Quality First: A Free Development Tool, Funding Source for Child Care Providers
Veronica Soriz is a DES certified child care provider, and a First Things First Quality First provider as well.
At the time of this article, Quality First, a program from First Things First that supports Arizona’s child care and preschool providers in enhancing the quality of their programs to benefit young children, has 1,408 providers participating in the program, with 1,039 of those partnered with the Arizona Department of Economic Security. As the program has helped so many providers over the years, and the number of participants is only increasing, Quality First is a reliable source for providers to find extra help while giving parents peace of mind that their children are safe and learning during child care hours.
Child Care Provider Benefits
More than 1,400 providers participate in Quality First, benefitting from a support system including coaching, assessment tools, professional development, and more.
Quality First is a program every provider should at the very least look into. The program is free for regulated child care centers and home providers in Arizona. So, if you have an agreement with the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) or the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS), then this program is open to you.
Professional development and coaching are available. Providers are assigned an expert coach in early childhood development, who will provide support personally matched to the provider. Child Care Health Consultants provide expert technical assistance in health and safety. Funds are available to help pay for quality improvements.
To support quality improvement, the program will be assessed every two years, and a rating will be given to the provider. This is a great opportunity for constructive feedback to be passed along and to offer kudos on the things going well!
Register for Quality First
As noted earlier, if you are a regulated child care provider, joining is easy and free! You’ll need to gather a few important documents relevant to your provider status and complete the application on the Quality First website. Availability is based on regional funding. You will receive email communication with information and free resources while your program is on the waitlist for selection.
Not ready to apply, but have questions? Quality First specialists are available to speak with you at 602-771-500, or by emailing [email protected].