What is Quality Care?

The proof is in: time spent in child care has positive effects on children, but only when the setting is high-quality. Colorado has resources in place to:

  • Help parents identify what a quality setting looks like and how to find one
  • Help providers and stakeholders improve the quality of existing settings, and make quality settings available to more children

    • Qualistar is Colorado's agency in charge of quality rating and improvement for licensed settings. They use a star system (1-4 stars) to indicate current level of quality, with four stars representing top quality. Qualistar also helps child care providers improve their quality. However, keep in mind that many high-quality settings are not yet Qualistar-rated, and a high rating does not guarantee that a setting is the right choice for you and your child.

    How do I find out about...

    + Finding Child Care
    Colorado Child Care Facility Search is hosted by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care, which is the State’s lead agency in planning and implementing public child care policy.

    The Division of Child Care is responsible for the licensing and monitoring of child care facilities; managing the child care assistance program (CCCAP) for eligible families; administering child care grants and quality initiatives, and serving as the lead in implementing federal child care programs. The overall goal of the Division of Child Care is to promote quality, accessible and affordable child care services for Colorado families.

    Qualistar is the state network office for Child Care Resource and Referral. Qualistar Colorado manages a system of 17 local agencies throughout Colorado that supports parents, child care providers and local communities.

    Your local Qualistar Partner can walk you through the complexities of the child care system, providing you with the tools you need to make an informed child care decision. They can provide you with free referrals to child care programs matching your needs and preferences. They can give you information about location, quality, hours of operation, child care philosophies, licensing requirements and financial assistance.

    Visit our Child Care / Preschool page

    + What to look for to know if a child care or preschool setting is high-quality?
    This is Qualistar’s document about how to find quality child care, and this is Pre-K Now’s checklist for looking for a quality preschool. This link takes you to NACCRRA’s very detailed list (and explanations) of research-based indicators of child care quality.

    + Quick information to show policy makers or other stakeholders on the importance of quality early care and education?
    Although many sources claim that “the benefits of quality care are well-documented”, user-friendly information to share in your community is hard to find. We recommend the following two resources as a place to start: How Early Child Care Affects Later Development (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child) and Quality Early Education and Child Care (American Academy of Pediatrics).

    This policy brief from the Colorado Children's Campaign makes a Colorado-specific case for the importance of improved quality and access in child care, and includes a list of references of some the original research that links quality to positive child outcomes.

    + What I can do to improve the quality of my licensed home or center?
    This list is a good place to start for information about the features of child care settings that are linked to quality. Although it is written for parents, it is informative for providers because these are the research-based indicators that are looked for by any quality-rating system. Or, you may be ready to apply for a Qualistar rating or accreditation .

    + Getting financial assistance to help me pay for child care for my child?
    The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) helps low-income parents who are working or in school/training to pay for child care.

    In addition, the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) exists as a special support to families with certain risk factors such as poverty, homelessness, teen parents, or English language learners. Most school districts offer CPP. If you qualify, the program will pay a portion of the cost, and also provides a high level of quality assurance for participating facilities. You will need to call someone at the contact numbers here to help you determine whether your child may be eligible.

    For families in the city and county of Denver who have children who will be entering their last year prior to kindergarten , the Denver Preschool Program may be available to you as an additional financial support.

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