For child care provider Gabriela Torres, being a part of Quality First has been a dream come true.
She joined Quality First in 2009 and the program changed her life. Torres was caring for a few children in her home when she heard about a new program in her hometown of Yuma.
“I remember in that first meeting, they said we had to have a minimum of a high school diploma to participate,” Torres said. “I had one in Mexico, but knew I would have to get a GED (General Equivalency Exam), which would take 3 to 4 months. I didn’t have time for that.”
She opted to take the math portion of the exam first and quickly passed. Two weeks later, she attempted the other portions and passed those, too. Torres was ecstatic to join Quality First.
“I said yes to everything,” Torres said, thinking back on her first years in the program. “I started to study English. And from there, I studied for my CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) and then I did my associate degree. I was scared of college. But Quality First helped me. I don’t have the words to thank Quality First.”
The First Things First Yuma Regional Partnership Council funds Quality First, which partners with child care and preschool providers to improve the quality of early learning development across Arizona.
“If I had a doubt or there was something I didn’t understand, they [Quality First] were there to support me. I would say to them, ‘I can’t do this.’ And they were there with words of encouragement. Saying, ‘Yes, you can.’ The confidence they had in me, it gave me the will to keep going.”
– Gabriela Torres, Yuma child care provider
Torres applied for a license to care for a small number of children in her home.
“My house had 2 living rooms, so I dedicated a small area of one to the children,” she said.
A few years later, her husband passed away.
“I needed more income to support my daughters and my home,” Torres said. “I didn’t want to leave the work I was doing, so I applied for a group license. I received grants from Quality First to buy furniture and materials and I set up the garage. We made the space larger.”
She started at the Progressing Star (2-star) rating level and worked her way to a Quality Plus (4-star) rating, awarded to programs that exceed quality standards and demonstrate many high-quality practices.
Throughout these years, Torres said she worked with a variety of Quality First coaches. Each one is different.
“They all taught me about the professionalism of the job and the humanity of the work we do,” Torres said. “If I had a doubt or there was something I didn’t understand, they were there to support me. I would say to them, ‘I can’t do this.’ And they were there with words of encouragement. Saying, ‘Yes, you can.’ The confidence they had in me, it gave me the will to keep going.”
The coaches helped her design the different learning areas for the children.
“When I first started, I’d put toys everywhere. The coach taught me about classifications of toys, which areas should be together,” she said.
Torres transferred those skills to her employees, some of whom had never worked with children.
“One young woman who I hired, I would tell her, ‘When you pick up the ball to play with the kids, tell them the color of the ball, the size of it.’ And she would look at me like I was crazy. I told her, ‘I want you to know how Quality First works. When we get assessed, these are the things they’re looking for. And you won’t be nervous when someone is watching you.’ Today, she’s working from home, taking care of children and applying for a license. She wants to join Quality First.”
By 2020, Torres said she started to feel mentally exhausted.
“I always want to give 100%, so I talked to my coach about it and made the decision to leave,” she said.
After 3 years, she felt refreshed and was ready to return to the child care world. This time around, Torres opened a center in town. She’s licensed to care for 22 children. She rejoined Quality First as a Rating Only participant and currently holds a 5-star rating.
Today, providers can participate in Quality First in 2 ways: Rating Only and Quality Improvement Participation. Newly enrolled Quality First participants receive an assessment, and a 1-5 star rating is calculated.
Providers rated 3-5 stars are considered to have met or exceeded quality standards. Both receive assessment and rating on a regular schedule, and Quality Improvement participants receive varying levels of support based on their rating, with programs at the lowest ratings (1-2 stars) receiving the most support. Rating Only participants solely receive assessment and rating.
“I feel new, but I am a veteran of the program,” Torres said. In July 2026, her center received a few Quality First scholarships to give to families who otherwise couldn’t afford child care.
“One mom came in because she had lost her husband,” Torres said. “She didn’t qualify for DES (Arizona Department of Economic Security child care assistance). I told her, ‘I have a scholarship available soon. I don’t know what you make, but I can help you apply.’ That day, she left crying, she was so happy. She thought she’d have to leave her job.”
As a 5-star Quality First program, Torres understands that her participation does not include the quality improvement supports, such as coaching, that she experienced in the past. But she’s OK with that.
She remains confident that her program is well-equipped to sustain the excellence they have built, enabling newer programs to receive the support they need.
“I want to maintain my stars,” she said. “Help will be given to those just starting out. I am in a good place.”
