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	Who is Kacey? Kacey, the Maryland EXCELS Quality Koala, engages families and helps them understand the importance of quality child care and early education.
	What is Maryland EXCELS? Maryland EXCELS is a resource to help families find high-quality child care and early education programs. These programs exceed state regulations and are committed to providing high-quality services to meet your child’s unique needs. Learn more about Maryland EXCELS. You can use the Find A Program directory to search for quality programs in your area.
	What is Quality? The programs in Maryland EXCELS provide the strong foundation that children need to succeed in school and in life. Quality child care and early education is more than caring for children’s basic needs. Maryland EXCELS programs consider each child’s needs and treat families as partners in their child’s care and education. Learn more about what quality means.
	Kacey in the Community Maryland EXCELS connects with families and providers at community events throughout the state. Follow Kacey @MarylandEXCELS for valuable tips and information about child care and early education. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Why is high-quality child care and early education so important?

Succeeding in life starts by succeeding in school. But to succeed in school, all young children need to be prepared to enter kindergarten. That means being ready to tackle school challenges like learning to read and do math and understanding how to talk to teachers and relate to peers. High-quality child care helps children gain these essential skills while keeping them safe and healthy.

What does high-quality child care and early education look like?

• The program and educators are responsive to the needs of each individual child.
• Families are engaged in their child’s program.
• There are accessible, supportive, engaging experiences.
• Interactions between staff and children are warm and positive.
• Learning opportunities are developmentally appropriate, interactive, and plentiful.
• Health, safety, positive relationships, and learning are priorities.

What is accreditation?

Program accreditation is a process in which early care and education programs can assess and improve the quality of the services.  Public and non-public early childhood and school-age programs in Maryland can pursue national, regional, or state accreditation. Through the accreditation process, a program voluntarily seeks self-study, program improvement, and external program review to achieve and publicly confirm that it meets national and/or state quality standards.

Head Start programs, child care centers, and family child care homes are required to be licensed or registered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Division of Early Childhood Development, Office of Child Care. The licensing and regulatory requirements are minimum standards for operating programs. Program accreditation standards represent high quality and reflect research-based best practices in early childhood education. Program accreditation implies that services have moved beyond licensing and regulatory requirements.

Children benefit from accredited programs because the learning environments meet standards that promote stimulating, positive, and growth-oriented practices. Families benefit from the accreditation process because their children are in learning environments that reflect the research and best practices of the field.

My family uses vouchers for child care. Do Maryland EXCELS programs accept them?

Accepting Child Care Scholarship is at the discretion of individual programs; however, programs that accept Child Care Scholarship vouchers must participate in Maryland EXCELS.

How can I get more information about participating in Maryland EXCELS to my program?

Direct your program to Participate in Maryland EXCELS or their regional Quality Assurance Specialist for support. There are also many helpful resources available on the Maryland EXCELS Toolkit, uniquely designed for programs who are committed to quality improvement.

Teresha Sutton is a family child care provider in Harford County. Her program, What About the Children, Inc., has a Maryland EXCELS Quality Rating 5 and uses Creative Curriculum, faith-based lessons and activities, collaborations with local organizations, and individualized learning to support children.

Ms. Sutton recently shared her journey as a provider, what she loves about her work, and what Maryland EXCELS has meant for her program.

Q: When did you know this was exactly the kind of work you wanted to do? ​

A: My journey in the child care profession has been deeply rooted in my passion for nurturing and caring for young children. Throughout my career, I have held various roles in education and child care. I have served as a long-term substitute teacher, classroom assistant and school administrative assistant, allowing me to positively influence and shape young minds of all ages. In 2003, I obtained my license as a family child care provider.

The name “What About the Children” was divinely inspired by the Lord. It carries a promise that I would become a vessel, providing accessible and affordable quality child care services to families in need. My mandate in life is to create safe and loving environments where children can thrive.

Q: Is there one thing about your program that’s most near and dear to your heart? 

A: Many things in my program are near and dear to me, but creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child feels loved, valued, and supported comes first. In addition, my program implements a personalized learning approach that tailors activities and lessons to meet each child’s unique needs, interests, and abilities.

Q: Do you have a favorite community partnership or a successful way of engaging families?

A: Harford County’s Opening the Gift program is a fantastic community partnership for our program. Collaborating with a program that encourages families to prioritize reading and the library as part of their family time can have a lasting and positive impact on the children’s education and love for learning.

Q: What advice would you have for a new provider?

A: A few pieces of advice would be to prioritize safety, build relationships, plan engaging activities, have effective communication, and practice frequent self-care. Child care can be demanding, so prioritize self-care to avoid burnout. Also, provide the best care for the children because each child is unique, and your dedication, patience, and compassion will make a significant difference in their lives. Finally, have fun!

Q: What role has Maryland EXCELS played in your program?

A: Maryland EXCELS has tremendously impacted my personal life and our child care program. The step-by-step model allows you to work at your own pace while enhancing your professionalism. Having a supportive Maryland EXCELS Program Coordinator like Nancy Gumbel makes the experience even more enriching. She helped me reach the highest level and become an accredited program. Nancy’s guidance has played a significant role in my success.

Families have a lot to consider when looking for the proper child care and early education program for their family. Cost, location, and availability are important factors—but quality is the most crucial factor.

Maryland EXCELS helps families choose quality child care and early education programs that meet their needs. By searching for a Maryland EXCELS quality-rated program, families are choosing from programs that emphasize achieving high standards and implementing practices that support children’s development and learning.

Research shows that children who experience safe, nurturing, and trusting relationships with the adults in their lives have a greater chance of success–emotionally, economically, and intellectually. These adults include caregivers and education providers for children who spend significant time in child care homes or centers.

In a recent presentation, Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child addressed the positive impact early child care and education providers can have on children who are at risk. For those children who experience increased stress, quality early childhood programs can make long-term differences. Additionally, according to The Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development, an article on the Harvard University Center website, having dependable and nurturing relationships with adults can “reverse the damaging effects of early life stress, with lifelong benefits for learning behavior and health.”

The Maryland State Department of Education supports this research by requiring child care programs that accept the Child Care Scholarship to participate in Maryland EXCELS. This requirement ensures that children have access to child care programs committed to continuous quality improvement. 

How do you recognize the various cultures and experiences of the children in your program?

Inclusion in child care and early education is an essential  topic. As you work to ensure inclusivity in your program, consider the  practical suggestions from Quality Assurance Specialist Petrea Hicks. Hicks has dedicated a significant amount of her career in early childhood to inclusivity and the importance of all children being represented equally in their programs and classrooms.

Hicks suggests providers help children see themselves positively by ensuring the books and materials in the learning environment are diverse and help to avoid or combat stereotypes. According to Hicks, fostering an environment reflective of a child’s culture and background will help that child make social-emotional gains from an early age.

Below are three additional  tips from Hicks on being more racially and culturally inclusive in your early childhood program.

1. With the help of associated training, be educated and knowledgeable to ensure your program is being inclusive.
2. Focus on a child’s strengths. Your expectations for a child fuel them, so be sure to focus on their strengths to build confidence.
3. Recognize all children at all times. Always celebrate diversity, not just during months honoring history. For example, in addition to recognizing Black History month in February, ensure there are books and materials in your program regarding African American culture available throughout the year. Programs should seek books and materials highlighting  influential people in the community and stories about unique experiences specific to various audiences. Stories should also include diverse characters so children can see themselves in the books they read.