The Bucks County Quality Child Care Coalition was established in 2002 through a grant from the state to focus on early care and education issues for children. Prior to this time, there only existed a fragmented system that lacked collaboration, standards, and support for low-income families. Since that time, QCCC has been instrumental in supporting the following:
QCCC focuses on engaging families, child care programs, educators, school districts and other community partners to educate the public on the importance of quality in child care, early childhood education, and pre-K programs. Partnering with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit and United Way of Bucks County, QCCC is moving ahead, forging relationships with new partners and working with a strengthened network of child care programs to make quality early care and education a reality for ALL of Bucks County’s children.
Belonging is a basic need of every person. For children to belong, they need to be able to fully participate in everyday activities with their peers. This requires that children with disabilities have access to and are actively included within the same social and learning opportunities that they would have if they did not have a disability. Successful implementation of inclusion practices requires appropriate supports and services to be available and used to facilitate children’s full participation in activities. Partnerships between families, professionals, and communities are an essential foundation for high- quality inclusion. Many individuals and agencies must collaborate to ensure that successful inclusive opportunities are available.
Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) designed ELRCs as a place where families can find high-quality early education opportunities, apply for assistance to help with child care costs or access other resources that will set them on a path to success. It is also where child care providers can receive information on improving program quality. QCCC works with ELRC #16 which includes all of Bucks County; visit www.elrc-csc.org for more information.
Here are some additional links about the ELRCs:
Professional development of early childhood educators is seen as the key to quality early care and education by QCCC.
We collaborate with higher education. Holy Family University is a sponsor; we engage with faculty and students and hold open community meetings on the second Tuesday of even-numbered months at the Newtown Campus.
We serve as the early childhood advisory group for Bucks County Community College; one result has been their offering of credit-bearing ECE courses at child care centers .
QCCC plays an active role with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit Tender Bridges Advisory Council focused on pre-kindergarten through early primary grades; QCCC sponsored a recent presentation about Trauma Informed Early Childhood Education at the BCIU.
Working with the Bucks County PA Pre-K Counts grantees, QCCC plays an active part in helping PKC teachers move through the PDE Induction Process moving from PA Certification I to Level II.
As a recognized PA Professional Development Organization, QCCC continues to offer professional development supporting the needs of staff in Keystone STARS. Courses are listed on the PA PD Registry offering PQAS credits.
Please contact us for additional information.
© 2018 Quality Child Care Coalition
