Early Childhood Directors’ Perspectives Regarding Barriers to Childcare Quality Improvement
 
Early childhood childcare program directors face barriers that impede program quality,
but there is a lack of research exploring these barriers. The purpose of this basic
qualitative study was to explore perspectives of early childhood childcare center directors
regarding barriers they encounter as they attempt to implement quality improvements to
rate at the highest, 3-star level in the state quality rating and improvement system (QRIS).
This study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which notes the
influence of environmental systems on the development of young children. The research
question explored the perspectives of early childhood childcare center directors’
regarding barriers they encounter as they attempt to implement quality improvements to
rate at the highest, 3-star level in the state QRIS. Twelve early childhood childcare center
directors employed by childcare programs rated at differing quality levels were
interviewed. READ THE FULL ARTICLE