During the 2008 Presidential campaign, both Barack Obama and John McCain pledged to make high-quality early childhood care and education affordable for those in need. There is widespread agreement that quality child care can be a critical factor in promoting a child’s sound development; these programs provide stimulating environments that are essential to a young child’s mental growth and have been proven to improve at-risk children’s school-readiness.
In an effort to assess the range of quality in existing child care settings, Illinois recently launched a Quality Rating System (QRS) aimed at boosting the quality of child care used by families who receive child care subsidies.This system is intended to improve quality of care as parents demand higher levels, providers seek higher ratings, and policymakers hold settings accountable for increasing quality. Similar QRSs have been implemented in other states, and comparisons with other programs and evaluations of their effectiveness will help Illinois improve the potency of its own QRS.
Illinois sits at or near the top of many child care investment and early childhood education rankings. While its position relative to other states is strong, it is essential that the state works towards attaining the quality standards set by professional research evidence, of which Illinois’ child care systems still fall short. Additionally, as policymakers strive to provide low-cost child care to all, the focus on preserving program quality must be maintained.
Illinois’ Quality Rating System- Quality Counts- has the potential to address these concerns. The system could encourage providers to improve their program structures, increase competition through higher reimbursement rates, and foster collaboration between preschool and child care. Implementing this system will not be without challenges, however, as is apparent from examinations of similar systems nationwide. QRS programs require periodic revision as they are rolled out, an issue that may be abetted by a small-scale pilot period to identify areas requiring improvement.
As Quality Counts continues to expand throughout the state, it provides child care stakeholders an opportunity to think about how systems and settings in child care and preschool can complement one another and improve structural quality. Innovation in these areas is crucial if we are to encourage the broad range of physical, cognitive and emotional development in early childhood.
