Early Childhood Education Quality Standards

Programs that provide a safe, nurturing environment, fostering physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development in young children.

Early experiences have substantial and lasting effects on children's development.

Childcare that provides a safe, nurturing, and impactful learning environment for children.

The degree to which something meets desirable standards; more than just minimal expectations.

The relationships amongst these groups are crucial for effective early childhood programs.

Childcare plays a vital role in enabling parents' employment, study, or training.

A supportive environment where children can play, socialize, and learn.

Opportunities in childcare supporting future learning and development, encompassing social, intellectual, and other areas.

High-quality childcare that prioritizes children's health, safety, happiness, and convenient location.

Parents view quality as balancing work and family, peace of mind, school readiness(pre-reading/ math), social skills, and respecting family culture.

Children experience quality ECE as feeling accepted, having friends, being comfortable, and having stimulating activities.

Quality ECE promotes theory & practice integration, collaborations among adults, resources and professional learning.

High-quality ECE prepares children to be active contributors in their community.

Expert's perspectives on quality ECE are diverse but interconnected, encompassing all views from the professionals and children involved.

Ongoing professional learning is strongly linked to effectiveness in early childhood education and educators' work with children.

Lillian Katz is a leading early childhood education expert who has been an educator and researcher for many years.

The immediate environment surrounding a child, including their family, ECE program, physical space, and resources.

The connections between different Microsystems in a child's life, like the interaction between family and school.

Social structures that indirectly affect a child's Microsystems, such as government policies or community resources.

The broad cultural ideologies and patterns that shape a child's development, including economic, educational, and political systems.

The number of children per adult caregiver in an early childhood program.

The total number of children in a group within an early childhood program.

All children having equal opportunities to participate in programs that support their full potential.

Warm, positive, and nurturing relationships between children and adults in a program.

The quality of a program is directly influenced by the qualifications and expertise of its staff.

Having the same staff members consistently promotes stability and helps children build strong relationships.

Regularly evaluating the program using assessments is crucial for continuous improvement.

Supporting staff learning through courses, workshops, and other opportunities enhances program quality.

Structured learning opportunities such as conferences, courses, seminars, or workshops aimed at enhancing staff expertise.

Learning in a less structured way, such as research, peer collaboration, or casual discussions.

Active parent participation significantly enhances program quality by bridging home and school learning.

The physical space of a childcare program should be designed to support children's learning and well-being.

A system used by the City of Toronto to assess the quality of licensed childcare programs.

The results of the AQI assessment, publicly available online, showing how well childcare programs are doing.

Originally a self-assessment tool, the system was changed in 2008 to publicly post ratings online. This gave parents more information and helped improve program quality.

Publishing quality ratings online increased the number of childcare centers meeting minimum requirements from 67% to over 90%.

The Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) conducted a study in 2009 to verify the effectiveness of Toronto's childcare assessment system and recommended improvements.

OISE recommended changing from a four-point scale to a five-point scale to better distinguish high-quality centers from those meeting minimum requirements.

The AQI, through quality ratings, provides families with transparent information about the quality of childcare centers, empowering them to make informed choices.

Toronto's AQI is recognized as a leading and innovative tool for assessing early learning quality in Canada, demonstrating the city's commitment to high standards.

The revised assessment measure, Assessment for Quality Improvement, introduced in 2014 to evaluate childcare programs in Toronto.

Individuals responsible for reviewing and evaluating various aspects of childcare programs, including program sections and operational practices.

The 'Dynamics of Quality' encompass respect for children, families, and oneself; responsiveness through emotional security and communication; and reciprocity in learning experiences.

The framework of quality considers developmental understanding, group size, integration of learning experiences, and the physical environment.

Contexts that influence the quality of childcare programs include the work environment, funding availability, regulations, and voluntary standards.

QAAs review the program sections of a childcare center, including infant, toddler, preschool, school-age, nutrition, and playground aspects.

The 'Quality Makes a Difference' sticker signifies a childcare center's successful completion of an annual quality assessment process.

The Quality Framework is a conceptual model encompassing Dynamics, Framework, and Contexts, which collectively shape the quality of early childhood programs.