Quality Early Care & Education in Your Center or Home

As early care and education providers, you have made the commitment to help Arizona’s youngest children prepare for success in school.

The safety of your center or home, the learning materials you use and the skill level of your employees all impact how prepared children in your care will be when they reach kindergarten.

Quality First is Arizona's statewide quality improvement and rating system for providers of center- or home-based early care and education.

We are your partner in improving the quality of the early care and education you provide.

Quality First facilitates quality improvements by:

Center- and home-based programs that provide care for children ages five and younger are encouraged to apply.

Apply to be a Quality First Participant

Resources for Potential & Current Quality First Participants

Key Components and Principles – an overview of the Quality First! program.

Coaches – your partners in improving the quality of the educational services you provide.

Early Care and Education Program Assessment – helps you know where to start and how you are improving.

Child Care Health Consultants – assure that children in their care are safe, healthy and ready to succeed.

Financial Incentives Plan – affording quality improvements.

T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood Arizona – scholarships for directors and employees working toward an Associate’s Degree or Childhood Development Associate’s Assessment.

Tools for Ratings

Environment Rating Scales (ERS)

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)

Quality First Points Scale

Quality First Rating Scale
Quality First! Provider Intro10:58