Child Care; Program Standards; Regulation & Standards
Status:
Archived
Year Started:
2001
Administered By:
Office of Child Care Services
Description:
"In April 2001, [the Office of Child Care Services (OCCS)] instituted a rate increase for all contracted child care providers. The rate increases included both contracts with OCCS and vouchers managed through the CCR&Rs and were retroactive to July 1,2000.
OCCS linked the rate increases to the achievement of specific quality standards, with an emphasis on literacy. Specifically for infants and toddlers, programs had to demonstrate they had age-appropriate books, toys, and activities. Programs were required to compare their daily curriculum with literacy standards provided by OCCS, and had to submit to OCCS a curriculum plan that included daily literacy activities for school readiness. As part of their curriculum plan, programs are expected to: have sufficient educational materials so that infants and toddlers have a variety of choices available to them at all times; read or repeat nursery rhymes with individual infants and toddlers daily; provide a variety of activities that promote literacy and school readiness; and encourage participation by all children.
Infant and Toddler programs that accept the tiered reimbursement rate associated with participation in the self-assessment initiative must assess their program at least annually using the ITERS quality assessment environmental rating scale tool and implement a plan for improvement in their program based on their findings."