Background:

Voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).

In 2007 the Legislature required the Department of Early Learning (DEL) to implement a voluntary quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for licensed or certified child care centers and homes and early education programs in collaboration with community and statewide partners, subject to the availability of funds.

Currently, the stated purpose of the QRIS is to:

provide parents with information about the quality of child care and early education programs;
support improvements in early learning programs throughout the state;
increase the readiness of children for school; and
close the disparity in access to quality care.

The DEL is currently scaling up its QRIS effort using federal funds recently awarded through Race to the Top.

Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

The DEL must work with the Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral Network (Network) and others to create local child care resource and referral organizations (organizations). These organizations are authorized to carry out needs assessments, resource development, provider training, technical assistance, and parent information and training. The DEL must actively seek funds to distribute as grants to the Network or potential organizations. Staff and technical assistance to the Network and local organizations must be provided by the DEL. Data about local child care needs and availability for future planning and development must be provided through the Network or local organizations. The DEL must provide training and technical assistance to child care providers in coordination with the Network and local organizations.

Definition of Early Learning.

"Early learning" includes, but is not limited to, programs and services for child care; state, federal, private, and nonprofit preschool; child care subsidies; child care resource and referral; parent education and support; and training and professional development for early learning professionals.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

Under this act, the DEL must implement the voluntary QRIS for licensed and certified child care centers and homes and other early learning programs as determined by the DEL.

The stated purposes of the QRIS are modified to:

give families information about the quality of early learning and school-age programs;
add that improvements in early learning programs throughout the state will be supported above the minimum safety and health standards required for licensure;
promote access to quality early learning programs for all children; and
add the promotion and support of culturally competent professional development and training for early and school-age care professionals.

To the extent that funds are available, upon full implementation of the QRIS, the DEL must:

assign ratings to participating early learning programs based on research-based voluntary QRIS standards, including: child outcomes, facility curriculum and learning environment, culturally competent professional development and training, and family engagement and partnership;
partner with community-based organizations, higher education, and other stakeholders to provide:
- supports and incentives to QRIS participants, including highly trained coaches, culturally competent pedagogy, professional development, and training and facility improvement grants in partnership with the state child care resource and referral agency;
- incentives for early learning professionals for the attainment of training and education; and
- increased child care assistance reimbursement rates and payments that reflect the cost of quality programs for participants including compensation for staff in participating programs, and promote affordability of high-quality early programs for all families;
evaluate the effectiveness of the QRIS every three years and make the evaluation report publicly available;
issue recommendations to the Legislature regarding additional incentives to support compensation increases based on facility rating;
develop a plan, in consultation with stakeholders, for full inclusion of licensed and certified school-age programs serving children ages 5 through 12 years in the QRIS;
report program ratings on a public website; and
partner with the child care resource and referral agency or other entities to expand parent awareness about the QRIS and its potential to improve child care quality and help parents make child care decisions that meet family needs and support school readiness of children.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill adds cultural competence elements so that:

one of the purposes of the QRIS is to promote and support culturally competent professional development and training;
the DEL will assign ratings, in part, based on culturally competent professional development and training;
culturally competent pedagogy is added to the list of supports and incentives that may be provided to QRIS participants; and
a reference to English Language Learners is added.

Clarifications are provided so that:

the QRIS must focus on encouraging participation;
the recommendations to the Legislature regarding additional incentives to support compensation increases no longer must recognize the role of promoting the affordability of high-quality early learning programs for all families; and
the term constituents is replaced with stakeholders.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Given that Washington won the Race to the Top Award, the QRIS should be taken to scale. This bill will help the Legislature be part of a dialogue on comprehensive early learning. This legislation will make it clearer in statute what the DEL is doing to support high-quality early learning in Washington. The QRIS provides great opportunities for collaboration. It reinforces positive rewards and raises the bar for everyone. It promotes consistency and quality. It provides intentionality to professional development efforts. It will provide parents with easy to use information to help guide their choices. It could help stabilize the child care work force and improve compensation. It has the ability to bridge cultural divides. It has been field-tested and evaluation results have been positive. The QRIS is being implemented deliberately. Race to the Top funds will cover the program for the next four years. It is completely voluntary. No provider will be publicly listed if they choose not to be. The QRIS is not about regulation. The QRIS will support critical infrastructure to keep improving early learning, which will result in improvements for the economy and society.

(Opposed) The field studies conducted by Mathematica and the University of Washington are flawed. They only look at a small percentage of providers. In 2010 and 2011 there was not a control group. The study was not adequately inclusive of diverse communities. The costs of the QRIS are not sustainable after the grant funds go away. When the state gets involved in private business, there can be problems.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Orwall, prime sponsor; Amy Blondin, Department of Early Learning; Laura Wells, Fight Crime Invest in Kids; John Stines, Tumwater Police Department; Karen Tvedt, Washington Association for the Education of Young Children and League of Women Voters–Washington; Lauren Hipp, Thrive by Five Washington; Chris Moon, Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Council and South Puget Sound Community College; Scott Parker, Washington State Child Care Research and Referral Network; Lani Todd, Service Employees International Union 925; Kristi Vavrosky; Sarah Francis, Moms Rising; April Ritter; Onion Carrillo; and Steve Leahy and Rick Panowicz, America's Edge.

(Opposed) Sharon Hanek; and Suzie Hanson, Washington Federation of Independent Schools.