Step Up to Quality helps great child care providers become even better. We’re a voluntary quality-improvement program for early childhood education providers in Nebraska.

Morgan Krull, Step Up to Quality program coordinator, is often the first point of contact for providers, sending Step Up to Quality information and answering questions about the program. We recently chatted with Morgan to learn what common questions, misconceptions and happy surprises providers have along their quality improvement journeys.

“The Step Up to Quality process is overwhelming.”

The Step Up to Quality journey can seem overwhelming when looking at the program roadmap all at once. We encourage providers to break it apart step by step! You can take as much time as you need to move through the process at a comfortable pace, and we provide support every step of the way to clarify what’s next and to help you meet your program’s individual goals.

“If I enroll in Step Up to Quality, can I go at my own pace?”

Providers are always in control of their next step. While there’s no pressure to achieve a certain step by a certain time, we will send encouraging reminders with information about next steps and how this could benefit your program. For example, if you’ve completed required training for Licensing, much of the groundwork is already in place to achieve Step 2. With only a couple more trainings, the Step 2 bonus becomes available.

Then, it’s your choice to continue further, or if you want to take a pause, that’s completely fine. Dip your toe in and see how it goes. There are always more resources, more training and more ways to advance from there.

“Do I have to create a separate NECPRS account as a director or program?”

The Step Up to Quality team can easily assign director access to a user’s existing NECPRS account, so it’s not necessary to create a separate account for the program. Having one account makes it easier to ensure your training records are all in one place, and you will always be able to access those training records, even if you change jobs!

“What incentives are available for enrolled providers?”

Child care and early childhood education providers who are enrolled in Step Up to Quality may be eligible for individual tax credits, along with their staff. If your program receives child care subsidies, you may receive an increase to your subsidy rates once you reach Steps 3-5. Enrolled providers also receive incentive bonuses when reaching Steps 2-5.

“Do I have to reach a Step 5 rating?”

Reaching a Step 5 rating is a wonderful achievement, but it may not be your program’s goal. Some providers have the goal of reaching a Step 3 to receive an increase in subsidy reimbursement. There’s no pressure to reach Step 5, but we believe it’s attainable for any program that wants to get there.

“Step 5 might be possible for other programs but not for mine.”

The number of family child care programs and center-based programs that have reached Step 5 continues to grow! While the process is a lot of work, it’s worth it to continually improve the quality of your care, and there are other benefits along the way. We are here to help you at any point on your path.

“Observations are way too much pressure.”

One Step 5 provider shared with us, “I think observations are the one thing people panic about, which may deter some providers from participating in Step Up to Quality. But observers are not there to judge you. They’re evaluating your program to help you be the best provider you can be. If it doesn’t go perfectly, that’s OK.”

If you’re not feeling ready for an observation, you can now achieve a Step 3 rating without one. Moving from a Step 2 to Step 3 without an observation is a good way to ease into the process. Then you may feel more ready for an observation to reach a Step 4 or Step 5 at your next rating review! If you do decide to have an observation, you can choose between the Environmental Rating Scale (ERS) or Classroom Assessment Scoring System™(CLASS) observation tools depending on which feels like a better fit for your program. Then, you train in that observation tool to feel more confident and prepared for the observation.

Beyond training, coaching is available for extra support. Quality Foundations Coaching helps providers prepare their binder and materials for the rating review visit, and one-on-one coaching can help providers prepare for observation.

“If I work with a one-on-one coach, they’ll want to change everything about my program.”

The purpose of our free, voluntary coaching opportunities is to support providers. One-on-one coaches are an experienced, encouraging resource to ask questions, define your goals and focus on your strengths. They will help you identify areas of improvement in alignment with your goals and prepare you for your next step in the Step Up to Quality program.

One Step 5 provider shares, “Coaches are only there to help you, not criticize you, and they are great to bounce ideas off of because they understand what it’s like to be in your shoes.”

“How can I possibly score all these points to get my next Step rating?”

Step Up to Quality may seem like it has rigid standards, but there’s more flexibility than you may think. A great example of this is the rating review and observation process. While we have certain standards for high-quality care, we know the way providers approach this care can greatly vary. That’s why we use an overall point threshold that can be met by selecting from a variety of different quality indicators on the rating request form. You get to choose which points are most important to you.

As one Step 5 provider puts it, “You have to realize that you won’t get certain points, and you’re not expected to get a perfect score. It doesn’t mean you’re less quality, it means your quality may be different.”

“How do I start?”

The Step Up to Quality website hosts a lot of great information for providers to understand the process, including our program guide in English and Spanish and how to get started. And you can always contact us. Even if you’re not sure of which questions to ask, don’t let that be a barrier to reaching out for more information. We are more than happy to help you understand the process — at any point in your journey — and how it can support you and the children in your care.