Links To Quality
Links to Quality (L2Q)
Striving to ensure all Kansas children have access to high-quality early care and education.
Links to Quality (L2Q) is a child care quality recognition and improvement system (QRIS) created with the support of early childhood organizations and providers across the state and funded by CCDF through a partnership between Kansas Department for Children and Families and Child Care Aware of Kansas.
As a QRIS, L2Q works to provide a standard of quality and a framework that supports programs and providers in meeting that standard.
Our Mission
- Increase quality care in Kansas early care and education programs by helping providers build upon their strengths, skills, resources, and connections
- Empower families in choosing the early care and education program that best suits their needs
- Strengthen communities through increased access to quality early care and education and enhanced public-private partnerships
We want early care and education providers to feel like our staff is their partner — not their judge. L2Q understands that all programs have unique strengths and start at different points along the path toward continuous quality improvement. Our goal is to help them along the way.
Our Goals
L2Q Standards of Quality
Links to Quality works with programs to build upon their strengths by “linking” the L2Q Standard of Quality competencies — helping establish a higher quality standard for Kansas child care.
Together, these Links provide the foundational step up from licensing standards to give members a path toward quality improvement outside of standard licensing.
These Links are grounded in developmentally appropriate standards from Head Start, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Family Child Care Association, Caring for Our Children, and others. As a result, each Link contains quality indicators specific to the designated content area and best practices for child care programs.
L2Q Consultants
Each member is assigned a designated L2Q Consultant to help support their quality journey. This individual coaches and connects each program with resources and peer-to-peer support to encourage continuous quality improvement and growth.
Your L2Q Consultant is available to support you through the Link process in ways that best fit your needs, strengths, and unique child care environment.
Additional Provider Support Services
Contact Us
Have questions about the program or need to get in touch with a representative? Send an email to the Links to Quality team at Child Care Aware of Kansas.
We are currently working to connect providers to Links to Quality in the upcoming workforce registry. Stay tuned for more information.
Founders’ Link
The following programs successfully participated in the Two-Year Links to Quality Pilot, earning recognition as Founders of Links to Quality. The Founders’ Link represents both their accomplishments as well as their contributions to Links to Quality.