Quality Counts California is a statewide, locally implemented quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) that funds and provides guidance to local and regional agencies, and other quality partners, in their support of early learning and care providers. Quality Counts California helps these agencies enhance the quality of early learning and care programs and informs parents and families on what different quality levels mean for the child’s early learning and care setting.

Quality Counts California is a collaborative effort

Quality Counts California is a collaboration between First 5 California and the California Department of Education, Early Learning and Care Division, and is implemented at the county or regional level through locally operated QRISs. Using a common set of early learning and care program standards and general guidance developed collaboratively through a state and local partnership, each QRIS assesses and rates voluntary participating programs in its own geographic area.

What are the quality ratings?

The ratings are based on how well the programs meet the five-tiered set of program standards, which cover three core areas:

• Child Development and School Readiness
• Teachers and Teaching
• Program and Environment

Quality ratings help parents choose child care and help providers sustain quality

QRIS ratings can help parents choose the best early learning and care program for their child. At the same time, a QRIS rating helps programs identify areas for potential quality improvement and provide incentives and supports to help programs sustain quality and success.