Success Story Family Life

Problem:
Child care providers are struggling to understand what quality child care is and how to provide it. Many providers want to improve the quality of the programs they offer but need guidance in evaluating programs and developing plans for improvement.

Response:
Seventy-one providers attended sequential training facilitated by ISUE family life specialist to improve their program quality using the Quality Rating Scales during this time frame. The series consisted of eight hours of training on the use of the scale for self-evaluation and the development of a plan of action. Two series of the Infant/Toddler Rating Scale Training were held in Des Moines (31 attended). Three series of the Early Childhood Rating Scale Training were held in Ankeny (21 attended), Ft. Dodge (9 attended), and Marshalltown (10 attended).

Impact:
In end-of-series evaluations, over 98% of participants had increased their understanding of how to use the scales to identify quality of care, including the strengths and limitations of their own programs. One participant said “The ECERS makes it easy to figure out and prioritize exactly what areas we should work on to improve”. Follow-up evaluations will be sent out to participants three months after their completion.

Contact:
Cheryl Clark, ISUE Family Life Specialist
Hardin County Extension
524 Lawler Street
Iowa Falls, IA 50126
Phone 641-648-4850; Fax 641-648-4862
Email cclark@iastate.edu