Quality Counts
Quality Counts is a community-based child care quality improvement strategy, designed to build and sustain high quality in early care and education programs.
Evidence Based
Quality Counts is a community-based child care quality improvement strategy, designed to build and sustain high quality in early care and education programs.
Evidence Based
Developed by Spartanburg County First Steps, Quality Counts is a community-based child care quality improvement strategy. It is designed to build and sustain high quality in early care and education programs using relationship-based technical assistance, mentoring, specialized training, and a director network.
This map only shows programs funded by South Carolina First Steps. For more information about services available in your area, contact your local First Steps partnership.
Licensed, registered, or approved child care centers
Opportunities for early childhood teachers, paraprofessionals, and program directors
Quality Counts is based upon a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) loop, which begins with a participating child care center/program’s assessment using five quality standards. The total score is then translated into a star rating level (1-5 star scale). Technical assistance and support is targeted based on the center’s star rating and includes regular classroom visits, at least 8 hours of training, monthly directors network meetings, and grant funding for equipment and materials.
Learning experiences for early childhood professionals
Quality Counts aims to produce measurable improvements in the quality of child care provided to children 0-5.
51
child care centers served
1,016
hours of technical assistance provided
2
counties served
Early Care & Education
Early Education Program OperationsProviding local families with access to high-quality early care and education.
Early Care & Education
Child Care Technical Assistance & CoachingIntensive support to child care centers, Head Start and preschool classrooms to improve quality
Early Care & Education
Child Care ScholarshipsEligible children receive tuition-free enrollment at quality child care centers
Early Care & Education
Early Education Program SupportProviding local families with access to high-quality early care and education.
Early Care & Education
Early Head StartNationally, Early Head Start programs serve over 160,000 children and pregnant women annually.
Early Care & Education
Child Care TrainingCertified and registered training hours for the early childhood workforce
Early Care & Education
First Steps 4KFirst Steps 4K offers free, full-day four-year-old kindergarten to qualifying children in South Carolina. We partner with more than 270 licensed child care centers and private schools across the state, making it easy for families to find a high-quality program that meets their needs.
Early Care & Education
Enhanced Early EducationThe Enhanced Early Education strategy seeks to enhance education services offered by early childhood classrooms.
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