This significant credential verifies that a program meets nationally recognized criteria for high quality care and education. The Georgia Head Start Quality Initiative , as designed and implemented by Quality Assist, provides a road map for programs seeking accreditation by the National Association for the Education of young Children. To help Georgia's H EAD S TART grantees achieve this highly recognized state, the Quality Initiative provides individualized, technical assistance to programs on the road to accreditation. Achieving accreditation involves a rigorous process during which early childhood program administrators and teachers engage in intense self-study and assessment. This self-paced, systematic process helps individual programs identify their strengths and shortcomings, then use their findings to adjust their course and guide program development.
Quality is a continuous road, rather than a one-way trip.
The entire process can last from 12 to 36 months, depending on the needs of each program. Throughout the effort, emphasis is placed on developing systems to support a continuous process of program improvement. Quality Assist employs early childhood specialists with a wide range of experience to provide quality technical assistance to early childhood programs in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. H EAD S TART provides comprehensive services that address the educational, nutritional, and health needs of low-income children and the social service needs of their families. Its primary purpose is to act on behalf of the needs and interests of young children by providing developmental and educational resources to adults who work with children from birth to age 8.