Parents & Caregiver Voices: Why and How Did We Co-design an Advisory Cabinet?
Parents and caregivers are experts on their child yet their voices are often missing when decisions impacting their family are made.
In this session, we explored how to create a Parent/Caregiver Advisory Cabinet that empowered parents and caregivers as active partners in decision-making. We learned strategies for building a diverse, inclusive, and effective advisory group and discovered how co-creating with families led to more responsive, equitable, and impactful initiatives. Together, we strengthened community connections, elevated voices that were often unheard, and ensured that policies reflected the real needs of children and families. We heard from parents about their experiences and messages for policymakers across the nation.
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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.