71-1956. Child care and early childhood education program; rating; quality rating criteria.

(1) Each applicable child care and early childhood education program which applies under section 71-1957 to participate in the quality rating and improvement system developed pursuant to section 71-1955 shall be rated on a quality scale using ratings labeled steps one through five and based on quality rating criteria.

(2) Quality rating criteria shall be used to assign a quality scale rating as appropriate for the specific step. The criteria shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) Licensing requirements as specified in the Child Care Licensing Act;

(b) Facility safety and management;

(c) Child development and school readiness outcomes;

(d) Program curriculum, learning environment, and adult-child interactions;

(e) Professional development and training;

(f) Family engagement;

(g) Program administration;

(h) Standards used by nationally recognized accrediting bodies approved by the State Department of Education; and

(i) Other standards as required by the State Department of Education for prekindergarten services and prekindergarten programs established pursuant to section 79-1104 and federal performance standards for Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

Source:Laws 2013, LB507, ยง 5.

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