New Report Ranks States on Programs and Oversight
April 5, 2011 by Irene Sege
Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children
“We Can Do Better: 2011 Update,” a recently released report from the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), finds modest improvements in 10 program requirements and five oversight benchmarks for the nation’s early education and care centers. The report, the third since 2007, ranks the 50 states, District of Columbia and U.S. Department of Defense. More than 11 million children under age 5 spend an average of 35 hours a week in an early education and care setting, NACCRRA notes.
The average state score was 87 out of 150 points, up from 83 in 2009 and 70 in 2007. “States have made progress, but more progress is needed,” NACCRRA notes. “Using a standard grading scale, no state earned an A. The Department of Defense earned a B, and four states earned a C. Twenty-one states earned a D. Half of the states (26 states) earned a failing grade. While we should be