Newsletter
Oregon’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is a program that elevates the importance of early learning by supporting child care providers to continuously improve their programs and supporting families in finding high quality care. Child care providers participate in the QRIS by demonstrating how they meet a research-based set of standards within 5 domains, focused on child learning and development. Oregon’s QRIS recognizes, rewards, and builds on what early learning programs are already doing well. The QRIS can also help inform and connect parents with what they care about in early learning programs by providing a set of standards, that indicate a focus on child learning and development Oregon’s QRIS aims to increase the availability and access to quality early learning environments for all of Oregon’s families.
One of the QRIS domains is Health & Safety. The QRIS and its five tiers (see image below) are based upon the foundation of licensing as the first tier. Licensing requires adherence to health and safety rules for the environment and programming. For the second tier, Commitment to Quality, programs must meet standards beyond what is required in licensing. Programs must have specific compliance histories demonstrating their success with health and safety regulations for 24 months.
Once a program applies for a star rating, programs must demonstrate policies and practices that address additional quality standards beyond the basic health and safety regulation.
Key QRIS Health and Safety Standards
- Children are provided instruction and support to independently manage health and hygiene practices.
- Children are provided instruction and support on safety rules and expectations.
- Healthy eating and fitness habits are supported and encouraged.
- Program personnel collaborate with health and health-related service professionals to address the individual health needs of children as applicable.
- Program provides appropriate use, modeling, and limitation of “screen time.”
To see and learn about additional QRIS Domains, visit: http://triwou.org/projects/qris