Child Care; Professional Development; Program Standards; Regulation & Standards
Status:
Archived
Year Started:
1998
Administered By:
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
Description:
The voluntary Standards of Care program is available statewide to licensed child care learning centers that have been operating in good standing for at least one year. Child care learning centers on military bases and licensed Early Head Start centers may participate. Centers participating in the program provide stimulating learning environments, meet stringent health and safety standards, and implement educationally appropriate activities that foster learning.
Centers choosing to participate in the Standards of Care program are eligible to participate in free training specifically designed to address the learning needs of infants and toddlers. The training sessions were developed using the internationally recognized Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-R (ITERS-R). Centers may choose to receive free on-site technical assistance to help guide and support the child care learning centers as they make changes to increase the quality and meet the standards in the ITERS-R.
Before technical assistance begins, a baseline observation, using the ITERS-R, is conducted. Centers may choose to apply for a quality enhancement grant to be used to purchase materials in the ITERS-R classrooms. Centers completing the Standards of Care program and meeting scoring requirements as measured by the ITERS-R earn the Center of Distinction or Center of Recognition designation.
Note: Standards of Care (SoC) was started and initially administered by the Office of School Readiness. Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, was created July 1, 2004 as a result of Senate Bill 456 passed by the 2004 Georgia General Assembly. This new department assumed the responsibilities of the Office of School Readiness, and thus, the Standards of Care program.
Updated July 2009: This program has ended; a new accreditation program is being put in place.
Web Site:
Geographic Scope:
Statewide
Target Population:
Birth-5 (0-5)
Funder Name
Funding Type
Funding Source
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning