Report: Coaching key to quality childcare

YAKIMA, Wash. -- When child care providers receive one-on-one coaching and a modest sum of money to make programming changes, the quality of the care they give children goes up, according to a new study by Mathematica Policy Research.

The Princeton-based research company evaluated Seeds to Success, the state’s proposed system to increase the quality of licensed child care in Washington.

The voluntary child care quality rating and improvement system is being field tested in five Washington communities by the state Department of Early Learning and Thrive by Five Washington.

Last year, in the first year of the field test, Mathematica examined two of the five communities: East Yakima and White Center.

Professional development opportunities were offered to a total of 66 child care businesses — 14 child care centers and 52 family child care providers — in both locations.

Mathematica randomly selected half of them to receive several hours of intensive coaching per month as well as quality improvement grants for scholarships for staff, curriculum and classroom materials, or parent engagement materials.

This year, more than 100 child care businesses and 300 child care providers in White Center, East Yakima and Spokane, Clark and Kitsap counties are expected to participate.

"This study clearly shows that coaching is critical and needs to be part of any system we have here in Washington," Nina Auerbach, president and CEO of Thrive by Five Washington, the state’s public-private partnership for early learning, said in a recent news release.

Leticia Rubio-Lopez, director of Lettie’s Day Care in East Yakima, said, through a translator in the same release, "Through the evaluation that took place, I was able to find out the areas I need to improve and work more diligently."

For more information, visit www.readybyfive.org.

-- Adriana Janovich