Raising the Bar
Raising the Bar Early Childhood Education Program in Brantford and Brant County
What is Raising the Bar ?
Raising the bar is a voluntary accreditation program designed to help families ensure their children are receiving high quality early learning and child care programs.The presence of a Raising the Bar certificate is your assurance that the program you have chosen is committed to maintaining provincial regulatory and community standards.
Who can participate?
- Early Learning and Parenting Centres
- Licensed Child Care Centres
- Special Needs Resource Agencies
- Licensed Home Child Care Agencies
Raising the Bar participants voluntarily submit to an annual review to ensure they meet community standards.
- Bronze level programs follow fundamental quality indicators that raise the standards above the minimum ministry guidelines.
- Silver level programs have additional strategies to enhance quality.
- Gold level programs demonstrate a long-term commitment to high quality in early learning and child care.
Quality Assurance:
- Quality is monitored through frequent program observations through the use of accredited tools
- Parent and/or Caregiver feedback is collected each year.
- Action plans are developed to address areas of need and to plan for improvement.
- Programs are expected to provide support for all children.
Best Practices:
The program offers information for parents and promotes opportunities for community involvement.
- There are detailed policies, procedures and management practices to guide day-to-day operations.
- Professionals provide reports about children’s health and development.
Education and Training:
Raising the Bar program staff maintain credentials and commit to additional training each year.
- First aid and CPR.
- All staff are required to attend workshops and conferences to enhance their understanding of early learning and child care.
- Raising the Bar programs support training through mentorship and by providing practical training opportunities for students and volunteers.
How will I know if my child`s program is Raising the Bar?
- Participating programs receive a certificate each year and are encouraged to post it in a visible location.
- Participating programs are identified on the Early Years Community Website www.eycbrant.ca.
- The program staff will be pleased to tell you about Raising the Bar.
Is Raising the Bar a guarantee of quality?
- Participating in Raising the Bar indicates a commitment to supporting healthy, high quality environments for the children in our community, but it is not a guarantee or endorsement.
- The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is responsible for the regulation of child care in On-tario.
- An annual review of documentation submitted by the programs is undertaken by a committee of community peers.
An ASCY Community Initiative Raising the Bar was developed in Hamilton and is a community project coordinated by Affiliated Services for Children and Youth (ASCY).
For more information about Raising the Bar on Quality, please contact
Ontario Early Years Centre: Brant, 330 West Street Brantford, ON N3R 7V5 519-759-3833
2009 Raising the Bar on Quality was provided with support from Brantford Brant Best Start.