Step Up To Quality Stories

Step 5 spotlight: Stoney Straatmann reflects on her home child care’s journey through two Step 5 ratings

Meet Stoney Straatmann, director and owner of Stoney’s Home Daycare in Hastings, Nebraska. Stoney’s love for child care was instilled at a young age and has continued to grow through two Step 5 ratings. Learn more about how Stoney has achieved and sustained higher quality child care...Read More ›

Teaching civic responsibility: empowering children to make a difference

As child care providers, we play a vital role in shaping the future of our communities by teaching the next generation about civic responsibility. Even from a young age, children are eager to participate in building a better society. We can nurture this desire by providing opportunities for them to...Read More ›

Quality Time is back: Season 3 of our podcast is now live

It’s time to wake up our napping podcast! Quality Time season 3 is now live and the first episode is available for streaming now on Spotify, Apple, Google, Stitcher or right here on the Step Up to Quality website. This season is all about advocacy....Read More ›

Step 5 spotlight: April Bender shares how a slow approach and supportive coach empowered her center

Meet April Bender, director and owner of Fremont Children’s Academy, a child care center in Fremont, Nebraska. April unexpectedly entered the child care profession and opened her center nearly two decades ago, and we’re thankful for her vulnerability about her process and experience with Read More ›

Cheers to a decade of quality improvement

2024 marks Step Up to Quality’s 10-year anniversary. Throughout the past decade, we’ve been honored to help hundreds of Nebraska child care providers and educators take steps toward even higher quality practices, serving a collective 47,161 children since our program began.

This past...Read More ›

Step 5 Spotlight: Angie Herman boosts quality for Boone County child care

Meet Angie Herman, director of Tiny Treasures Daycare in Albion, Nebraska. Angie’s enthusiasm for early childhood shines throughout her career and her Step Up to Quality journey. Learn more about how Angie and her staff bring high-quality child care to Boone County.

What inspired you...Read More › - Step 5 Spotlight: Angie Herman boosts quality for Boone County child care

When to Begin Your Child Care Search

High-quality care and education, starting in infancy, has been proven to build a strong foundation for learning, emotional intelligence and better health for the rest of a person’s life. Choosing a child care provider is one of the most important decisions that working parents will make, and...Read More ›

How a Coaching Mindset Supports Early Childhood Development

Reflect on the best coaches you’ve encountered in your life — the ones who bolstered you through moments of uncertainty, acknowledged your capabilities and provided unwavering support. These individuals played, and often continue to play, a pivotal role in our personal and professional journeys. Early education providers serve as the earliest...Read More ›

Step 5 spotlight: Shannon Hampson’s unconventional approach to high-quality child care

Meet Shannon Hampson, director of Wild Child Daycare in Lincoln, Nebraska. Shannon knows that quality comes in many forms. To her, quality means boosting children’s skills and learning with lots of outdoor play and real-world experiences. Learn how her Step Up to Quality journey...Read More ›

Step 5 spotlight: Sara Voss shares her perspective from different sides of Step Up to Quality

Meet Sara Voss, an administrative coordinator at Fingerprints Child Development Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Seasoned in the early childhood field, Sara shares her experiences working with Step Up to Quality throughout her career as a center director, administrative coordinator, observer and coach.

What inspired you to become an...Read More › - Step 5 spotlight: Sara Voss shares her perspective from different sides of Step Up to Quality

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 ›

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