What standards and guidelines assist early childhood programs in providing high quality services?
The importance of ensuring the quality of children’s daily experiences in early childhood programs and promoting positive child outcomes cannot be overemphasized. Several national organizations have developed standards that guide programs in providing high quality services. While these standards are designed to promote quality services, there are significant differences in the content and focus of each of the standards as the purpose for their development and the target audience varies. The following list with direct links includes standards, rules and guidelines developed at the national level and for the State of Utah. All information and links are provided as a courtesy for information purposes only and should not be construed as an endorsement. Head Start Program Performance Standards Head Start and Early Head Start programs are comprehensive child development and family focused programs which serve children birth to age five, pregnant women, children with disabilities and their fa
