The QCC County Program Profile provides county data from the Common Data File (CDF) and the Annual Progress Report (APR). For counties that are a part of a consortium, the QCC County Program Profile provides a combined view of the CDF and APR. Both qualitative and quantitative data are presented to provide a local view of early learning and care climate.

Quality Counts Tuolumne serves Early Learning and Care programs in the county of Tuolumne and is administered by First 5 Tuolumne. Participating sites choose from a variety of options to set annual goals for quality improvement. Rating is optional for most sites, with the primary focus being on flexible, responsive strategies to assist teachers in raising quality. Quality Counts Tuolumne measures several elements of program quality, including:

(1) Child Development and School Readiness

(2) Teachers and Teaching

(3) Program and Environment

Programs may be eligible to receive site stipends, training opportunities, coaching, and teacher stipends for professional development and progress toward a permit or child development degree.

• First 5 CA
• IMPACT 2020
• Region 3 Hub resources
• Small Population County Augmentation
• California Dept. of Education
• CSPP QRIS Block Grant
• QCC-PDG-R Block Grant
• Workforce Development Pathways Grant

• Infant Child Enrichment Services
• Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools
• Columbia College
• Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency

Every site in Tuolumne County that provides early childhood education and care to children birth to age five is eligible to participate. All licensed and license-exempt preschools, licensed Family Child Care Homes, and home visiting/family support sites are contacted at the beginning of the year with a letter explaining the program, with follow-up phone calls. Most sites that have signed up return each year. We work hard to make the options feasible for sites to participate. We are now also accepting Family Friend and Neighbor caregivers into the program and will contact them through our R & R as well as community partners. We accept all applications up to the end of December of each year. We encourage late applicants to apply the next year.

“We have three approaches to support quality improvement. 1. Rated sites develop an annual Quality Improvement Plan, directly linked to their previous rating, that supports moving forward on the rating matrix or maintaining excellence. Block Grants or Quality Improvement Stipends provide monetary resources. We also support coaching and help organize training as needed. 2. Non-rated sites develop an annual Quality Improvement Plan from a menu of choices. Sites are then supported through the year in achieving completion of their action steps toward their goals. Coaching and training resources are provided. 3. Individual teachers and selected staff members that work at participating sites are eligible to earn stipends for completing units toward an ECE degree or for other types of approved professional development activities. “

We offer both site stipends and individual stipends. We have a seamless system for providers in providing these through four different funding sources (IMPACT 2020, CDE CSPP QRIS Block Grant, QCC-PDG-R Block Grant, and Workforce Development Pathways Grant). The sites and the teachers do not know the funding source when they receive their stipend check. Site stipends include Block Grants and Quality Improvement Stipends. Sites must have a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) and show progress made at year end in order to earn the stipend. The QIP is specific to each site and reflects an area of QRIS focus that they want to work on that year. Site stipend amounts (or Block Grants) are set at the beginning of the year, depending on the budget. Teachers/staff who work at sites enrolled in Quality Counts can also earn individual stipends. These can be earned for eligible college units, professional development (in person or online), or coaching hours/assignments outside of paid work time. Individual stipend amounts are set at the beginning of the year, depending on the budget. Family Child Care Providers and FFN caregivers only earn one stipend. The stipends have proven to be a major motivation for teachers to remain engaged in the Quality Counts program.