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Early Childhood Care and Education

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All Quality-Rated Sites Score Quality Plus or Better

Research on school readiness and children’s brain development confirms the importance of high-quality early education and care programs for children’s future success in school and life. In addition, affordable childcare is essential for working families to maintain economic self-sufficiency. Early care and education have shown to be an efficient and effective investment for economic and workforce development, with an estimated return of $7 for every $1 invested.[1] This indicator measures childcare availability by tracking the supply and demand of licensed childcare spaces, the availability of subsidies for low-income families, and average annual childcare costs. Also measured is participation in Quality Start San Bernardino (QSSB), which is San Bernardino County’s early care and education quality rating and improvement system. QSSB serves California State Preschool Programs (CSPP), family childcare programs, private and public centers, alternative sites, and family, friend and neighbors.  

TREND

Child Care Capacity

From 2021 to 2023, there was a 14% increase in the number of spaces at licensed family childcare homes (home-based) and a 13% increase in the number of spaces at licensed childcare centers (center-based) in San Bernardino County.  Despite this rebound, the overall number of childcare slots is still down 29% from 2012.  

CHILDCARE SLOTS INCREASE 14% FOLLOWING PANDEMIC INDUCED RETRACTION
Number of Licensed Childcare Slots in San Bernardino County, 2012-2023

Source: The California Child Care Portfolio, California Child Care Resource and Referral Network(www.rrnetwork.org/) 

Quality Start San Bernardino

In 2023/24, there were 333 early childhood programs and 11,468 children served by QSSB. Of the 333 programs, 158 were CSPP sites, which were eligible to be rated. A rating of ‘Highest Quality’ is the best possible rating, which 63 sites received. Most sites (95) received the next highest rating of ‘Quality Plus’. Of the over 11,000 children served, 74% were preschool-age, 11% were toddlers, and 5% were infants.   

What is QSSB?

Quality Start San Bernardino (QSSB) works to increase the quality of local early learning programs for San Bernardino County’s youngest children through the development of a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Participating sites are rated every three or five years and receive support and incentives to gain and maintain the highest ratings through the system. As of 2021/22, QSSB only rates California State Preschool Program (CSPP) sites.

ALL CSPP SITES EARN RATING OF ‘QUALITY PLUS’ OR HIGHER IN 2023/24
California State Preschool Program Site Ratings in San Bernardino County, 2023/24

Source: Child Care Resource Center California, Quality Start San Bernardino data request 

OVER 300 PROGRAMS AND 11,000 CHILDREN SERVED BY QSSB 

Number of Programs and Children Served by Quality Start San Bernardino (QSSB), 2023/24 

Number of Programs Served
Number of Children Served

Source: Child Care Resource Center California, Quality Start San Bernardino data request 

[1] National Institute for Early Childhood Education Research (http://nieer.org)

1National Institute for Early Childhood Education Research (http://nieer.org)