California's Childcare Quality Rating System: What It Means for Directors and Staff
California's quality rating and improvement system is Quality Counts California (QCC): a statewide system of locally implemented Quality Improvement Systems covering all 58 counties, funded jointly by First 5 California, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
Ratings are an optional component of each local system rather than a single statewide star rating, and counties participate in QCC through single-county or multi-county consortia.
This page reads QCC from the director's and staff's side, including what our research could and could not confirm.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Quality Counts California (QCC).
A statewide system of locally implemented Quality Improvement Systems, funded jointly by First 5 California, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
Ratings are an optional component of each local system — not a statewide requirement. All 58 counties participate in QCC through consortia.
Not established in our research — the QCC Rating Matrix was not read; ask your county's consortium.
Not established in our research — the QCC Rating Matrix was not read; ask your county's consortium.
The QCC Workforce Pathways Grant, administered by CDSS, funds workforce incentives to raise early educators' credentials and competencies.
What is California's QRIS called, and is participation required?
California's system is Quality Counts California (QCC), a statewide system of locally implemented Quality Improvement Systems rather than a single statewide star rating.
The funding is a collaboration: QCC is funded jointly by First 5 California, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
All 58 counties participate through single-county or multi-county consortia.
Participating in a rating is not a statewide mandate: ratings are an optional component of each local Quality Improvement System.
“QCC is funded by a collaboration between First 5 California (F5CA), the CDE, and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).”
What are the Quality Counts California rating levels?
There is no single statewide ladder this page can name.
Ratings are an optional component of each local Quality Improvement System, and QCC has shifted some funding away from formal rating to maximize resources and meet the diverse needs of early learning and care providers — so whether a given county rates programs at all is a local question.
Our research did not read the QCC Rating Matrix and did not confirm whether the level scheme, how many tiers it has and what it calls them, is common statewide or set by each local system, so this page states no tier count or level names.
Ask your county's consortium which rating matrix it uses before you plan around levels.
“Through research, evaluation, and a focus on equity, QCC has shifted some funding away from formal rating to maximize resources and meet the diverse needs of our early learning and care providers.”
What staff credentials and training count toward a higher rating?
The QCC Rating Matrix that would list the staff-qualification criteria behind a rating is a document our research did not read, and our research did not confirm whether those criteria are common statewide or set locally.
This page therefore does not name credentials, unit counts or training hours that earn credit at any level, and you should not build a staff credential plan around criteria you have not confirmed with your county's consortium.
What the state level does confirm is the direction of travel: the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant, administered by CDSS, funds workforce incentives for increasing the educational credentials, knowledge and competencies of existing early learning and care professionals across the state.
Which observation tool does Quality Counts California use?
Our research did not confirm a classroom observation tool for Quality Counts California: the rating matrix that would name an instrument was not among the documents our research read.
Our research also did not confirm whether any observation component is common statewide or set by each local system.
This page names no tool: do not schedule staff training or practice observations around a specific instrument until your county's consortium confirms what its rating uses.
What incentives come with higher ratings — for the center and for staff?
The staff-side support our research confirmed is statewide and credential-focused: the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant, administered by CDSS, funds workforce incentives for increasing early learning and care professionals' educational credentials, knowledge and competencies across the state.
Center-side, QCC states it has shifted some funding away from formal rating to maximize resources and meet providers' diverse needs.
Our research did not confirm rating-linked payment rates or a per-level bonus schedule for California centers; ask your county's consortium what a rating unlocks locally.
“increasing the educational credentials, knowledge, and competencies of existing ELC professionals across the state via workforce incentives.”
How do directors prepare for a rating in California?
Because our research did not confirm the rating criteria, the first preparation step it supports is identifying your county's QCC consortium — all 58 counties participate through single-county or multi-county consortia — and asking it which rating matrix it uses, and for the level criteria and observation expectations.
With those in hand, a director can map which staff credentials the rating awards, and connect staff to the Workforce Pathways Grant incentives CDSS administers for raising credentials and competencies.
Treat what your consortium confirms as the working document: the levels-and-criteria gaps on this page exist because the QCC Rating Matrix was not among the documents our research read.
What This Page Does, and Doesn’t, Cover
This page summarizes the California licensing rules, agency pages and other sources listed below, as read for this state-by-state quality rating system (QRIS) series, current as of October 2026. It is not a substitute for the instructions the Quality Counts California (QCC) system, funded by First 5 California, the CDE and CDSS publishes. For the rest of the picture in California, see daycare director requirements in California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quality Counts California the same as a childcare license?
No. A California child care center is licensed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Child Care Licensing Program, whose center rules sit in Title 22, Division 12 of the California Code of Regulations.
Quality Counts California is a separate quality system: a statewide system of locally implemented Quality Improvement Systems funded by First 5 California, the CDE and CDSS.
A rating is an optional component of a local Quality Improvement System, not a license.
Do all California childcare centers have to be rated by Quality Counts California?
No. Ratings are an optional component of each local Quality Improvement System, not a statewide requirement.
All 58 counties participate in the QCC system through single-county or multi-county consortia, and a local system's data collection may include an optional rating component.
Whether a rating matters for your center depends on your county's system, so ask your county's consortium.
What are the Quality Counts California rating levels?
Our research could not confirm them.
The QCC Rating Matrix that would set them out was not among the documents our research read, and our research did not confirm whether the level scheme is common statewide or set locally, so this page publishes no tier count or level names for California.
Ask your county's Quality Counts consortium which rating matrix it uses before you plan around specific levels.
Does Quality Counts California pay teachers bonuses?
Our research did not confirm a statewide staff bonus tied to a rating level.
The staff-side support the state sources describe is the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant, administered by CDSS, which funds workforce incentives for increasing early educators' credentials, knowledge and competencies across the state.
Ask your county's consortium or your director which incentives reach individual staff where you work.
Is there a statewide observation tool for Quality Counts California?
Not that our research could confirm.
The QCC Rating Matrix that would name an instrument was not among the documents our research read, and our research did not confirm whether an observation component is common statewide or set locally.
Ask your county's Quality Counts consortium which observation tool, if any, its rating uses before you schedule staff training around one.
More California Resources
Sources
- Quality Counts California — About (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- California Department of Social Services — Quality Improvement Initiatives (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- California Department of Social Services — Child Care Licensing Program (retrieved 2026-10-05)
Sourced from the documents listed above. Verified October 2026. This is career and employer information, not licensing or legal advice. Confirm current rules with the Quality Counts California (QCC) system, funded by First 5 California, the CDE and CDSS.