I am a family childcare provider in Washington State where we have just been introduced to Early Achievers which is our Quality Rating and Improvement System(QRIS).

I heard that almost half the states in our country are participating in this program and haven't come across a thread about it yet.

I enrolled last spring and am getting ready for my first rating this winter. I am very curious if any of you have gone through a rating and can share their experience?

I have heard that the raters have all been trained the exact same way so every program gets rated with the exact same criteria.

Two hints I have heard are:
~If you are a center director, make sure all your employees answer the interview questions the same.
~When the children are done with lunch, the tables/chairs/highchairs need to be cleaned and sanitized immediately rather than waiting for the children to go down for nap and then cleaning.

Any of you have any other helpful hints or ideas about getting rated?

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QRIS's in general have been talked to death here. 90% of us think they're a big ol' waste of money.

I'm in WI, and they are definitely deficit-based. Meaning, they look for what's WRONG with your program, not what's RIGHT. We are in year 3, and they are still working the bugs out, but they're getting there. Ours is a 2-part system. You get a technical consultant who is supposed to help you get ready for the rater (if you want 4 or 5 stars you need to have a formal observation by a rater). Then, the rater observes the program. Here is where the problems arise; the raters and technical consultants have different approaches.

I can tell you that if you look at the 2 other programs in my county that have the same amount of stars, you will find a huge difference in the quality and environment, yet we are all the same "star level".

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The state I am in mandates an Assessment with the Family Child Care Environmental Rating Scale-Revised version.....going on the 13th year. While we are told the assessors have the "same" knowledge of the FCCERS-R book/tool, there are a high number of areas that are left to "perception" which lead to many inconsistencies. I hope the tool you will be assessed with is more realistic than ours. There are over thirty areas which are scored 1 to 7 and then averaged....you must receive at least a 4 average to earn any stars. It is a one and done deal until the next year. Needless to say, FCC providers do not agree, to say it nicely, with this system....

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Here are tons of other threads about this subject

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=qris

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=star+program

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...=rating+system

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ting+-+daycare

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I'm doing this too, in WA state. Just finishing my binder, etc. That is how far along I am, so, no help.

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Although many states across the country are doing QRIS, they vary greatly in how they are implementing it. Here in NC, we have had this for a while. It is optional unless you want to take state pay. You get 1 star when you start out and after 6 months can request to be evaluated for more stars. You can get up to 5. Our star rating is based on two components - education and program. Education is pretty straight forward. You get points based on how much ECE you have. Program is more complicated. You can get a certain number of points (very few) without going through FCCERS. If you want to go through the FCCERS, you can get up to 5 stars based on where you score. I have been through FCCERS several times and I can attest to the fact that there is much open to interpretation and it varies both based on the assessor and based on the mood of the assessor. I am actually getting ready to go through it again. My window is from Nov 25 through Dec 20. Meaning they can show up any of those days. I wouldn't do it if I didn't need the stars right now. I only have to complete my internship for my AA in ECE but can't count any of my hours here if I am not at least 3 stars. Plus I changed my program to a much smaller target group so I need every advantage I can get.

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You are SOOOO right when you say the FCCERS-R is left in large part to interpretation and the mood of the assessor.

Plus, the fact that you have to meet certain "crazy" things for each age group: 12 mos and under, 12 to 30 mos, then 31 mos to age 5.....crazy!

It is mandated annually in our state and causes havoc.

I have always scored well, but even though I do, the negativity surrounding it causes the children in our care to suffer. I start worrying the minute I receive my letter....then comes the call a few weeks later to set up the appt.....they will come usually in the next 4-6 weeks.....then after the 4-6 hr observation.....I wait up to six weeks for my scores... so this affects months of my life!

Counting science, math, books, etc....then making sure I sit in an adult-size chair during routine and play.......then making sure I talk about math during routine and play......then making sure I talk about science during routine and play.....following me to the bathroom to watch every diaper changed.....should I go on at the expectations of the day??!!!?????

National FCC Accreditation is much more FCC provider-friendly with an emphasis on achieving....Assessment is built around what you do wrong.

No matter how much ECE education a provider has, they can still, on a given day, fail the state assessment. Something is wrong with that!

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We don't have it where I live (Southeast Florida) but they have been trying to implement it for YEARS. The providers here who have volunteered to have these people in their homes to 'test it' (I think) said it was a nightmare. Pretty soon no one wanted to help them out and be the 'guinea pigs' for this.

Things I heard from them is that they do nutty things like one provider said they measured the grass under her climber. One had a changing table that was an inch too short. Just all kinds of things like that. Plus the providers felt like they had a wonderful setup (and they did) but they would come in and seem to make it hard to get a high star rating.

My hope is that nothing will ever come of it here. I figure I only have a year or so till retirement so, and supposedly, it is voluntary. I definitely won't volunteer.

Laurel

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You are right about measuring the surfacing (pea gravel/mulch, etc.) under climbers outside that are over 12 inches. Grass doesn't count for surfacing in my state!

I personally have pea gravel with NO climbers anymore because it had to be 6 inches deep in every area. Even if they measured 10 places and it was 6 inches but one spot had 5 1/2, then I would be discredited. Therefore, I just removed all climbers and offer gross motor play another way.

It is a nightmare for sure!!!! Like I stated earlier, I score well but the negativity surrounding the assessment makes me crazy!!! Looks to me llike the state could find a much better way to spend tax dollars.

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I did the same thing. I got tired of the mulch tracked all over the yard and tired of constantly having to replace and respread the mulch to make sure it was 6in over the entire play area.

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Grrrr...and I just realized today that I need to so something with my markers. My youngest dcg will be 3 on Dec 18th but my window for FCCERS is 11/25 - 12/20 and they consider marker lids a choking hazard. Stupid since they are like 1 1/2 in - 2in long and she doesn't mouth anything. But there is no allowance for that. So I need to have dh cut and sand some blocks of wood for me that are long and skinny so I can lay them down and they still fit in my marker drawer and hot glue all the lids to the block. It is stupid things like this that make me not want to do the FCCERS.

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If CA ever implements it, I will turn in my license.

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Yes, because in order to score high in one area, you often have to give up something else.

All hands must be washed and the table sanitized before the children sit down. Ok. But, children should not sit at the table and wait for more than 3 minutes, and if they touch anything on the way back to the table, they have to go around again. If you have 2 kids, that'd be a challenge, but if there are 7, and 1 of you, how can you do both?

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Typically I wash and sanitize the table and have them play in an area that is away from the table while I get the last minute things ready for lunch. Then I line them up to wash hands and while they are doing that I dry the table. Thankfully with my set up and the ages of kids I have (almost 3 - 5), I can do that. They also know not to touch anything on the way from the sink to the table. I usually tell them to fold their hands or if I have a younger group, clap their hands on the way to the table.

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That is what happened in my state when the FCCERS was implemented 13 years ago....Only a third of FCC providers remained licensed...the rest went unregulated, some legally.....some not!!!!!

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I will just call it a day and retire.

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Many areas are a "catch 22"... not fair to FCC providers....

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.....because ideally the state does not want family providers in business.

They want child care providers with a minimum of a CDA, a 2 yr and/or 4 yr degree to operate a child care in the same fashion as Head Start.

They do not want in-home providers to be in business anymore.

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Yep, and that is frustrating!

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but, that's precisely the problem. While you run more of a preschool program with 3-5 year olds, family childcare is traditionally a mixed age group of infants-preschoolers, with one adult. I'm not knocking your program, please don't think so. But, what's realistic for your preschoolers is not in any way realistic for my 4 infants and toddlers. This is not an institution. It's a home. I don't sanitize, I clean (within regs of course).

They can't paint us all with the same brush and say "this is quality". Quality is prioritizing based on the needs of each group of children and their families. Ok...on that old soap box again, sorry!

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I've heard you mention this before...do you really believe this? Why? Please explain. Why would it be in the interest of the state to close all home based child care...wouldn't that create a bigger child care crisis (especially for infants and toddlers)?

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Yes, I do really believe this.

I think that if providers are required to be educated and required to have a curriculum, then it is essentially preschool. (We even have curriculum requirements for infants/toddlers )

The big push right now is safer everything. The recommendation for ALL states is that ALL providers be licensed. More money.

All providers need to have a curriculum. More money.

All children will be required to be observed and assessed. More money.

It's all about the money. Our public school system is flawed as it is and now the government is pushing early education and higher standards of care for ALL children and children birth to age 5 are not yet in the public school system so what better way to reach them than through family child care providers.

But since child care is a private entity, it's tough for the government to regulate....but NOT if they start having common standards and common requirements across the country....

In home family child cares are a gold mine of untouched employees who so far have not had to live under the thumb of government rules...until now.

I had a great article that really helped explain this....much better than I am doing. I will search for it and will link it or PM it to you.

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Agree completely.
I don't know what I'm going to do when it becomes mandatory. I'm not old enough to retire-we still need the $ and there's absolutely no option for legally unlicensed here
Obviously the parents don't care about stars-I have one just for being licensed and I've not even begun to try to get anymore. I think I could get 3 just the way I am but why bother? Every one of my families is word of mouth and I get calls from the state website (that shows my one lonely star) all the time.

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Don't worry, I totally agree with you!! Like I said in my post, I know that I CAN do it because of my age group. In the past I had mixed ages and I know how unrealistic it is to accomplish a lot of what is in FCCERS.

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I worked in a few centers before opening my family child care...My main reason for leaving the centers...all the bogus rules and requirements! I was spending way more time labeling children's items, doing a 20 step diaper change, making sure i had the right amount of art hung on the walls with the approved description of it that I rarely got to interact with the children!! It was horrible!
I have a bachelors degree in child and family development that I worked hard for. I love having a family child care where the kids get what they need to grow and develop. I will never work at a center again. I really hope they dont ruin family chid cares for me.

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Having a non-mobile infant makes it near impossible to achieve with the FCCERS. Materials that are expected to be accessible for all children have to be brought to the infant even if it is a newborn that can't even hold it's head up....

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My eldest dd was the accountant for a school district's preschool program. She overheard her director and a head honcho from the YMCA discussing how they would like to see ALL home daycare providers gone within the next few years. Their philosophy was that all children need to be in an educational program from birth.

Our local schools provide free or greatly reduced afterschool care. They are open until 6:30 whereas I and most other providers close between 5:30 and 6:00.

I have nothing against centers, but it is not the right choice for all families. Home daycare is not the right choice for all families, either.

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Our QRIS is set up in a report card where there are 5 components ranging from professional development to developmental learning...however, if you do not score at least a 4 on the FCCERS-R assessment, it is all null and void and you get 0 stars....as I stated earlier, I generally score well on the assessment but it is the negativity surrounding the system that upsets me.

It is mandated right now and has been for the past 13 years but I pray it becomes "voluntary" because I will then opt-out because I DO NOT LIKE it.

I have an Associate's Degree, CDA and multiple training hours but this does not weigh in to my report card unless I meet the state-mandated FCCERS-R assessment as well. Something is wrong with that!

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Well, on the other side of that coin, we have providers here in WI who have been in business 20+ years, have taught non-credit childcare classes, and have won generally been held in high esteem because of their awesome programs. When the QRIS came in, they would have been 2-star programs because the providers do not have a FORMAL (meaning an associates degree or better) education in early childhood. It's an automatic disqualifier. So, you can score 7 on every FCCER's item, have professional business practices, meet or exceed Health and Safety requirements; but if you don't have a degree, you cannot be a high quality program.

Of course, these are ladies in their 50's who work 50+ hours a week, and the QRIS people just say "well, go back to school then".

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I completely agree BC! And I have been told that by regulators in my area... Bottom line it is all so scary for our youth!!
I also worked at a center- I HATED it! The kids were led around like cattle with a one fits all approach. With the numbers there was no choice. I will never work in a center again. It isn't for me.
If I am pushed out of family care I will nanny or go in a diff direction.

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FCC offers so much for children.....but the powers that be don't realize they CAN learn academically as well while growing socially in our learning environments. This is something FCC has been fighting in our state since 2002...been to countless meetings on the state level and we are getting NOWHERE!!!! It is wayyyy toooooo political!!!!

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Wow, some have said that they think it is a ploy to make in-home child care fail and just have centers. I don't see that really. I see it as the government (or whoever) thinking they are improving things but going over the top and being overzealous.

I think I remember hearing that they have 20 steps for diaper changing. I can't even think of 20 possible steps for diaper changing and if I took the time to do 20 things what would I do with the other babies?

What a pain. Sorry you have to do it.

Laurel

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But WHY do the kids HAVE to learn anything "academic" before age 5?

What PROOF is there that early education has any LASTING benefit for kids?

Child learn when developmentally ready and although there are countless people (providers, parents and teachers) that will say that kids CAN learn to read, do math, science etc before Kindergarten, WHY should they?

Why can't kids just be kids? Why can't the goals for kids birth-age 5 simply be healthy eating, healthy sleep habits, great social skills, responsibility, empathy, independence, and a good strong bond with their primary caregivers.

ABC's, 123's and observations and assessments don't HAVE to be part of early childhood.

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I've heard people say that but don't know what they base it on. How would one know this and what would be the advantage to the state? They still have to inspect the Head Start like programs I would think.

Laurel

P.S. I typed this before I read all the comments so it may have been stated. I'll go back and read them when I can.

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Totally agree and at my sons first kindy parent conference his teacher and I talked about that. He started kindy and he was barely 5. I never did an official curriculum with him at home. He learned by doing. He of course knew all his colors, letters, numbers etc. but I never taught him to read, add, spell colors, sight words etc. I didn't want him to be bored in kindy. Instead I focused on social, health, how to participate within a. Group and society. His teacher was like wow he's so smart and he's learned everything so quick. I said that's great I never taught him that stuff though. She said he was the most kind child in her class. So helpful and thoughtful. And she said he arrived there perfectly prepared to be TAUGHT. And she wished all her kindy kids arrived like that.

I was a proud mama but that just proved my point. He never had preschool. Never had FORMAL learning. But he was PREPARED for kindy because he was ready to learn, his teacher didn't have to spend half the day getting him to be quiet and participate. She said she spends half her school day, every day, just getting kids to quit bothering others, follow the class rules,e tc etc.

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Mrs. Steinel's house shared this on FB:

http://www.examiner.com/article/push...s-at-what-cost

My favorite line:
"If our children are struggling academically, it does not make sense to make them do more of the same things that are failing them and from a younger age."

If what we're doing is failing, then simply doing the same thing earlier is NOT going to fix anything.

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I agree with you black cat....I am all for kids being kids.....the state here, however feels that social skills i.e. following directions, problem-solving, interaction with peers,etc. are NOT important. My point is that they are learning academically through play and interaction, ...but the state doesn't see the importance of these life skills that will benefit the children in future academically.

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Here some other threads about this, universal preschool and the evolution of early education.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63303
https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59978

I know there are several more threads about this but I haven't come across them as of yet.

I'll post them when I do.

This is an interesting topic and one worth discussing in my honest opinion.

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Personally, if I could rule the universe (well, the early education universe in the USA), I would do this:

Birth-3 Family or Family Childcare. Small group sizes, 100% play-based and learning around caregiving activities like being fed, changed, etc. Warm interactions, predictable rhythm to the days, good, healthy food.

Ages 3-6, Larger group care or preschool or kindergarten (as it's called in most European countries). Some structured, teacher led activities like songs, stories, reading aloud to the children, music time or "phy ed", but still largely play-based. Offer some exposure to books, math, and reading but no pushing. Guidance in things like waiting in line, community (helping each other), dressing independently, helping with classroom tasks. Trying to be realistic because technology is so important, I suppose I would introduce SOME computer use at 6. But art materials, sensory experiences, outdoor play, dramatic play, music, social skills, and self-help skills should prevail.

Age 7, introduce more academics, but make sure kids still get plenty of fresh air and free play.

From there, each year should become a little more academic.

What would be your dream?

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Hail Queen Heid!

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I believe it too, as does my licensor. Federal Grants for the State depend on it. If they don't create a media "child care crisis" they lose out on money.

K-3 and K-4 are already in public schools here (free to parents from our tax dollars). They are expanding their "Pre-School" (birth-3 daycare run by high school students in the vocational program. Sliding scale pmt, tax payer funded.) to another building. It is a new found, uncontested, tax exempt source of income.

My State also granted tax exempt status for any business who operates an on site daycare. Only a percentage must be employees children. They are "creating jobs and giving incentives for business leaders to move here".... unless your business is daycare.

By "proving" childcare "quality" can only be ensured by Govt. oversight, they get their cake and eat it too. Out of our paychecks.

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Good Post! Wish it was like that...my own 4th and 6th grader are doing schoolwork I did in High School....I have a degree and many times have to google to find the answers to their homework....

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