Children who engage in quality early learning experiences can impact their ability to learn, build healthy relationships, and become the best they can be. It maximizes children’s potential by providing them with every opportunity to learn, grow and thrive in a quality early learning environment.
Improved Quality & Child Outcomes
Better critical thinking skills
Better engagement and cooperation with others
Better reading and math skills
Greater likelihood to graduate from high school
Greater likelihood to graduate from a four-year college
What Are Elements of Quality in An Early Learning Setting?
Child Development & School Readiness includes use of appropriate learning activities to support social emotional development and health, as well as child observational assessments and developmental screenings to ensure children are ready for school.
Teachers & Teaching includes effective teacher child interactions, on-going professional development, qualifications for lead teachers and family child care home owners, and classroom assessments to offer teacher insights that cultivate supportive, structured, and engaging classroom experiences.
Program & Environment includes classroom environment assessments, appropriate ratios and group size, family engagement, and program administration qualifications.
Helpful Links
Butte Quality Early Learning Initiative Steps to Quality schedule of events available for everyone.
Locate a high quality early care provider or educator near you.
Online resources for early childhood educators to discover best practices in early education that reflect current knowledge and meet developmental needs of children and families.
A guide for early childhood educators as they journey through the exploration of their strengths and needs with the intention of improving practice.
Enroll in the ECE Student Career and Education Program for professional growth.
Ensures that children in California have access to high quality programs so they thrive in their early learning settings and succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
View and download important forms.
Register for a California Early Care and Workforce to build your professional development portfolio, discover employment and professional development opportunities.
Learn the criteria we follow to rate programs on a scale of 1–5.