Step Up To Quality Stories

The Search Engine That Could

We are thrilled to launch new features on our website — a comprehensive, seamless, user-friendly search function and insightful resources for parents looking for high quality early childhood education. This search engine is deceptively powerful. Parents can easily narrow down their child care search by inputting a few preferences and...Read More ›

500+ Providers Strong

We achieved a big milestone: more than 500 providers are now participating in Step Up to Quality! “This achievement means that thousands of children in Nebraska are receiving the best possible care in their most formative years,” said Step Up to Quality Director Lauri Cimino. We want to take a moment and...Read More ›

Meet the Step Up to Quality Team: Ann Adams

The Step Up to Quality team is an incredible resource for child care providers going through any of the five Steps – and they can also connect providers with other early childhood education resources. As a part of the State of Nebraska Department of Education’s Office of Early...Read More ›

Simple Ways to Advocate for Early Childhood Education Issues

Many people got bitten by the political bug this year – fighting for causes you care about, empowering others to use their voice and seeing change happen within your community (and knowing you had something to do with it) are all rewarding and exhilarating. This engagement is the backbone...Read More ›

Meet the Step Up to Quality Team: Diane Lewis

Special Tax Credits More Widely Available to Child Care Programs and Teachers

In 2016, Nebraska became just the second state (after Louisiana paved the way) to create tax credits for early childhood education programs and teachers. “I’ve traveled all over the country to conferences and have visited with experts in the early childhood education field from all over, and I can tell...Read More ›

Meet the Step Up to Quality Team: Jenny Fleming

The Step Up to Quality team is an incredible resource for child care providers moving through the process – and they can also connect providers with other early childhood education resources. As a part of the State of Nebraska Department of Education’s Office of Early Childhood, the Step...Read More ›

What is a QRIS?

Step Up to Quality is Nebraska’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Back in early 2013, when the Nebraska Legislature introduced LB507, the Step Up to Quality Act, not every state had a QRIS. Now, nearly every state does.

QRIS History

The QRIS framework was developed in the 1990s as a...Read More ›

Meet the Step Up to Quality Team: Lynne Cook

The Step Up to Quality team is an incredible resource for child care providers going through the five Steps – and they can also connect providers with other early childhood education resources. As a part of the State of Nebraska Department of Education’s Office of Early Childhood, the...Read More ›

Step 2: Training

Even Olympic-level athletes train. New technologies are always sprouting up, new techniques are always being discovered and new records are always being broken. The pursuit for excellence never ends – which means it’s more about the journey than the end result. The same applies to Step Up to Quality. “We want all providers...Read More ›

Meet the Step Up to Quality Team: Morgan Krull

How to Talk to Young Children About Race

Research has proven again and again: the first five years of a person’s life are the most formative. The first several years of life build a base for future health and life success, including how to relate to the rest of the world. It’s up to the adults...Read More ›

Step by Step…You’ll Get There!

They say the hardest step for a runner isn’t the last one of a marathon, as you might imagine. It’s actually the first one out their front door. Gathering the gumption and courage to take action and do more than just dip your toe into something is universally hard. At Step Up...Read More ›

What Happens When a Program Reaches Step 5?

The Step Up to Quality process consists of five steps. Once programs have made it to the fifth step, they’re rated every five years to maintain that level. But first, celebrations are definitely in order. “It’s a big accomplishment!” said Lynne Cook, the coaching specialist at Step Up to Quality.

Lifelong Learning

They’re not...Read More ›

A New Emphasis on Quality Child Care

With many parents working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with many child care providers temporarily closing or reducing the number of children they care for during that time, we are seeing a new level of appreciation for high quality care.

Grateful Parents

Parents have always appreciated their child care providers...Read More ›

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