How Programs Earn Ratings
Step 1: Meet pre-requirements.
To participate in ABC Quality, an early childhood program must be licensed or approved by DSS or exempt from licensing. Registered providers do not qualify for ABC Quality.
Step 2: Complete program evaluation.
The strengths of a child care program are scored based on onsite observations for each age group and in both indoor and outdoor environments. How well a provider performs in the following three elements establishes the program’s level of quality:
Step 3: Earn score & quality rating from ABC Quality.
How well a program exhibits its strengths during the assessment translates into a rating from A+ thru C. ABC Quality helps providers identify service areas that can be strengthened to improve their rating and offer continuous quality improvement to the program.
Education Expectations
Explore SC’s early education standards from birth to age 5.
Early Learning Standards