Finally, A Seat at the Table: Provider Voice, Community Voice
This session was presented during the BUILD 2022 National Conference.
An opportunity to learn about three innovative approaches for strengthening and centering provider and community voice in early care and education public policy and decision-making. In Louisiana, For Providers by Providers (4pxp) was launched by experienced child care providers for child care providers to coordinate their leadership development, engage them in policy advocacy, provide training and business technical assistance, and launch demonstration projects to expand their impact and financial sustainability. In Philadelphia, the Racial Equity Early Childhood Provider Council is the outgrowth of the project, Philadelphia’s Early Learning Community Speaks Out: An Action Plan for Quality Improvement; its focus is the design and operation of the quality improvement systems contracted by the state and city and it represents center and home-based programs. In Minnesota, the state is changing its frame for public sector decision making through centering provider and community voice in its work.
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Leading an Early Childhood Team Through the Quality Improvement Process
Article October 7, 2026
Published in Young Children, this 2024 article provides an operational guide for aligning state QIS requirements with broader national standards, quality grants, and staff incentives.
Much-Needed Changes in Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems Should Promote Equity
Blog October 7, 2026
Blog authors Gina Adams and Danielle Ewen outline systemic flaws in traditional models. This 2024 blog details how traditional QRIS frameworks often inadequately support parents, underinvest in actual center improvement, and inadvertently exacerbate funding inequalities among diverse childcare providers.
Four Trends in Early Care and Education Quality Rating and Improvement Systems
Fact Sheet October 7, 2026
This 2024 brief evaluates Parent Aware (Minnesota's system) and synthesizes interviews across six states (Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington). It identifies critical, modern pathways for administrators looking to overhaul and redesign state frameworks.