There have been innumerable large and small projects to improve the quality of early childhood education in the United States. However, if projects do not have built-in incentives by licensing or funding agencies, and widely available resources to help providers improve quality, they can be difficult to expand beyond a pilot site or area. In response to this problem, many states have launched quality rating systems during the last decade to apply standards to child care centers. The systems vary in many respects, but typically are voluntary and offer rewards, in the form of additional funding, marketing assistance, or both, to centers that earn ratings.

The Mississippi State University (MSU) Early Childhood Institute provided consultation and technical assistance through a two-year contract with the Office for Children and Youth of the Mississippi Department of Human Services for implementing a rating system in Mississippi. ECI conducts the monitoring and evaluation of participating centers.

Earning and improving ratings will be a multi-year process for many centers. The state’s experience in implementing the Mississippi Child Care Quality Step System should provide helpful lessons for other states that are expanding quality rating systems into rural communities.

Connie Clay, M.S., directs this multi-year project.