ASCC: Access to Quality Program

Access to Quality Program

ASCC's Access to Quality Program oversees the implementation of planning, start-up, and quality improvement grants for La Paz and Mohave counties' early childhood programs serving children ages birth to five.

Funding for the Access to Quality Program is provided by
First Things First.

What the Access to Quality Program Provides

Planning Grants for new or existing early child and education providers who are considering expanding their program

Start-Up Grants for new or existing early care and education providers who have made a decision to expand their program

Quality Improvement Grants for early care and education programs that are maintaining or pursuing accreditation

Access to Quality Program Eligibility

Recipients must be (if and when operating) regulated by the state, federal, or tribal authority, or must be a lawfully operating child care home, serving four or fewer children for payment with the intention and commitment to become a regulated child care home, AND are:

Accredited, or in the process of becoming accredited through an Arizona recognized national accreditation system, or

Participating in Quality First!, or

Participating in a demonstrated, recognized quality improvement program (Arizona Self-Study Project, for example), and commit to enrolling in
Quality First! within 2 years, or

Commit to enrolling in Quality First! within 1 year.

In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, selection for provider participation will be based on the following priorities, in order of appearance:

Expand care in geographic areas of the region that have few early care and education programs.

Expand care for infants and toddlers.

The majority of the proposed new services will benefit families from vulnerable populations, such as families at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level, teen parents, or children with developmental delays or disabilities.