WHAT IS QUALITY ?

Why is Quality Important? The importance of quality after school care cannot be underestimated as today’s children face more risks in their lives than ever before during the “between home and school” hours of 3:00-6:00 PM. One of the factors that helps build resiliency in children is sustained, long-term relationships with caring adults other than their parents. After school care for children can provide these much needed relationships.

Quality Indicators Quality Indicators A program of early childhood education is recognized to be of high quality: Quality definition developed by the Greater Richmond Early Child Development Coalition Quality Subcommittee, 2001 Quality Subcommittee, 2001

When the program promotes children's emotional and intellectual well-being by enabling children to experience stable, consistent relationships with caregivers; enabling children to experience stable, consistent relationships with caregivers; insisting on warm, responsive, and respectful interactions between each caregiver and each child; insisting on warm, responsive, and respectful interactions between each caregiver and each child; maintaining small group size and high staff/child ratios; and maintaining small group size and high staff/child ratios; and collaborating with families and communities for optimal knowledge of and support for each child collaborating with families and communities for optimal knowledge of and support for each child

When the program promotes children's developmental progress by supplying a rich variety of age-appropriate materials and activities; supplying a rich variety of age-appropriate materials and activities; facilitating learning through play; and facilitating learning through play; and recognizing and responding to individual differences among children with respect to development, learning style, and disability and, recognizing and responding to individual differences among children with respect to development, learning style, and disability and,

When the program promotes children's physical well-being by providing safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environments for learning and play; providing safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environments for learning and play; teaching practices – to children and staff – that prevent illness and injury; and teaching practices – to children and staff – that prevent illness and injury; and attending to children's nutritional needs attending to children's nutritional needs

Providers are best able to supply such programs when teachers are highly qualified and well trained; teachers are highly qualified and well trained; staff are supported financially and professionally in ways that reduce turnover; and staff are supported financially and professionally in ways that reduce turnover; and budgetary and management promotes and reflects commitment to high quality care. budgetary and management promotes and reflects commitment to high quality care.

Quality Measures School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS) School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS) Accreditation (NSACA) Accreditation (NSACA) Credential (SAC) Credential (SAC) Degrees (Certificate, AA, BS, MS) Degrees (Certificate, AA, BS, MS) Regulation ( License) Regulation ( License) USDA-CACFP USDA-CACFP Professional Affiliations Professional Affiliations Professional Training and Experience Professional Training and Experience

SACERS 7 Quality Subscales Space and Furnishings Space and Furnishings Health and Safety Health and Safety Activities Activities Interactions Interactions Program Structure Program Structure Staff Development Staff Development Special Needs (Supplementary Items) Special Needs (Supplementary Items)

School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS) A quality school age child care program expands children’s experiences, extends their learning, and provides warm and caring support for children from 5 to 12 years of age with varying needs. A quality school age child care program expands children’s experiences, extends their learning, and provides warm and caring support for children from 5 to 12 years of age with varying needs. SACERS defines quality with the use six categories containing 43 items. SACERS defines quality with the use six categories containing 43 items. The SACERS items are arranged as a 7-point scale with descriptors for each. (1) inadequate, (3) minimal, (5) good, (7) excellent. The SACERS items are arranged as a 7-point scale with descriptors for each. (1) inadequate, (3) minimal, (5) good, (7) excellent.

Space and Furnishings for Care and Learning Indoor space Indoor space Space for gross motor activities Space for gross motor activities Space for privacy Space for privacy Room arrangement Room arrangement Furnishings for routine care Furnishings for routine care Furnishings for learning and recreational activities Furnishings for learning and recreational activities Furnishings for relaxation and comfort Furnishings for relaxation and comfort Furnishings for gross motor activities Furnishings for gross motor activities

Basic Care Health Practices Health Practices Safety Practices Safety Practices Attendance Attendance Departure Departure Meals/snacks Meals/snacks Personal Grooming Personal Grooming

Activities Arts and crafts Arts and crafts Music and movement Music and movement Blocks and construction Blocks and construction Drama/theater Drama/theater Language/reading Language/reading Math/reasoning Math/reasoning Science/nature Science/nature Cultural awareness Cultural awareness

Interactions Greeting and departing Greeting and departing Staff-child interactions Staff-child interactions Staff-child communications Staff-child communications Staff supervision Staff supervision Discipline/guidance Discipline/guidance Peer interaction Peer interaction Staff-parent interactions Staff-parent interactions Staff-staff interactions Staff-staff interactions

Program Structure Schedule Schedule Free choice Free choice Community resources Community resources Provisions for exceptional children Provisions for exceptional children

Staff Development Opportunities for professional growth Opportunities for professional growth Staff meetings Staff meetings Supervision and evaluation of staff Supervision and evaluation of staff

What do parents look for? 1. Caregiver/teacher Years of experience Years of experience Training/education Training/education Adult-child interactions Adult-child interactions 2. Setting/Environment Family Friendly Family Friendly Developmentally and age appropriate Developmentally and age appropriate Condition of indoor/outdoor equipment Condition of indoor/outdoor equipment 3. Activities Daily schedule (balance of indoor/outdoor, quite/active, developmentally appropriate, etc.) Daily schedule (balance of indoor/outdoor, quite/active, developmentally appropriate, etc.)

Top 5 services parents value: 1. Information on community activities for children and families 2. Information on support services for families 3. Computers with software for children 4. Enrichment classes (for a fee) such as dance, martial arts, music, or gymnastics 5. Flexible payment plans

Building Relationships The key to quality is all about relationships: How do you build a trusting relationship with parents and children? 1. Create a safe environment for children 2. Ensure that all children, even those with the most challenging those with the most challenging behaviors, have access to behaviors, have access to ongoing positive relationships.

Quality Self-Assessment A self-assessment is: 1. Not a Test 2. It is a tool to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses 3. Helps you to set improvement goals

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