Paths to QUALITY Levels

Levels of Quality

Quality experiences that promote children's healthy growth and development are provided at each level. As child care providers move from one level to the next, those opportunities increase.

Starting with meeting basic health and safety needs at Level One and topping out with national accreditation at Level Four, each quality level is tailored to suit the needs of licensed centers, family child care homes and unlicensed registered ministries. The system awards providers for ongoing efforts to achieve higher standards of quality.

Level 1 – Health & Safety Needs are Met

Paths to QUALITY participants who meet Level 1, have demonstrated that they are operating in good standing and have been recognized by the state of Indiana to meet all required health and safety standards. For homes and centers, this means that they hold a current state license. For ministries this means they have met the voluntary certification standards.

Level 2 – Environment Supports Children’s Learning

Paths to QUALITY participants who achieve Level 2, have demonstrated a commitment to improve program quality and offer opportunities for children to advance their growth and development. Level 2 participants have demonstrated participation in on-going training and professional development, having achieved or working toward a degree or other nationally recognized child care certification. Level 2 programs will have evidence of consistent daily schedules, planned daily activities for children, and will provide relevant program information to families.

Level 3 – Planned Curriculum Supports Children's Development

Paths to QUALITY participants who achieve Level 3 have demonstrated knowledge and skill to plan appropriate activities and opportunities for children that lead to school readiness. Level 3 participants use child observations, assessments, and portfolios to design activities which are inviting, engaging, and challenging to all children in their care. Level 3 programs have made a significant investment in the professional development of the staff and lead caregiver, and incorporate family and staff input into the program.

Level 4 – Achieves National Accreditation

Paths to QUALITY participants who achieve Level 4 have demonstrated a commitment to the highest level of professionalism in child care, achievement of a nationally recognized accreditation. To achieve accreditation, programs volunteer to be measured against rigorous national standards. Level 4 providers have achieved accreditation and are also managed by a provider or director who has achieved a degree or equivalent and has volunteered to provide mentoring to others in the field.

Approved Accrediting Bodies

To meet the highest standards for high quality early care and education, Level Four
(4) of Paths to QUALITY™ requires the child care program to achieve and maintain accreditation by one of the following nationally recognized accrediting bodies approved by the Bureau of Child Care:


National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
Council on Accreditation (COA)
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)

The Indiana Summit on Out-of-School Learning

The Indiana Summit on Out-of-School Learning
February 28th – March 1st, 2011

About The Summit
The 2011 conference features engaging workshops, keynote presentations, networking opportunities and more. Come take advantage of the annual opportunity and make valuable connections with leading policymakers, educators, business leaders and youth development experts from across the state. Discover the latest thinking and learn innovative practices for improving your ongoing work and new projects.

The conference includes a wide range of break-out sessions/workshops with practical tools and best practices for out-of-school time providers including:

• Curriculum ideas – building better readers, positive behaviors in youth, parent engagement, homework help, science enrichment, college and career readiness, physical fitness, and other topics.
• Leadership – building effective teams, promoting your program, innovative programming and leadership.
• Sustainability - public and private funding for afterschool and summer programs.
• Advocacy - building ongoing relationships with public policy leaders to effect ongoing change.
• Evaluation & best practices - strategies to maximize quality and impact programs.

SPECIAL EVENT: Rallying At The Indiana Statehouse
With keynote speakers, buffet lunch, and opportunities to meet in small groups with Indiana state legislators to showcase your programs and tell them about the importance of out-of-school time programs.

Summit Location
The two-day summit will be held at the Hilton (120 West Market Street) in downtown Indianapolis on February 28th and March 1st.
The rallying event will also take place on March 1st nearby at the Indiana Statehouse.
On-site hotel accommodations at the Hilton will be available at a discounted rate until January 28th (for a limited number of attendees).

Summit Attendees
The training is open to ALL out-of-school time (afterschool and summer learning) providers in Indiana.

Summit Registration
Open registration begins January 10th. Visit http://www.indianaafterschool.org/ to register or call Sara Beanblossom at 317-920-0181 with questions.

Text4Baby

Are you expecting a baby soon or have a young child at home?


Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth.

To learn more about the program you can visit their website at http://www.text4baby.org/index.html .