The State of Ohio has established a three-tiered rating system, called Step Up To Quality (or SUTQ), for programs offered by licensed child care and early learning providers, including those in school districts, child care facilities, and family homes. Step Up To Quality promotes standards that exceed licensing health and safety regulations, and have been proven to lead to improved outcomes for children. SUTQ is a clear method to evaluate and guide providers toward measurable long-term success.
As an organization dedicated to serving those who serve Ohio’s youngest children, Action for Children works hand-in-hand with child care and early learning providers. We’re here to help you navigate SUTQ with a range of no- and low-cost training, tools, resources, and guidance. If you need coaching to improve your classroom environment, advice on enrolling in a professional development course, ideas for getting parents involved in your program, or assistance on filling out the SUTQ paperwork, our team of experts can help. We’ll come to your site for one-on-one guidance, and you can attend trainings, workshops, and SUTQ submission fairs at our offices and those of our partners.
A DCY licensing specialist will conduct an onsite SUTQ visit to evaluate the common practices of a program in four domains:
Once the onsite visit concludes, the licensing specialist will recommend to their supervisor for approval for a rating in which the program successfully demonstrates meeting all the requirements for a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.
We have multiple supports for family child care providers, some of which include the following services:
There are many benefits to being SUTQ-rated, the first of which is being recognized as providing a higher level of quality care and education for children and families. Through the use of various marketing tools you may see more parents looking to place their child(ren) in your care. And if you provide care for families utilizing publicly funded child care you may receive a higher level of reimbursement, which increases for each level.
Another benefit is increasing staff retention! Good candidates will look for opportunities of growth and will naturally seek out rated programs, and the higher rated the better. It also gives the current staff a sense of pride that they are providing a higher level of quality teaching and care of their children and families.
When you want to raise your SUTQ rating, you must meet additional criteria as determined by the state. You can find a detailed explanation of the criteria here (add link to standards), and Action for Children would be happy to coach you through what you can do next.
You may send an email to one of these email addresses: