Impact of Delaware’s Quality Rating and Improvement System on Family Child Care Learning Environments

• In Event: 1-107 - New Insights on Quality and Access in Early Care and Education: Lessons from QRIS Data

Integrative Statement

A Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is a widespread method to provide a framework for quality care in early childhood environments. The state of Delaware has a longstanding QRIS that includes financial awards, technical assistance, and professional development training as components for improving quality. As is the case for most state-wide QRISs, various types of child care arrangements are possible to participate including Center-Based Child Care and Family Child Care (FCC). Approximately one-quarter of all children in the United States are spending an average of about 30 hours per week in FCC settings (Morrissey & Banghart, 2007). However, FCC is typically has a lower global quality than center-based care, due to the lack of systematic training and effective regulation (Bigras et al., 2010). Although previous studies have examined the effects of QRIS on the global quality of FCC (Kelton, Talan, & Bloom, 2013), no research has examined more narrowly defined aspects of quality in FCC.

This descriptive study investigates the associations between Delaware’s QRIS supports and changes in FCC learning environments. The Delaware QRIS uses both standards and Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessment to define the quality rating. The Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale Revised (FCCERS-R) was used to assess the learning environment of FCC programs. FCCERS-R is a 7-point scale with 38 items organized in 7 subscales: Space and Furnishings; Personal Care; Listening and Talking; Activities; Interactions; Program Structure; and Parents and Providers. The Delaware QRIS excludes two subscales – Personal Care and Parents and Providers – therefore, 5 out of the 7 subscales were analyzed in the current study. Data were extracted from Delaware’s QRIS administrative database on 62 FCC programs participating in the Delaware’s QRIS, all of which had pre- (time1) and post- (time 2) data available between 2012 and 2017. Two research questions guide this study: (1) What is the change in FCCERS-R scores between time 1 and time 2 assessments? And in which subscale, do scores increase the most? (2) How did Delaware Stars’ supports (Technical assistance, financial awards, time period from Time 1 to Time 2, and QRIS duration) affect the change in FCCERS-R subscale scores over time?

Preliminary results indicate that the average FCCERS-R scores increased in all subscales over time and the scores in Activities improved the most (Figure 1). In addition, financial awards, or grant amounts received through Delaware’s QRIS, were significantly associated with changes in Space and Furnishings. Further, technical assistance was positively associated with the change of scores in the Interactions subscale. This shows that actively working with technical assistants helps FCC providers change their behaviors and increase their interactions with children.

While several aspects of FCC learning environments improved over time, no changes associated with the Delaware QRIS were found in terms of Listening and Talking and Program Structure. Future focus on these subscales will be useful for improving FCC programs further.

Author

• Jing Tang, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author