Quality First supports Arizona’s child care providers so they can support our young children.
Quality First is a program of First Things First, Arizona’s early childhood agency. Because learning starts from birth, and so many Arizona families need child care, First Things First funds Quality First to help early care and education providers improve the quality of their programs in ways that help young children learn, grow and thrive.
More than 1,100 child care and preschool programs in communities across Arizona participate in Quality First. These programs are regulated, but participating in Quality First is voluntary. These early care and education providers are committed to quality improvement, going beyond regulatory requirements to help the infants, toddlers and preschoolers in their care be ready for success in school and beyond.
Why quality matters
From birth to age 5, the early childhood years are when your child’s brain grows and develops faster than at any other time in life. And early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school and life. The brain connections needed for important abilities like motivation, self-regulation, problem-solving and communication are formed in these early years through positive, nurturing relationships and interactions with caring adults. These relationships begin at home, with parents and family, and include early care and education professionals.
Quality improvement
Child care centers, home-based providers and preschools participating in Quality First receive training and coaching to help them improve their programs and nurture every child’s emotional, social and academic development. Many quality early care and education programs in Arizona are not enrolled in Quality First.
First Things First supports child care and preschool programs enrolled in Quality First with:
- Coaching and professional development for staff to build on what’s great about a program and identify opportunities to improve in ways that support children’s learning.
- Funding to support quality early learning for young children, including the purchase of age-appropriate books, toys and learning materials, as well as new classroom furniture, outdoor equipment or other improvements to the physical space.
- Specialized assistance from a team of early childhood experts in child health, mental health and supporting children with special needs.
About the Quality First Star Ratings
Quality First conducts observations to measure program quality, resulting in a rating of 1 to 5 stars. Quality standards are based on what research shows is important in early care and education.
- Health and safety practices that promote children’s basic well-being
- Skilled teachers who know how to turn everyday experiences into learning moments
- Learning environments with age-appropriate activities, books, toys and other learning materials that promote emotional, social, language and cognitive development
- Opportunities for active play and hands-on exploration throughout the day
- Teacher-child interactions and engaging conversations that build language and promote thinking and social skills
The standards are high, and reaching the quality levels can take some time. Ratings are just one of several factors to consider in finding the right program for your family’s needs.
A Quality First Star Rating certificate is posted at the program’s location. If the program achieves a 3-, 4-, or 5-star rating during their initial star rating cycle, the rating is public and is posted on this website. If it achieves a 1—or 2-star rating, its rating isn’t posted and “Rating Unavailable” will show. The program will be reassessed again two years later for its renewal rating. All renewal ratings are public and posted on this website.
- Rising Star. Programs at this level received a 1-star rating, are just starting their quality improvement journey and are committed to quality improvement.
- Progressing Star: Programs at this level received a 2-star rating, may be newer to the quality improvement journey and are approaching quality standards. They likely meet some quality standards and are working towards consistent practice.
- Quality. Programs at this level received a 3-star rating and are meeting quality standards.
- Quality Plus. Programs at this level received a 4-star rating. They exceed quality standards and achieve many high-quality practices.
- Highest Quality. Programs at this level received a 5-star rating. They far exceed quality standards and consistently maintain high-quality practices.
All early care and education providers participating in Quality First actively work on quality improvement, with the support and resources needed to increase the rating scale. No matter a program’s current rating level, families can be assured that child care providers participating in Quality First are committed to making improvements that help prepare kids for school and life.