Moving Medicaid Prevention Services Upstream: An Exploration of How to Embed Medicaid Dietician Services in Head Start Settings
This brief profiles how a state Medicaid agency and its partners can explore maximizing the authority that exists under federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) law to deliver an upstream preventive service in a nonclinical setting. Services for children provide an entry point for states desiring to move prevention upstream, given the robust scope of the federal Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for children.
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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.