Background

A Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is one widespread method to provide a framework for quality improvement in early care and education. However, there is little research examining the relationship between QRIS supports and quality changes in family child care programs.

Objective

This study aims to examine the associations between supports offered through Delaware’s QRIS and global quality changes in family child care programs. Delaware’s QRIS supports included financial incentives and on-site technical assistance.

Method

Data were extracted from the administrative database on 139 family child care programs participating in the QRIS. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance was used to examine the effects of time and Delaware’s QRIS supports.

Results

Results showed significant relationships between QRIS supports and the improvement of global quality in family child care programs as measured by the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-Revised. Specifically, the amount of on-site technical assistance was significantly associated with changes in the Interaction and Program Structure subscale scores. Additionally, grants received through the QRIS were significantly associated with quality improvements in the home environment.

Conclusion

Considering that the amount of technical assistance alone was effective in improving the global quality of family child care programs, professional development strategies that aim to articulate and enhance the technical assistance that is provided to programs would be useful. Further, various types of financial incentives are encouraged to assist family child care programs in improving the structural quality of their environments.

中文翻译：

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探索家庭育儿的质量评级和改进系统支持与全球质量之间的关系

背景

质量评级和改进系统（QRIS）是为早期护理和教育中的质量改进提供框架的一种广泛方法。但是，很少有研究检查QRIS支持与家庭育儿计划质量变化之间的关系。

目的

这项研究旨在研究特拉华州QRIS提供的支持与家庭育儿计划的全球质量变化之间的关联。特拉华州的QRIS支持包括经济激励和现场技术支持。

方法

从参与QRIS的139个家庭儿童保育计划的行政数据库中提取数据。重复测量的协方差多元分析用于检验时间的影响，特拉华州的QRIS支持。

结果

结果显示，根据修订的《家庭儿童保育环境等级量表》，QRIS支持与家庭儿童保育计划的全球质量提高之间存在显着的关系。具体而言，现场技术援助的数量与“互动”和“计划结构”子量表得分的变化显着相关。此外，通过QRIS获得的赠款与家庭环境质量的改善显着相关。

结论

考虑到仅技术援助的数量就能有效地提高家庭儿童保育方案的全球质量，旨在阐明和加强向方案提供的技术援助的专业发展战略将是有用的。此外，鼓励采取各种经济刺激措施，以协助家庭育儿计划改善其环境的结构质量。