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Afterschool Investments Project
Promoting Quality in Afterschool Programs Through
State Child Care Quality Rating Systems
Promoting Quality in Afterschool Programs through State Child Care Quality Rating Systems, a forthcoming publication from the Child Care Bureau’s Afterschool Investments Project, will highlight state efforts to adapt quality rating systems (QRS) for afterschool programs. State rating systems allow child care providers to voluntarily meet quality standards and earn a designation, such as a "star rating," that help consumers to locate high-quality programs. A QRS also typically provides incentives and supports to providers in order to encourage them to meet higher levels of quality. Most existing rating systems apply to child care programs that serve children of various ages, including school-age children. Since they were often developed with a focus on early care and education, however, many states have not fully considered how to adapt regulations to support the wide range of school-age care programs. This publication will explore how states might use existing or newly emerging rating systems to more strategically promote afterschool program quality and will share potential state strategies for aligning rating systems with broader afterschool professional development efforts.
While at the most basic level, the core components of quality in early care and school-age care look remarkably similar, there are several key differences that may be considered in the development of a QRS.
- School-age children have very different developmental needs than younger children and benefit when programming supports their social development and complements their school-day learning.
- School-age programs are more diverse than early care programs, taking place in a range of settings and utilizing different program goals and approaches.
- Highly qualified afterschool program staff may have different professional backgrounds than early care providers. For example, an afterschool program provider may have background in elementary education, youth development, or arts education, rather than in early child development.
- Many afterschool providers work part-time schedules, due to the nature of afterschool care and may find it difficult to meet quality standards developed for full-time professionals.
- Afterschool programs may face greater sustainability challenges, as many funding sources, including the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants, operate as short-term grants.
In discussions with state child care and afterschool leaders that have adapted a QRS for afterschool, several strategies emerged as successful ways to make a QRS work for a range of afterschool programs. These strategies include:
- Involving Afterschool Leaders in the Planning Process: Involvement from the afterschool
community in the planning process can ensure that the unique needs of afterschool programs are well represented in discussion about the scope of a QRS, the quality standards, and their implementation.
- Developing Standards that Address the Development Needs of Older Children: In an effort to
recognize the different developmental needs between young and older school-age children, several state rating systems have incorporated research-based national standards or state quality standards that recognize how quality afterschool programs differ from quality early care programs.
- Addressing the Unique Qualities of Afterschool Program Staff: With added flexibility around the
staff qualifications, it is likely that more afterschool programs would be able to participate in a QRS. In addition, QRS standards can become accessible to afterschool programs if there is added flexibility for afterschool staff who often work part-time schedules.
- Reducing Barriers for Diverse Afterschool Programs to Participate in the System: In many
states, school-based afterschool programs are exempt from some or all licensing standards- typically the first step in a QRS- as they are already monitored by the state education agency. States may consider whether policy changes or outreach to school-based programs can help to bring them into the QRS.
Development of a QRS can highlight needs and provide momentum for a state to build a broader statewide system that supports the professional development of school-age providers and helps to professionalize the field of school-age care. The development of a state school-age credential and of relevant trainings and coursework can be key pieces of this system. For more information on quality rating systems, see the National Child Care Information Center website:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/index.html#qrs.
Please visit the Afterschool Investments Project website, http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/, for Promoting Quality in Afterschool Programs through State Child Care Quality Rating Systems in fall 2007.
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