Choosing High Quality Child Care and Preschool

 

High-quality care means that children are engaging in meaningful learning and play, guided by qualified caregivers in an enriched educational environment.  Central Virginia is fortunate to have many quality early childhood programs.

 

High-quality Care does not always look the same.  Quality programs don't all use the same curriculum or schedules, and classrooms aren't set up identically.  Standards for evaluating the quality of a program can also differ.  There are several "tools" for accreditation and while they may not be identical, they ensure program credibility and enable parents to make informed decisions when choosing a preschool or child care program for the children. 

 

There are things that parents can look for when seeking high-quality care for their children.

 

What to look for:

• Education, training, and qualifications of staff

• Interactions between teachers and children

• Effective teachers have the warmth and sensitivity to engage children, fostering self-confidence

• Class Size:  small class sizes and low child to teacher ratios allow for individual attention

• Environment and Instruction:  age-appropriate curriculum is used

• Learning environment fosters exploration, has a variety of materials.  Materials are accessible to children

 

 

Virginia Quality 

 

The Virginia Quality Initiative is one process for improving program quality in childcare centers, preschools and family day home programs.  Virginia Quality in Central Virginia is coordinated through Smart Beginnings.  Virginia Quality is a voluntary process that offers the following benefits to programs:

• On-site program assessment at no cost to the provider

• Individual coaching offered by VQ trained Technical Assistants (TAs)

• Improvement plans with specific goals that meet the needs of each individual program

• Access to free or low-cost Professional Development / Education Training Hours

• Resources and materials that support quality improvement