Step Up To Quality Stories

Step 5 spotlight: Marti Spitz discusses quality care and continuous improvement

We recently chatted with Marti Spitz, director of Beginnings Early Development Center in Hastings, to learn more about her Step Up to Quality journey and how the process has fostered continuous quality improvement at her center.

What inspired you to become a child care provider?

I didn’t actually set...Read More ›

Step 5 spotlight: How Carime Ruvalcaba positively impacts Nebraska’s children and the profession

Meet Carime Ruvalcaba, director and owner of Karime Child Care, LLC, a family child care home in Grand Island, Nebraska. Achieving a Step 5 rating is one of Carime’s many accomplishments. Her continual learning and involvement in the early childhood education field has elevated the quality of...Read More ›

Paso 5 foco de atención: Cómo Carime Ruvalcaba influye positivamente en los niños de Nebraska y en la profesión

Conozca a Carime Ruvalcaba, directora y propietaria de Karime Child Care, LCC, un hogar de cuidado infantil familiar en Grand Island, Nebraska. Lograr una calificación de Step 5 es uno de los muchos logros de Carime. Su continuo aprendizaje y participación en el campo de la educación...Read More ›

It’s Quality Time: Season 2 of our podcast is now live

We’re excited to share that we’ve launched season 2 of our Quality Time podcast! The first episode is available for streaming now on Spotify, Apple, Google, Stitcher or right here on the Step...Read More ›

On Cloud Nine: Learn about Step Up to Quality’s Exciting Milestones

In July, we celebrated the ninth anniversary of Step Up to Quality! We’re so proud to be a part of the growing focus on the importance of high quality early childhood education, both here in Nebraska and throughout the nation. Step Up to Quality is a part of a network of...Read More ›

Step 5 spotlight: Natalie Hanna explains how Step Up to Quality benefits her family child care home

Meet Natalie Hanna, director and owner of Natalie’s Child Care, a family child care home in Kearney, Nebraska. This Step 5 provider has been with Step Up to Quality since the beginning, so we gave her a call to learn more about her inspiration to join the...Read More ›

5 Tips for a Happy First Day of Child Care

The first day of child care can be challenging for everyone. For parents, even if they’ve done all their research and know that the chosen program is a good fit, it can feel like the most unnatural feeling to leave their child. For teachers, a new little one brings...Read More ›

Step 5 Spotlight: Bernard Turnbo discusses how an open mindset enhances his facility’s quality

We recently chatted with Bernard Turnbo, director and CEO of B.E.T. Learning Academy, to learn more about his history in child care, his team’s Step Up to Quality journey and how the academy achieved a Step 5 with flying colors.

What inspired you to become a child care...Read More › - Step 5 Spotlight: Bernard Turnbo discusses how an open mindset enhances his facility’s quality

Activity Ideas for Celebrating Nebraska

Nebraska’s birthday is coming up on March 1, which is a great opportunity to incorporate Nebraska-related activities in your home or classroom. In honor of our state’s 156th birthday, here are some educational (and fun!) ideas to connect children’s learning to Nebraska’s history and present. One approach to activities is exploring...Read More ›

Step Up to Quality 2.0: The same program, even better

In the years since we launched Step Up to Quality, Nebraska’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, in 2014, the early childhood education field has continued to advance and evolve. And our Step Up to Quality team here in the Department of Early Childhood has learned a great...Read More ›

How Observations Support Early Childhood Programs

Step Up to Quality helps Nebraska child care providers boost the quality of their care through our 5 Steps, which involve learning, training and observation. In this blog post, we’re focusing on our two types of observation tools, Environment Rating Scales (ERS) and Read More ›

The Many Ways Signing Up for NECPRS Benefits Early Childhood Professionals

The first step of a Step Up to Quality journey includes having directors and staff create profiles in the Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System (NECPRS). If your program is already enrolled in Step Up to Quality, you may have completed this task and...Read More ›

Expanding Childrens’ Palates and Worldviews Through Food

Mealtime is an opportunity to provide babies, toddlers and young children with a wide range of experiences that involve their five senses. Incorporating activities around food — and the various cultures from which dishes originate — can help children expand their worldviews and develop stronger brain pathways.

Exploring cultures through...Read More › - Expanding Childrens’ Palates and Worldviews Through Food

Step 5 Spotlight: Jennifer Baumann Talks Unstructured Play and Going Viral on TikTok

We recently chatted with Jennifer Baumann, a Step 5 provider and TikTok extraordinaire, to learn more about her Step Up to Quality journey and how she uses social media to connect with other parents and providers.

How did you decide you wanted to be a child care...Read More › - Step 5 Spotlight: Jennifer Baumann Talks Unstructured Play and Going Viral on TikTok

The Importance of Coaching in Early Childhood Education

We know how important high-quality early childhood education is, but how can we continue to boost this quality? An important component is coaching. If you’ve ever been in a classroom full of energetic children, you know another expert perspective can be very helpful. Coaching is professional development that emphasizes the application...Read More ›

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