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Quality Rating and Improvement System

A Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early and school-age care and education programs.

A quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) provides a framework for defining high quality early care and education centers and family child care homes.

Quality Counts California

Quality Counts California (CA)

California has a collective of county and regional QRISs. Each QRIS in California:

  • Assesses program quality comparably across provider types (publicly and privately funded, centers and family child care homes) throughout the state;
  • Aligns program standards with early learning and practitioner standards;
  • Supports continuous quality improvement for participating programs and their staff;
  • Provides families with information about program quality to assist them in making informed choices.

Quality Rating and Improvement System Block Grants

The QRIS Block Grants are intended to build on the local QRIS efforts of current lead agencies and their consortia. Since 2012, a committed group of counties has piloted, extensively invested in, and enhanced the state’s current QRIS for all counties. The state’s initial Consortia continually worked to ensure that high-quality early education standards in QRIS strived to improve child outcomes.

California Early Learning Quality Improvement System

The California Early Learning Quality Improvement System (CAEL QIS) Advisory Committee was established out of a broad legislative partnership to help create a framework to improve the quality of early learning and care programs for children from birth to five years old.

Questions:   Early Learning and Care Division | PSQRISBG@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-6233
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
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