Technical Assistance to Improve the Quality of Child Care in Mississippi

Presenters: Julie Sims, Mississippi State University/MSCCR&R Network, Louise Davis, Ph.D., Melissa Tenhet, M.S., Amy Stokes, Erika Cooksey, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State University Extension Service, School of Human Sciences, Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral Network

The objective of this proposal is to discuss the quality improvement outcomes of the technical assistance program within the Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral Network (MSCCR&R Network). The program reaches early care and education providers in licensed facilities across the state. The technical assistance is based on the Environment Rating Scales, The Creative Curriculum, the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines, and lessons tailored to the teacher’s needs. A technical assistance coordinator serves as a mentor and role model, provides lessons, helps arrange the classroom, and demonstrates teaching techniques to participants enrolled in the program. Each classroom received a minimum of 30 hours of technical assistance. Pre and post ratings from the Environment Rating Scales were used to evaluate program impact. The analysis revealed improvements in quality of care for both the ITERS-R and ECERS-R classrooms. Increases in all subscale scores were observed for both types of classrooms except for personal care routines in the ECERS-R classrooms. The results show that technical assistance can be used as a means to improve the quality of child care. This research format can be used across disciplines for educational workshops, after school programs and other Extension outreach programs to determine quality improvements or knowledge gained.