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Home Early Educators

Early Educators

Introducing a new Quality Counts California dashboard for all educators!

Quality Counts California (QCC) provides resources for early learning and care educators to support relationship-based nurturing environments for children, support positive family engagement strategies, connect program standards to positive child outcomes, and promote their quality programs. Whether you are part of a school-based, community-based, center-based, family child care, or family, friend, and neighbor setting, you will find content here relevant to you.

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Featured Content

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  • Overview of the Quality Process

    Quality Counts California (QCC) provides resources for early learning and care providers to support relationship-based nurturing environments for children, support positive family engagement …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • Why Participate in a QIS

    As an early learning and care provider, you can have a positive, lifelong impact on a child’s life. Research shows that children who attend high-quality, early childhood programs are happier, …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

Launchpad

  • California Early Childhood Online (CECO)

    California Early Childhood Online (CECO)

  • Workforce Registry

    Workforce Registry

  • Community Care Licensing

    Community Care Licensing

  • EdJoin

    EdJoin

  • Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC)

    Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC)

  • National Association for the Education of Young Children

    National Association for the Education of Young Children

  • Universal Prekindergarten

    Universal Prekindergarten

County Program Profile and Services

Search by county or ZIP code to display your county’s Quality Improvement System (QIS) website, county contact information, and child care resource and referral agency. Local systems may be branded differently from Quality Counts California but offer the same support.

Community Care Licensing

The Child Care Licensing Program provides oversight and enforcement for licensed child care centers and family child care homes throughout California. The core mission of the Child Care Licensing Program is to ensure the health and safety of children in care. Questions regarding the program can be directed to your local regional office, the Child Care Advocate Program at (916-654-1541), or the Centralized Complaint and Information Bureau.

Universal Prekindergarten

Universal Prekindergarten logo
Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) is an umbrella term that includes the California State Preschool Program and Transitional Kindergarten at the California Department of Education (CDE), as well as Head Start, district and local community-based preschool programs, early learning services for students with disabilities, private-pay preschool, and expanded learning options to support access to a full day of services.

The CDE recognizes the power of a diverse education workforce that reflects the community, including the language and cultural characteristics of the communities they serve. Investments have been made to provide an unprecedented opportunity to build and maintain a diverse pipeline of qualified and effective preschool to grade 3 educators including teachers, teacher aides, and special education teachers. Find more workforce support questions and answers in the Universal Prekindergarten FAQs – Elementary (CDE).

Learning Opportunities

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  • Family Engagement Toolkit

    Quality Counts California collaborated with providers, professionals, and experts to specially design the Family Engagement Toolkit. The toolkit can help you build strong relationships with …

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Resources

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  • ChildCare Aware

    Would you like to know more about child care licensing in your state or resources for children with special needs? Do you need to contact someone about child support, health care for your family, …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations

    The California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations describe competencies infants and toddlers typically attain during the birth-to-three-year period

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • California Preschool Learning Foundations

    The California Preschool Learning Foundations describe competencies—knowledge and skills—that most children can be expected to exhibit in a high-quality program as they complete their first or …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Families: The Use of Strengthening Families™ in QRIS

    The Strengthening Families™ approach, developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), is a research-based strategy to increase family strengths, enhance child development, and …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • QCC Family Engagement Toolkit

    The Family Engagement Toolkit consists of 5 e-learning course modules: The What, Why and How of Family Engagement Build Strengths-based Relationships Respect the Family’s Role in the Child’s …

  • First 5 California’s Dual Language Learner Resource Guide

    First 5 California’s Dual Language Learner Resource Guide was designed to provide early learning programs that serve young dual language learners (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) with …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change

    This 5-minute video from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child depicts a theory of change for achieving breakthrough outcomes for vulnerable children and families.

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • A Guide to Creating “Safe Space” Policies for Early Childhood Programs

    CLASP has released a guide to creating “safe space” policies for early childhood programs. Safe-space policies safeguard programs against immigration enforcement actions and protect families’ …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

  • All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development

    All About Young Children: Information for Families on Children’s Early Development is a website that provides resources for families based on the California Infant/Toddler Learning & …

    Center-basedCommunity-basedFamily child careFamily, friend, and neighborSchool-based

FAQs

  • What is Quality Counts California (QCC)?
  • What are Quality Improvement Systems (QIS) and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)?
  • What is the California State Preschool Program Quality Rating and Improvement System Block Grant (CSPP QRIS BG) and how does it relate to QCC?
  • What is the IMPACT Legacy grant and how does it relate to QCC?

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Help! Where to find support

If you have questions related to Quality Counts California, please complete the website contact form or email [email protected].

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