(A) As used in this section, “early learning and development program” has the same meaning as “licensed child care program” as defined in section 5104.01 of the Revised Code.

Terms Used In Ohio Code 5104.29

  • Administrator: means the person responsible for the daily operation of a center, type A home, or approved child day camp. See Ohio Code 5104.01
  • Child: includes an infant, toddler, preschool-age child, or school-age child. See Ohio Code 5104.01
  • Child care: means all of the following:

    (1) Administering to the needs of infants, toddlers, preschool-age children, and school-age children outside of school hours;

    (2) By persons other than their parents, guardians, or custodians;

    (3) For part of the twenty-four-hour day;

    (4) In a place other than a child's own home, except that an in-home aide provides child care in the child's own home;

    (5) By a provider required by this chapter to be licensed or approved by the department of job and family services, certified by a county department of job and family services, or under contract with the department to provide publicly funded child care as described in section 5104. See Ohio Code 5104.01

  • Employee: means a person who either:

    (1) Receives compensation for duties performed in a child care center, type A family child care home, licensed type B family child care home, or approved child day camp;

    (2) Is assigned specific working hours or duties in a child care center, type A family child care home, licensed type B family child care home, or approved child day camp. See Ohio Code 5104.01

  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59

(B) There is hereby created in the department of job and family services the step up to quality program, under which the department of job and family services, in cooperation with the department of education and workforce, shall develop a tiered quality rating and improvement system for all early learning and development programs in this state. The step up to quality program shall include all of the following components:

(1) Quality program standards for early learning and development programs;

(2) Accountability measures that include tiered ratings representing each program’s level of quality;

(3) Program and provider outreach and support to help programs meet higher standards and promote participation in the step up to quality program;

(4) Financial incentives for early learning and development programs that provide publicly funded child care and are linked to achieving and maintaining quality standards;

(5) Parent and consumer education to help parents learn about program quality and ratings so they can make informed choices on behalf of their children.

(C) The step up to quality program shall have the following goals:

(1) Increasing the number of low-income children, special needs children, and children with limited English proficiency participating in quality early learning and development programs;

(2) Providing families with an easy-to-use tool for evaluating the quality of early learning and development programs;

(3) Recognizing and supporting early learning and development programs that achieve higher levels of quality;

(4) Providing incentives and supports to help early learning and development programs implement continuous quality improvement systems.

(D) Under the step up to quality program, participating early learning and development programs may be eligible for grants, technical assistance, training, and other assistance. Programs that maintain a quality rating may be eligible for unrestricted monetary awards.

(E) The tiered ratings developed pursuant to this section shall be based on an early learning and development program’s performance in meeting program standards in the following four domains:

(1) Learning and development;

(2) Administration and leadership practices;

(3) Staff quality and professional development;

(4) Family and community partnerships.

The ratings developed under this section shall not take into consideration whether an administrator or employee of an early learning and development program holds or obtains a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

(F) The director of job and family services, in collaboration with the director of education and workforce, shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code to implement the step up to quality program described in this section.

Last updated September 7, 2023 at 1:35 PM

  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 5104 Contents