QUICK LINKS
Quality Counts - Quality Counts Career Center - Links and Downloads Marketing Toolkit Available!

Miami-Dade County Quality Counts Workforce Study Download (1.3 MB, pdf)

Quality Counts:
Striving for 5 Star Early Learning
Quality Counts is a voluntary rating system that reviews centers and family child care programs according to clearly defined, high quality standards using a 5 Star method of evaluation, and offers supports and incentives to help providers reach their goals.

Areas evaluated through self-study and formal rating

Learning Environment (using the Environment Rating Scales)
Staff Educational Qualifications
Adult-Child Ratios and Group Sizes
Family Engagement
Program Administration
Curriculum

Our goal
To improve the quality of early care and education programs in Miami-Dade County

Benefits for providers
These are some of the support services and financial incentives available
for your program:

Grants for materials and equipment
Educational scholarships for staff
Wage supplements for staff
Technical assistance to raise quality
Financial awards

Become part of a quality rating system that will one day be utilized by thousands of parents in Miami-Dade County to make informed choices about the best care and education for their children.

How can you become a part of Quality Counts?

• Attend an informational meeting
• Submit an application for consideration
• Take a self-study training
• Evaluate your own program
• Have your program rated
• Access support services
• Participate in annual reviews

DOWNLOADS

Quality Counts is a quality rating improvement system designed and funded by The Children’s Trust in partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe and the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation/Ready Schools Miami.  It is administered in collaboration with Florida International University, University of Miami Mailman Center, Devereux Florida, Family Central Inc., the Children’s Forum, and the United Way Center for Excellence.

You can also search for an accredited center
outside of Quality Counts by clicking here.

The Quality Counts Career Center has been established to support the professional development of people working with young children.  The Career Center offers Career Advisors, information, access to scholarships and financial aid, and a training registry.

For more information, including the community training calendar,
visit www.QCcareers.org or call 786-360-2000.

English

• Brochure (pdf, 404kb)
  "I have this natural ability with kids. But I want to find out what I need to do to increase my education and earn more money."
• Postcard (pdf, 364kb)
  Take the first step to success . . . call the Quality Counts Career Center today and ask for a career advisor.

• Brochure (pdf, 409kb)
  "Me gusta mucho trabajar con los niños. Pero quiero saber qué debo hacer para educarme más y ganar más dinero."
• Postcard (pdf, 368kb)
  De el primer paso hacia el éxito . . . Llame hoy al Quality Counts Career Center y pregunte por un orientador de carreras profesionales.

The Quality Counts Career Center provides the following services to help those who work with young children achieve their career goals and realize their dreams:

Information
The Quality Counts Career Center will soon maintain a website with information on training, educational opportunities, resources and links to important information for child care practitioners. Check back soon for the link!

Career Advising
The Quality Counts Career Center employs trained career advisors to help child care practitioners develop a plan to meet their goals.  Whether help is needed to obtain a GED, apply and register for college classes, translate transcripts or consider a degree in early childhood, career advisors are available to help explore the options available.  An individualized realistic plan to get practitioners from where they are to where they want to be will be jointly developed to chart the future course for achieving their goals.

Scholarships and Financial Assistance
One of the barriers most often present for those working in child care is the lack of funding to pursue education.  The Quality Counts Career Center advisors are able to access resources to help you pay for educational expenses.  Scholarships funded by The Children’s Trust may be accessed depending on availability and priorities established.

Scholarship Policies
Download (pdf, 70kb)

Training Registry
A central registry will serve as the repository of information on employment in the early childhood field, credentials of child care practitioners and all approved training activities, essentially serving as a transcript of professional development.  The registry will serve as a valuable tool for the child care practitioner providing one central location for recording and validating credentials.

What is the Child Care Training Registry?
Download (pdf, 74kb)

This exciting new resource for Miami-Dade child care practitioners is funded by The Children’s Trust. It is operated by the Children’s Forum and housed at the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe.

Take the first step to success... call the Quality Counts Career Center today and ask for a career adviser:  786-360-2000

Quality Counts Child Care WAGE$
The Quality Counts WAGE$ incentive program is designed to increase stability of teachers and improve child care quality by reducing turnover and encouraging continued education of child care teachers. This program provides education-based salary supplements for low to moderate wage earners who work with young children ages birth to five.

WAGE$ priority goes to teachers working at child care programs participating in the Quality Counts quality rating improvement system (QRIS). Quality Counts WAGE$ in Miami-Dade County is funded by The Children’s Trust and the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe.

The value of each WAGE$ salary supplement is determined by the level of education of the teacher. For example, a teacher or family child care provider is eligible for a $450 annual supplement for holding a valid Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. A teacher with an Associate degree in early childhood education can earn $1,500 per year. The amount of the supplement increases as the level of education increases.

Click here for more information

Or contact the Children’s Forum by telephone: 888-352-4453

Links and Downloads

Marketing Toolkit - English
Download (6.1MB, zip/doc, password-protected)
Please contact your Quality Counts representative to obtain password.

Compendium of Quality Rating Systems and Evaluation - Report, April 2010
Download (3.4 MB, pdf)

Office of Early Childhood Programs Presentation August 20, 2010
Download (4 MB, pptx)

One Goal Conference Presentation - July 22, 2010
Download (2.7 MB, pptx)

Smart Start National Conference 2009
Ready Schools Miami
(1.5 MB, pdf)

Check out the QRS designs implemented in other Florida communities and other materials of interest.

• Palm Beach Quality Rating System
• Hillsborough County Quality Rating System