Using QRIS As A Tool To Enhance Children’s Social and Emotional Development

1. Using QRIS As A Tool To Enhance Children’s Social and Emotional Development Geoffrey Nagle, PhD, MPH, LCSW Allison Boothe, PhD Tulane University Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

2. Integrating Social-Emotional Development in the QRIS • Environment Rating Scales • Social-Emotional Subscale • Mental Health Consultation • Reflective Supervision • Social-Emotional Screening • Training • Warm Line • Funding

3. Quality Start – Louisiana’s QRIS • Recognize the quality of child care being offered by child care providers • Build and sustain quality child care • Inform parents about the quality of child care

4. Points to Earn Stars

5. Environment Rating Scales Social-Emotional Subscale

6. Environment Rating Scales • Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale - Revised (ITERS-R) – birth through 2½ years • Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised (ECERS-R) – 2½ years to 5 years Harms, T., Cryer, D., & Clifford, R. M. (2006). Harms, T., Clifford, R.M., Cryer, D. (2005).

7. Each ERS Scale Assesses • Space and Furnishings • Personal Care Routines • Activities • Listening & Talking/Language-Reasoning Skills • Interaction • Program Structure

8. Social-Emotional Subscale • ITERS-R • Listening and Talking • Interaction • Program Structure • ECERS-R • Language-Reasoning • Interaction • Program Structure

9. Program Standards - Scores on the ERS (ITERS/ECERS)

10. Program Standards - Scores on the ERS (ITERS/ECERS)

11. Program Standards - Scores on the ERS (ITERS/ECERS)

12. Program Standards - Scores on the ERS (ITERS/ECERS)

13. Program Standards - Scores on the ERS (ITERS/ECERS)

14. Program Standards - Scores on the ERS (ITERS/ECERS)

15. Mental Health Consultation

16. Acknowledgments • Angela Keyes, Ph.D. • Sheryl Scott Heller, Ph.D. • Krystal Vaughn, LPC • All of the Quality Start Mental Health Consultants

17. A Primary Goal of MHC & Quality Start • Support healthy social emotional development. • Social Emotional Development: Children’s ability to experience, regulate, and express emotions; form close and secure relationships; explore the environment and learn” (Parlakian, 2003, p. 2).

18. Kindergarten teachers rate motivation and social emotional skills as more important to school success than being able to read upon entering kindergarten. (National Institute of Early Education Research, 2008).

19. What is Mental Health Consultation? • A method of supporting the healthy development of infants and young children. • An important component of support to childcare centers working to maximize quality. • Designed to support ALL children, teachers, and families involved in childcare.

20. Quality Start Model of Mental Health Consultation

21. Quality Start is a Combination Model of MHC • 3 types of MHC: • Program Centered: designed to improve experience of all individuals involved with center • Child Centered: designed to assess and make recommendations about particular children • Combination Model: uses aspects of both models to assist center and individuals within center

22. Program Centered Components of The Model • Relationships are seen as major catalyst of change • Interactive trainings are consistently conducted • MHC consistently observes in classrooms • MHC consistently meets with director • Consultants are available to meet individually with staff members • Parent meetings/workshops are available

23. Child Centered Components of Our Model • MHC available to complete a child-centered consultation when requested • Parent permission necessary & beneficial • MHC can: • Observe child in classroom • Interview parents/teachers/director • Make referrals when needed • Assist in designing behavior management program for class and assist teacher in implementing

24. Benefits of Combined Model • Centers often request consultation for child-centered reasons. • e.g., Challenging behaviors; developmental concerns • Combined model = immediate assistance for challenging behavior with continued assistance across the center.

25. Model Components • 12 total visits. One day every other week (day = 5-6 hours). • Centers with 8 or more classrooms receive weekly visits with up to 24 total visits. • All centers participating in the Quality Start QRIS program are eligible. • Centers serving child enrolled in CCAP receive priority.

26. Work Expectations • Each MHC carries caseload of: • Between 7-8 centers • Averaging between 30 and 40 classrooms • Large centers (8 or more rooms) ‘count’ as 2 centers as visited weekly • Each MHC is responsible for 4 trainings for child care community per year. • Introduction to Social Emotional Screening • Learning Through Play

27. Quality Start Mental Health Consultants • 13 full time equivalent consultants across state • All have master’s degree in a mental health field and hold a license. • Primarily LCSW, LPC, of GSW license. • Prefer clinicians who have experience with children.

28. Community Agency Involvement • Each MHC is employed through a regional agency. • Benefits of regional agency: • MHC is identified as member of community at large • MHC can call upon unique aspects of his/her agency

29. Consultant Training • Pre-Service Training • Full training on all aspects of MHC model • 5 interactive didactic trainings • 2 community trainings • Shadow consultants in field • Infant Mental Health training • 60 hours of class time in person or via videoconferencing

30. In-Service Training • Training occurs 1-2 times per calendar year • Topics/Focus vary and have included: • Cultural differences within centers and between MHC and center • Outside speakers • Updates • Team building • Reflective Supervision

31. Consultant Supervision • Consultants participate in: • Individual reflective supervision two times per month • Group reflective supervision one time per month • Focus of supervision is • Relationships with center staff • Avoiding the “expert stance” • Consultants who are working towards a more advanced license maintain supervision outside of the program.

32. Reflective Supervision • Integral to program • Goal of reflective supervision: • to help MHCs focus on their relationships with consultees & how those relationships support positive change. • MHCs are encouraged to: • discuss challenges • to view challenges from a variety of perspectives • to “wonder” about methods of supporting change within a center.

33. Social-Emotional Screening

34. Program Standards: Social-Emotional Development Screening

35. Staff Qualifications: Social Emotional Screening Training

36. Introduction to Social Emotional Screening Community Training • Rationale for universal screening • Importance of early detection • Identifying risk and protective factors • Outcomes for early treatment vs. later treatment

37. Selection of Screening Instrument • Recommended screeners : • ASQ-SE (Ages & Stages: Social Emotional) • ECSA (Early Childhood Screening Assessment) • Age ranges of each • Cost of implementation for each • Psychometric properties of each

38. Preparing to Screen • Who orders? • Who completes? (e.g., teacher; parent; etc) • Who scores? • Who discusses results with parents? • How to give feedback to parents. • How to follow up? (e.g., referrals, re-screening, etc.) • Social-Emotional Warm line information

39. Program Evaluation • Pre and post assessments are ongoing • Staff self report • Observational Measures (CLASS) • Initial findings are promising • Staff report finding MHC worthwhile & helpful • Observed differences found in classrooms in • Student teacher interactions • Overall classroom climate

40. Mental Health Consultation:A teacher’s perspective • “She was very professional and at the same time her friendly ways made her a part of our school family. The children and parents trusted her not only as a consultant but also as a person who really cares.” • A teacher after participating in Quality Start MHC program.

41. Future Research • Compare pre and post Environment Rating Scale scores. • Focus on social-emotional subscale

42. Quality Start MHC strives to provide a foundation for child care center staff to support young children in their social emotional growth. • Evaluation data is assisting us in continuing to move in the right direction.

43. Funding

44. Funding to Support QRIS • Tiered Bonus Payments • School Readiness Tax Credits

45. Tiered Bonus Payments • Children in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) • Children in foster care • Payments are automatically issued after the end of each calendar quarter

46. Tiered Bonus Payments • The bonus payment is equal to a percentage of all payments from DSS for services provided during the quarter as follows:

47. Tiered Bonus Payments • The bonus payment is equal to a percentage of all payments from DSS for services provided during the quarter as follows:

48. School Readiness Tax Credits • Package of 4 Tax Credits • Credits to Providers • Credits to Directors and Teachers • Credits to Business for Supporting Child Care • Credits to Parents/Consumers

49. Tax Credits to Providers • 102 providers benefited from the SRTC • $1.3 million • $12,795 per provider • Range $750 - $81,000

50. Tax Credits to Teachers/Directors 761 teachers/directors benefited from SRTC $1.3 million Average of $1726 per teacher/director Another 400-500 teachers were eligible and were not at a star rated center or did not file for the credits.