Strengthening Quality

We will ensure all components are in place to coordinate quality measurement and guide improvement in all publicly funded classrooms as part of VQB5.

To prepare all children for kindergarten and in response to state law, Virginia has developed the Unified Virginia Quality Birth to Five System (VQB5) to measure and help improve the quality of all publicly-funded birth-to-five classrooms and support families to choose quality programming across program types.

All publicly-funded birth-to-five early childhood programs are required to participate in VQB5 on an annual basis. Programs that do not receive public funding have the option to participate. Details are available on the VQB5 Participation Requirements webpage.

VQB5 Quality Profiles (with information about early childhood program performance on quality measures and other topics of interest to families, policy makers, and the public) is available at EarlyChildhoodQuality.doe.virginia.gov

Ready Regions coordinate and support participation in VQB5 for early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs in the region.

To enroll in VQB5:
vqb5@ThriveB5.org

The Virginia Department of Education administers VQB5 as established by the Virginia Board of Education. To learn more, visit the VDOE Quality Measurement and Improvement (VQB5) website or e-mail vqb5@doe.virginia.edu.

Increasing Access

Thrive Birth to Five administers Mixed Delivery programming in the region, and coordinated enrollment to help families learn about and access ECCE services that meet their needs and preferences, while helping ECCE providers connect with and serve more families.

Ready Region Central identifies high quality childcare centers and family day homes to participate in Mixed Delivery.

VECF’s Mixed Delivery program provides public funding for ECCE services for eligible children, birth to five, and helps address the growing demand for full-day, year-round that aligns with families’ needs and preferences. To learn more about Mixed Delivery visit VECF’s website.

Ready Regions is working to coordinate enrollment across publicly funded ECCE programs in the region, such as childcare centers and family childcare homes (including those participating in VECF’s Mixed Delivery program) Head Start, Virginia Preschool Initiative, and others) to:

• Help parents easily learn where there are available spots for their children, what they qualify for, and information such as cost, hours, and location.  Visit our VA Ready to Find Child Care Marketplace (linked here; optional text for Ready Regions currently participating in Marketplace)
• Help ECCE providers keep enrollment numbers steady, communicate when they have slots available, and grow in ability to secure the resources for delivery of quality services.

To learn more: MixDel@thriveb5.org

For current information about child care supply and demand, and child and family outcomes in our region and in Virginia, visit the Ready Region ECCE Supply / Demand Dashboard.

Quality early learning experiences are essential for preparing children to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. This impact is life-long. Research has shown that children who participate in high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs are more likely to finish college, be gainfully employed, and be healthier later in life. The Mixed Delivery program provides publicly funded ECCE services in licensed (non-faith-based), private ECCE settings for eligible children. It funds full-day, year-round ECCE services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, meeting growing demand for publicly funded ECCE at private sites that meet the varied needs and preferences of families.