Elevate is the Office of Early Childhood’s (OEC) quality improvement system for licensed and many license-exempt child care programs in family, group, and center-based settings.
Elevate is a three-tier system that gives child care providers the tools and guidance they need to improve their programs over time at their own pace. Learn more about Elevate levels.
National standards define high quality
At OEC, we build systems based on what works. Elevate is built in this way too!
National accreditation systems support high quality programs for young children across the country. We leverage national program standards and national accountability infrastructure to keep OEC resources focused on CT programs. Building on national systems conserves state resources.
We define high-quality early care and education programs as those that meet
- Accreditation+ from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAYEC)
- Accreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
- Head Start and Early Head Start approval
Elevate meets programs where they are
Elevate builds on Connecticut’s licensing requirements and links to national accreditation standards. Accreditation is not a requirement for participation in Elevate, but it has many benefits.
With Elevate, we don’t evaluate or rate providers. Instead, we meet providers where they are and help them grow their program however they want. The Elevate Program Plan outlines plans for quality improvement. It helps programs reflect on where they are now and what they want to become.
Elevate connects technical assistance and professional development opportunities
OEC Service Navigators are experienced guides who can talk about your program’s needs and direct you to resources. Connect with a Service Navigator.
Accreditation Quality Improvement Supports (AQIS) offer access to a team of staff with expertise in continuous program improvement based on the NAEYC assessment items. AQIS supports NAEYC Accreditation for centers, group homes, and family child care homes. Learn more about AQIS.
Staffed Family Child Care Networks (SFCCNs) are community initiatives with paid staff that have expertise helping family child care providers and they offer ongoing support services and resources. SFCCNs support NAFCC accreditation for family child care homes. Find your SFCCN here.
Elevate is still a work in progress
We built Elevate from state licensing compliance data, state accreditation data, earlier pilots of quality improvement systems, and feedback from providers.
- Connecticut providers played an essential role in creating this system. We shared concepts with providers through NAEYC-led focus groups, a statewide webinar, a survey, and workgroups. Throughout the process, feedback from providers has helped us adjust our approach and improve Elevate. Learn about how provider feedback has shaped our system.
- We’re also in conversation with the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) about supporting our systems-level work.
- We’ve partnered with experts at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the University of Connecticut School of Social Work to ensure a streamlined infrastructure based on existing, proven approaches to strengthen programs through continuous improvement. Learn more about our partnership with NAEYC.
Watch NAEYC Executive Director Michelle Kang discuss Connecticut’s quality improvement system.
Share resources about Elevate
We can help. Connect with a Service Navigator to learn more about Elevate.