HOW in the WORLD???

[daycare]

If it ever hits SoCal, I'm done. There is no way that I am willing to put that much time and effort into it when I plan on quitting in less than 5 years.

from what i understand each county in CA is doing it differently since they all possess different dynamics.

[Annalee]

let me guess it is an 4 letter word.....lmao

LOVE or CRAP or----

Yep and it is mandated here to participate annually..DID I mention that I hate it every year all year long!!!!!!! ::

[LysesKids]

::I think I will stay out of this thread because everyone here knows what I think about QRIS!

I'm with you ... thank goodness I don't have to jump the hoops you are, but then I only have 4 and can stay outta the line of fire so to speak

[Ariana]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! !

The union here supports QRIS more than any other agency/entity.

Unionizing is NOT the answer in my opinion.

I'd participate (and do) in QRIS before I ever participated in the unionization of child care providers.

I also wouldn't say I get nothing in comparison to Head Start.
They are THE reason I quit working for them and opened my own child care.
I make more $ and have more sanity and a heck of a lot more fun...than I ever did working there.

LOL! ok ok Blackcat you are not invited to the union meetings

I just meant Head Start gets administrators to do certain jobs etc. Without a union teachers/providers are expected to do everything themselves. I do understand there is good and bad about unions but unions give people better wages in most areas.

[spedmommy4]

so my county is in year one of QRIS.

Boy oh Boy are they NUTS.

They basically want us to model everything that a head start program would offer. Including all curriculum, assessments and evaluations, anecdotal based evidence collected for 6 months for each child and conduct a DRDP, we will do these two times a year. All of our assessments and evaluations have to reflect in our written curriculum that anyone can pick up and follow.

we must adhere to all county health regulations, including proper hand washing, hearing, dental, and eye exams every year. these health exams will be conducted at the daycare site. They are also requiring each child to have a full physical examination done at the time of enrollment.

I am exhausted just writing this out.

how does anyone do it?

Lol . . . I agree. It is a lot. I am in San Joaquin County and I recently completed the Race to the Top program , (our QRIS) Our county sounds pretty similar to yours in terms of expectations.

In order to reach the top tier, I made my life simpler by:
*Using the Lifecubby app. Life cubby is a digital portfolio that you can use to snap pictures and store anecdotal records. I snapped a picture of a kid drawing a face (or whatever) and during naptime I would spend 15 minutes writing a sentence for each picture I snapped. I take pictures anyway so I figured that I would make those pictures work for me. :-)
*Using the California DRDP online assessment. It's way faster.
* give the developmental screenings to the parents. Parents are supposed to complete them. (It's what the developer intended)
* I use the California head start curriculum. (Frog street press) it is $100 a month for the online version and comes with everything I need except the manipulatives.

In my county program, they also came out and did a CLASS observation and a FCCRS. It was pretty extensive but there was a significant amount of grant money attached to achieving the highest level of quality so it was well worth it.

And because I participated in the race to the top, some of the parents in my childcare program were also selected to participate in a focus group that the California Department of Ed sponsored. The company running the focus groups for the Dept of Ed said that they were still in the early planning of QRIS in California. They commented that it would probably be a few years before it gets implemented.

[daycare]

We also have to do the class and fccers

The only way I can get a 4 isif I myself have a bachelors degree in early education along with all the other things I mentioned and all of my staff must be qualified preschool teachers with 12plus Ece units.

So the best I can get without BA degree is a 3

[spedmommy4]

We also have to do the class and fccers

The only way I can get a 4 isif I myself have a bachelors degree in early education along with all the other things I mentioned and all of my staff must be qualified preschool teachers with 12plus Ece units.

So the best I can get without BA degree is a 3

We have a points system here. For example, 2 points if you have an AA, 2 if you complete developmental screenings, etc. A certain number of points equals a tier. Education counts for a significant amount of your points. I have a masters in early childhood special Ed. I was a licensed teacher but I left special education when my job became more paperwork than working with kids.

I can't remember if they reviewed my staff. So far, I have only hired staff with experience and 12 plus ECE units. I haven't had any turnover in staff and have had to do minimal training, so it's worked out well.

First 5 is still sending someone out each month to check in and make sure I'm following their quality guidelines but I think that ends in December.

[nanglgrl]

Iowa's is a point system as well. There are 5 levels:
Level one (1 star) just requires you to be registered.
Level two (2 stars) just requires you to be registered, Childnet certified (just a series of trainings..I think it was 8 classes total and you get a stipend upon completion), on the food program, for you to complete a self assessment of your professional development and a professional development plan. Each of these is just a single sheet of paper.
Level 3-5 is a points system. You must get at least one point from each of 4 categories (health and safety, environment, family/community partnerships and professional development) and the amount of points determines your star level. To get 5 stars you also have to have a FCCERS assessment done and score a 5.0 or greater. I'm currently 4 stars and waiting on FCCERS to come so I can get my 5th star (or find out what I need to change to get a 5.0 or above) and only have an AA (not in early childhood) but am working on my BA.
None of these categories require me to do assessments, have outsiders come in to do exams or provide curriculum. As for the professional development category (education) I'm not required to have any formal education (but it does give me more points in that category) and can just combine experience and training above our regulatory requirements for points. To make up the lack of education I make up the points in another category like Family/community partnerships and get a couple of points by doing annual parent surveys. I think we have it made here but I do think having an AA or a BA should give some points even if it's not in the education field.
There are of course little things. When they went over my parent surveys they wanted to know how I would use the information one parent stated of "need to be open earlier and later" to improve my program. I told her that's not a problem I can solve, those are my business hours and if the client doesn't agree with them they'd have to find new care. I don't remember how it was solved but I'm pretty sure it required me to write down something ridiculous about how I would use the information to improve my program. I wrote down nonsense. I wish there was a requirement to having experience doing family childcare to be an assessor.
All of this QRS business is making me think though, it sounds like it will take over the world of childcare..maybe I need to get in on that job once this childcare profession finally beats me to a pulp.

[Josiegirl]

I bet you don't think I sound quite so crazy, now.

Just finished this.

2 years, 400+ hours of training, 60 papers, 180 family dinners missed, $12,000 in debt and nothing financial to show for it. happyface

Whoop

So why do we do this??? Because we love children!
I participate in Stars, which I guess is the same thing basically. But if/when it comes to the day that they expect me to put all this into it, I'm done.

Why 12K in debt??

[DaveA]

I am starting to think more and more they are trying to push home providers out.

Agreed. At the very least they want far more control over it. In IL this Excelerate junk is voluntary but a jumbled mess: licensing says one thing, R&Rs another, and agencies something completely different. When it's mandatory I'm done. I know the first time someone tells me to be "quality" I must do XYZ, they'll get told where to store their suggestions and the binder they come in.

[Annalee]

Agreed. At the very least they want far more control over it. In IL this Excelerate junk is voluntary but a jumbled mess: licensing says one thing, R&Rs another, and agencies something completely different. When it's mandatory I'm done. I know the first time someone tells me to be "quality" I must do XYZ, they'll get told where to store their suggestions and the binder they come in.

Famous last words! I threatened to quit 14 years ago when it was mandated here but HERE I AM::

[Second Home]

We have a stars program here , for now it is voluntary except if you take state subsidy clients then it is mandatory .

Oh and for the unions , we here must join the union if we take state subsidy clients . We fall under the dept of education and we are in their union , but not much has been done to help the home providers .

The only way to not participate in either the union or stars is to not accept state subsidized clients as of right now . Though there is talk of stars becoming mandatory down the road .

[Blackcat31]

Why 12K in debt??

Educational expenses I am sure. I too have some debt due to earning my degree and having to close more often (loss of income) or hire someone (loss of income) to accommodate the kids I had in care.

A secondary education is not cheap, that is for sure! And in some ways more expensive when you are also trying to run/stay in business WHILE completing the requirements.

I am glad I got a head start and went back to school before it became necessary. Gave me a lot more time to sort through the info for our QRIS program. I am nearing the end of my first two year stint and seriously thinking of not re-signing. .

They spent millions "selling" the idea to providers. Touting how much it would help our businesses and set us apart from others.

So far the ONLY benefit to anything I've had to do or done is for the families that already receive a boatload of help. There has been no benefit for other families and certainly no benefit to the provider other than the giant flag I get to hang outside my door that says "Proud to be Parent Aware Rated!" and that's it. Doesn't even say I am a 4 star program (highest amount of star possible here) so even those programs that have only 1 star get the same advertising materials.

Our state is also doing round table discussions in all the areas looking for feedback from providers and community figures that can attest to what changes need to be made and what else can be done. Lots of unhappy providers in my state so far so we will see what happens...... *sigh*.......

[spedmommy4]

Educational expenses I am sure. I too have some debt due to earning my degree and having to close more often (loss of income) or hire someone (loss of income) to accommodate the kids I had in care.

A secondary education is not cheap, that is for sure! And in some ways more expensive when you are also trying to run/stay in business WHILE completing the requirements.

I am glad I got a head start and went back to school before it became necessary. Gave me a lot more time to sort through the info for our QRIS program. I am nearing the end of my first two year stint and seriously thinking of not re-signing. .

They spent millions "selling" the idea to providers. Touting how much it would help our businesses and set us apart from others.

So far the ONLY benefit to anything I've had to do or done is for the families that already receive a boatload of help. There has been no benefit for other families and certainly no benefit to the provider other than the giant flag I get to hang outside my door that says "Proud to be Parent Aware Rated!" and that's it. Doesn't even say I am a 4 star program (highest amount of star possible here) so even those programs that have only 1 star get the same advertising materials.

Our state is also doing round table discussions in all the areas looking for feedback from providers and community figures that can attest to what changes need to be made and what else can be done. Lots of unhappy providers in my state so far so we will see what happens...... *sigh*.......

I have not seen a huge benefit here either. I'm on the board of directors for our family childcare association and a rep from First 5, the agency implementing QRIS, has been coming to the meetings. The feedback that I have heard consistently is that first 5 sets these quality goals but doesn't give providers any useful information on how to achieve them. For those providers that do achieve a tier 5, there is a big grant and then nothing else. A tier 1 receives the same advertising materials that a tier 5 does. It's disappointing at best.

[Heidi]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! !

The union here supports QRIS more than any other agency/entity.

Unionizing is NOT the answer in my opinion.

I'd participate (and do) in QRIS before I ever participated in the unionization of child care providers.

I also wouldn't say I get nothing in comparison to Head Start.
They are THE reason I quit working for them and opened my own child care.
I make more $ and have more sanity and a heck of a lot more fun...than I ever did working there.

The union in WI has fought the QRIS tooth-and-nail. Unsuccessfully, though. They've also fought a bunch of other things, somewhat successfully.