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.

San Diego’s comprehensive Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) reaches a variety of program types, including center-based preschools and infant/toddler programs as well as family child care homes. This is the result of San Diego County’s long history of working toward continually improving quality in early care and education programs. With community input, the county has been guided and funded in such improvements, starting initially in 2006 through First 5 San Diego’s Preschool for All program, later through the Quality Preschool Initiative, and more recently through California Department of Education Quality Grants and locally funded private/nonprofit quality grants. These efforts have focused on improving school achievement by providing children, especially in their critical first five years of life, with the kinds of early education experiences they need to do well in school and beyond.

• First 5 San Diego
• Quality Preschool Initiative
• QCC
• Local Partnership Grant

• San Diego County Office of Education
• First 5 San Diego
• Local Planning Commission
• Institutions of Higher Education
• Resource & Referral/Alternative Payment/Foster Bridge: YMCA Childcare Resource Service (CRS)
• R&R
• Child Development Associates
• Community Care and Licensing
• Tribal Nations

The San Diego Quality Preschool Initiative (SDQPI) engages a variety of program settings in its Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), for children birth to 5, including licensed center-based, family child care home and license-exempt Trust-line early learning and care environments. In its role as a vital resource for quality early learning, San Diego’s QRIS measures and rates the quality of participating early care and education programs. Most importantly, the SDCOE Early Education Department promotes support to early childhood education providers the ability to use their ratings and select high-quality professional development, coaching and other professional growth activities to ensure continuous improvement. Providers may select to participate in SDQPI to develop a Quality Improvement Plan and make improvements. Engaging in having a site rating is optional, though encouraged. All providers actively engaged in SDQPI are providers who value and focus on providing your child with quality early learning opportunities in the environment you select for your child. The recruitment activities happen in conjunction with our R&R on a continual basis throughout the year.

The Quality Improvement programs are inclusive of supports provided in a differentiated level based on need. These local efforts include coaching, professional development, financial support (stipends), incentives and materials, Community of Practice (CoP) participation, Health/Wellness/Nutrition Programming, funding support per designated grants, technology and online platform support, Trainer of Trainer (ToT) support based on program offerings.

All who are participating and meet specific requirements will be receiving a base stipend with an additional extra percentage based on ratings through the First 5 San Diego Learn Well Initiative. The Workforce Registry offers an incentive to those who actively participate in professional development activities that have been vetted and registered to count toward the annual professional development requirements. Additional material incentives are provided to those who qualify within the specific guidelines of their programs and qualifying criteria.

The provider shared that through a conversation during a “Provider Stakeholder Meeting,” “…she has really come to understand what a ‘quality’ preschool is. She understands the ‘why’ behind things—she gave examples that in the past she would just play music to play music and now she understands being mindful and purposeful in selecting the music and time that is played. She has also learned the importance of having different areas set up within a classroom (including a quite space). Another example was with regards to learning activities and her gained awareness of developmental levels and scaffolding of learning. Terri shared that having coaching conversations with you has inspired her to do the same with her staff. She takes in the information/resources you share with her and then shares them with her staff. She now understands the importance of maintaining up to date physicals and the importance of hearing and vision screenings. She shared that one of the children she serves was found to have hearing loss which was discovered through the screening. It was just so exciting and refreshing to hear her speak about all of the wonderful things she has learned and is implementing. She was thrilled to share with us that her site was rated. They received a Tier 2 and she has plans to continue to improve (having the teachers apply for permits, having a plan to implement the ASQ screenings).”