, reorganizar mi childcare, and tratar mas profesionalmente a los padres.