United Way Releases Grants to Support Quality Improvements in Massachusetts Early Childhood Programs

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care today released a grant solicitation for the 2015 QRIS (Quality Ratings and Improvement System) early childhood grants.  

The grant’s purpose is to provide the resources for eligible programs and educators to make program quality improvements that will help them make upward progress on the levels defined in the state’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS). The funds will be used by grantees for the development of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plans for their programs and purchase of durable goods to support implementation of the CQI plans.

In 2014 this grant opportunity provided over $2.4 million in funding for quality improvements to over 300 programs in Massachusetts, impacting over 15,000 children and their families in the Commonwealth.

All programs in the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care’s mixed delivery system are eligible to participate in this round of QRIS Program Quality Improvement Grants. The mixed delivery system includes center-based programs, Head Start, independent and system-affiliated family child care providers, public and private school preschool programs, and out-of-school time programs.

More information about this year’s grant program is available at:  http://cybergrants.com/qrisgrants.

Five Applicant Technical Assistance and Support Meetings will be held across the state. Please RSVP if you plan to attend a meeting at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TAP2_2015.

Interested programs can contact QRIS@unitedwaymassbay.org with any inquiries about this grant opportunity.