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32 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • February 2019 ? ? Virginia Quality provides resources to help Virginia's child care and early learning programs continuously improve. Child care centers, preschools and home- based care providers voluntarily choose to work with us for support and professional development in the areas of staff education and qualifications, curriculum and assessment, and classroom environment and interactions. Virginia Quality builds long-term relationships with participating teachers and directors, says Janine Sewell, Virginia Quality Regional Coordinator. All of this sup- port comes at no cost to the school or center. Virginia Quality is supported by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, VECF and the Virginia Department of Social Services through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It's a free resource that can help ensure all children are ready for school at age 5. Virginia Quality in the Fredericksburg region is part of Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area, a nonprofit that seeks to bring together community resources to ensure that all children are ready for school, and ready for life. Child care centers and preschools must all be licensed or accept subsidy assistance by the state to participate with Virginia Quality. What is the difference between the standards to be licensed and the work Virginia Quality does? Courtney Harris, Virginia Quality Local Coordinator, explains that licensing ensures all programs meet the requirements for health and safety, Virginia Quality Level 1. Licensing is the starting point for any entity that seeks to participate in Virginia Quality, because all centers and schools must be in good standing with state and local regulations to start working with the program. But licensing doesn't get into the best practices that support a child's development from infancy through age 5. Virginia Quality focuses on best practices and developmentally appropriate methods. What does "best practices" mean on a practical level? Jenna Martin, Program Specialist, explains that for staff, it's about profes- sional development and encouraging teachers to get the training or educa- tion they need to provide the best curriculum, care and classroom environ- ment. While the bare minimum is providing the right staff-to-child ratio, changing diapers a certain number of times per day, etc., the standards Virginia Quality promotes go deeper into the environment and interactions within the center, and that all starts with the training and support given to the staff. It takes a lot of work for preschools and child care centers to keep up with basic administrative duties and licensing requirements. They often don't have as much time as they would like to invest in their staff, even if they see the benefit. Virginia Quality is a free resource for those centers and schools who want to take the next step to help children learn and grow. Early childhood — birth to age 5 — is a critical time in a child's development. The quality of a child's experiences in care and early learning programs during this time lays the foundation for a their future success in school and in life. WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING Material sponsored by: VIRGINIA QUALITY Play-based Learning: What it Looks Like and Why it Matters