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 way...
Read More › - What is a QRIS?
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 › - Step 2: Training
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 › - Step by Step…You’ll Get There!
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 › - What Happens When a Program Reaches Step 5?
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 › - A New Emphasis on Quality Child Care
Kids naturally love to play, and parents often love to join in on the fun, too.
But is there more to play than what meets the eye?
Awesome Adventures
Jene and her husband love to take their toddler on little adventures and they love to spend time with him and play. But like...
Read More › - Why is Play Important for Kids?
That first step.
It’s a milestone moment. It signifies a whole new chapter, a new way of living. It’s hard to overstate what a big deal it is — you may not even realize it in the moment.
We could be talking about any first step — the first training run for...
Read More › - We Want to See Those First Steps!
For starters, if you use the term “day care,” you’re not wrong. Plenty of professional, high-quality providers still call themselves “day cares.”
It’s just that there’s a better term that more accurately describes what early childhood educators do, and it’s “child care.”
Simply put, these teachers are taking care of the child....
Read More › - Why We Use the Term ‘Child Care’ and Not ‘Day Care’