Programs for Licensed Family Child Care Homes

We truly believe that it takes a community to raise a child. Our strong belief is demonstrated in the variety of community-based programs that support QUALITY MATTERS’ goal of raising early learning quality.

Apprenticeship
Beginning fall of 2022, FIRST 5 and QUALITY MATTERS partners will launch two concurrent Apprenticeship pathways, one for center-based (preschool) assistant teachers and one for Family Child Care Home (FCCH) assistants. Our county’s Apprenticeship effort is equity-oriented, focusing on bringing people into the field of early learning and care. Components of the Early Learning Apprenticeship program include paid on-the-job training with local preschool and family child care employers, no-cost college coursework and embedded coaching, and cohort learning in a community-based location. The two-year program culminates in a wage increase, along with the achievement of an Associate Teacher permit (the credential equivalent in the early learning and care profession).

Communities of Practice
Communities of Practice sessions provide culturally and linguistically appropriate virtual professional development to QUALITY MATTERS Family Child Care Homes. Communities of Practice are groups of people, with a common goal and/or learning objective, that come together regularly to explore their curiosities and sharpen their professional skills while enhancing their learned practices. Santa Clara County Office of Education Inclusion Collaborative coaches work closely with FIRST 5 to deliver content at the monthly sessions.

Inclusion Support Warmline
The Inclusion Support WarmLine offers FREE individualized supports for early educators working with children who have disabilities and other needs. Strategies include: Positive Behavior Supports, Social Stories, Visual support, Communication Strategies, Community Activities, Social Emotional support, and more. The Warmline offers support in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages as needed. 

myTeachstone
The CLASS framework is a reliable and valid classroom assessment tool that measures the teacher-child interactions that promote positive academic and social outcomes for children.6 It is based on hundreds of studies and provides an objective measure of important, observable teacher behaviors and teacher-student interactions. CLASS scores are not determined by the presence of learning materials, the condition of the physical environment, or the adoption of a specific curriculum. Instead, the focus is on what teachers do with the materials they have and on how the teachers interact with children. MyTeachstone is an online coaching tool for that supports understanding and implementation of the CLASS tool.

QUALITY MATTERS Peer Mentor Program
Peer Mentorship is offered through the QUALITY MATTERS Stipend Program with WestEd E3 Institute. Peer mentors are capable, creative, and experienced family child care home providers who help other providers make the most our of their professional development journey.

QUALITY MATTERS Stipend Program
In partnership with FIRST 5, Enlighten, and Local Early Education Planning Council (LPC), QUALITY MATTERS provides financial incentives for early education program directors and teaching staff and Family Resource Center staff in Santa Clara County to pursue professional development opportunities.

SEEDS of Early Literacy
To support family child care providers and ensure children in their care have access to rich learning experiences, FIRST 5 has implemented the SEEDS program. SEEDS (Sensitivity, Encouragement, Education, Development through Doing, and Self-Image) is a relationship-based professional development strategy for family child care providers to develop language-rich environments for the young children in their care. Early educators receive professional development, coaching, and technical assistance to implement the SEEDS curriculum and integrate meaningful literacy-focused interactions with children throughout the day

Programs for Licensed Center-Based Sites

Apprenticeship
Beginning fall of 2022, FIRST 5 and QUALITY MATTERS partners will launch two concurrent Apprenticeship pathways, one for center-based (preschool) assistant teachers and one for Family Child Care Home (FCCH) assistants. Our county’s Apprenticeship effort is equity-oriented, focusing on bringing people into the field of early learning and care. Components of the Early Learning Apprenticeship program include paid on-the-job training with local preschool and family child care employers, no-cost college coursework and embedded coaching, and cohort learning in a community-based location. The two-year program culminates in a wage increase, along with the achievement of an Associate Teacher permit (the credential equivalent in the early learning and care profession).

QUALITY MATTERS Stipend Program
Educators employed at a QRIS CSPP or CCTR center-based program in either Santa Clara County or San Benito County can register in the QUALITY MATTERS Stipend Program (QMSP) administered by the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

Inclusion Support Warmline
The Inclusion Support Warmline offers free individualized support for parents, teachers, and community members working with children who have disabilities and other needs. Stategies include: positive behavior supports, social stories, visual supports, communication strategies, community activities, and social emotional supports. Email them at inclusionwarmline@sccoe.org.

Trauma-Informed Care Training
The Trauma-Informed Practices (TIP) training series is designed to support PreK-8 educators and care providers serving 0-8 years old. These trainings will explore culturally responsive self-care strategies and the importance of educator self-care to goals of social justice and equity. We advocate and promote the importance of increasing self-awareness and self-care at the individual and institutional levels. These trainings are based on the second book in the early childhood trauma series called, Culturally Responsive Self-Care for Early Childhood Educators by Nicholson, Shimpi Driscoll, Kurtz, Márquez and Wesley. TIP-ECE training supports ECE providers working in a range of settings and environments with young children.

Quality Rating
CA State Preschool programs are evaluated based on the Quality Continuum Framework - Measured Quality Elements. This tired rating structure helps assess how their program meets specific standards per the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).