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MARKETING TOOLKIT Updated: August 2013
MARKETING TOOLKIT
Updated: August 2013
©2013 First Things First 2
MARKETING TOOLKIT
INTRODUCTION 3
SIGNS OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO QUALITY 4
Star Rating Certificate & Frame
Wall Sign
Window Clings
LOGO FILES AND USAGE GUIDELINES 6
Logo (color)
Logo (black & white)
Website Badge/Graphic
TALKING ABOUT QUALITY WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES 8
Answering Basic Questions
Sample Letter/Email
Frequently Asked Questions
REACHING OUT TO THE MEDIA 13
Sample Press Releases
©2013 First Things First 3
INTRODUCTION Congratulations on being part of Quality First. Through your participation, you have joined a network of hundreds of
providers statewide who have made a commitment to enhancing school readiness for young kids through improvement
of your early learning program. The work you do is critically important. Research shows that children exposed to high-
quality early learning experiences are more prepared for kindergarten, do better in school, and are more likely to
graduate from high school and go on to college.
The tools and tips in this kit are intended to help you make the most out of your participation in Quality First by guiding
you in your communication with parents, community members and the media. The toolkit will help you to:
Use Quality First signage and other materials to highlight your commitment to quality improvement.
Describe Quality First and how it will improve learning for kids in your care.
Inform parents about your participation and what it means for their child.
Announce when you reach programmatic milestones to parents, the media and/or your community.
Consistent, effective communication about your participation in Quality First can build awareness in your community of
the importance of quality in early learning, motivate staff and parents to participate in quality improvement efforts, and
increase referrals to your business from families and caregivers.
If you have questions about the materials in this toolkit, please email us at [email protected] or call our office at
(602) 771-5000 or toll free at (877) 803-7234.
Thank you for your participation in Quality First and for your ongoing commitment to ensuring young kids have the high-
quality early learning experiences that will get them ready for school and set for life!
Sincerely,
Quality First Team
©2013 First Things First 4
SIGNS OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
Quality is an extremely important factor for parents in choosing an early learning setting for infants, toddlers and
preschoolers. Participation in Quality First is a clear sign to families in your community that you are committed to
improving the quality of your program to best serve the kids in your care.
Programs enrolled in Quality First are provided with signs and graphics to help promote their participation in Quality
First. These items are sure to catch the eyes of visiting parents and start conversations about quality early care and
education.
See the TALKING ABOUT QUALITY section later in this toolkit for easy ways for you and your staff to answer questions
from families and spread the word about the great things happening in your program.
Star Rating Certificate and Frame As an enrolled participant, you will receive a certificate with your most up-to-date public
rating. If you don’t yet have a public rating, your certificate will highlight your commitment to
quality improvement.
MUST DO: Displaying your certificate at your site, in a place visible to the public, is required
as part of your participation in Quality First.
You will also receive an attractive frame to display your certificate. When receiving an
updated certificate from Quality First, simply replace the old one. You should always have
your most current certificate on display.
Wall Sign This attractive, sturdy sign announces your participation in Quality First and your
commitment to improving the quality of your program for the benefit of the children
in your care. Each sign includes a pad of tear-off reminders for interested families to
visit the Quality First website for more information.
SUGGESTION: Hang the sign in a visible place and encourage parents to tear off a
sheet and visit QualityFirstAZ.com.
You’ll be provided with two extra pads, which can be easily attached to the sign
once all of the sheets have been taken. Simply peel off the backing of the
replacement pad to reveal the adhesive and press the new pad onto the sign.
©2013 First Things First 5
Window Clings
You will also receive two Quality First window clings. These conversation starters are
to be displayed on the inside of a window, facing out.
TO APPLY:
1. Make sure that the glass is clean and dry.
2. Use a spray bottle to lightly mist the inside surface of the window with water.
3. Peel the liner away from the cling and press the front of the cling into place on the wet window.
4. Once the cling is in place where you want it, use a squeegee or the edge of a credit card wrapped in a paper towel to
gently smooth out the excess water and any air bubbles. Work from the middle out to each side.
5. It should dry completely with no bubbles in a few hours.
©2013 First Things First 6
LOGO FILES AND USAGE GUIDELINES
The Quality First logo was updated to make a strong, memorable impression. As possible, please replace the old logo
with this new one on your website, email, print materials, etc. If you have existing print materials with the old logo, it is
fine to continue using them until you order new materials. At that time, please be sure to use the new logo.
Please use the full-color logo whenever possible:
For reference, here are the color specifications for the
two primary colors in the Quality First logo:
If printing in black and white, you should use this
version:
Website Badge/Graphic For convenient use on your website or other electronic
communications, you may also use this graphic:
Note: If you use this graphic or the Quality First logo on
your website, please link the image to the Quality First
website (http://www.QualityFirstAZ.com). Thanks!
©2013 First Things First 7
LOGO FILES AND USAGE GUIDELINES
Things to Do/Things to Avoid The Quality First logo should always be presented in a consistent, professional way so that it will reflect well on you, the
program and First Things First. Please follow these guidelines:
Maintain the logo’s original proportions when resizing it. Don’t squash or stretch it.
The logo should not be crowded. It should always have a cushion of empty space around it.
The logo should always be clear and easy to read. Use the logo files in the toolkit to make sure that the logo is
not grainy, fuzzy or blurry.
The logo can only be used in the colors specified or black and white.
DO NOT attempt to redraw the logo or add/remove any elements from it. This includes the FTF name/logo at
the bottom and the star/pinwheel mark.
CORRECT INCORRECT
Quality FIRST!
©2013 First Things First 8
TALKING ABOUT QUALITY WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES
The following information will help you speak with families about what Quality First is and why your participation is a
good thing for the children in your care. It includes a few major points about the importance of quality in early learning
and the role of Quality First. It also includes a sample letter which can be provided to families with children currently in
your care, and also used in your email communications and/or in your parent handbook. At the end of this section, you
also will find answers to families’ most frequently asked questions about Quality First.
Although most of these materials deal with talking about Quality First in general terms, there are many opportunities to
talk about quality improvement efforts throughout your participation in Quality First, such as:
When you are inviting families to parent/teacher conferences, trainings or school events;
When you are describing professional development of your staff;
When you are informing families of improvements to your learning environment or materials; or,
When you reach milestones in the program – such as an improvement in your Star Rating.
Just remember that when you are talking about anything related to quality improvement, it’s most effective to focus on
what matters most to parents and other caregivers – what it will mean to the quality of care and education of their
children.
©2013 First Things First 9
ANSWERING BASIC QUESTIONS
What is Quality First? Quality First is a signature program of First Things First that partners with child care and preschool providers to improve
the quality of early learning across Arizona.
Quality First supports providers in making quality improvements that research proves help children thrive. These include
education for teachers to expand their skills in working with young children, and coaching to help providers create
learning environments that nurture the emotional, social and academic development of every child.
You can learn more at QualityFirstAZ.com.
Why does your program participate in Quality First? Parents and providers want the same things for children – for them to arrive at school healthy and ready to succeed. By
improving our early learning program through participation in Quality First, we are giving young kids the tools they need
to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
Why does quality matter in early learning?
90% of a child’s brain develops before age 5. The positive, nurturing relationships young kids have with
adults – from parents to child care and early learning professionals – shape their learning now and
throughout their lives.
Quality early learning settings like child care and preschool help children develop skills – like motivation,
self-control, focus, and self-esteem – that are crucial to their success now and once they enter school.
What does quality early learning look like? Quality child care and preschool settings build on basic health and safety to include:
Teachers and caregivers who know how to work with infants, toddlers and preschoolers;
Positive, nurturing relationships that give young kids the individual attention they need;
Learning environments that encourage creativity and imaginative play;
Hands-on activities that stimulate and encourage positive brain connections in children; and,
Caregivers who provide regular feedback to parents on the development of their child.
All of these elements combined make a child care environment that prepares children for kindergarten.
©2013 First Things First 10
SAMPLE LETTER/EMAIL
Dear Parents and Families:
We are very excited to announce that (name of your center or home) has been accepted to participate in Quality First.
Quality First is a signature program of First Things First that partners with child care and preschool providers to improve
the quality of early learning across Arizona. Research has shown that children with access to high quality early learning
programs are better prepared for kindergarten, do better in school, and are more likely to graduate and go on to
college.
Quality First works with child care and preschool providers to make quality improvements that research proves help
children thrive. Through Quality First, our (center/home) will build on the strengths of our early learning program and
make improvements to do even better for the children in our care. We will have access to supports such as:
College scholarships and trainings to help our staff enhance their skills working with infants, toddlers and
preschoolers;
Coaching and mentoring to help us build positive relationships with children and give them the
individualized attention they need;
Resources to help us enhance our learning environments to encourage creativity and imaginative play and
provide hands-on activities that stimulate and encourage positive brain connections in children; and
Ideas and suggestions for giving our families regular feedback on the development of their children.
As parents and caregivers, we all want the same things for children – for them to arrive at school healthy and ready to
succeed.
By improving our early learning program through participation in Quality First, we will be giving young kids the tools they
need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
We will be providing periodic updates on our progress, and welcome your partnership in our quality improvement
efforts.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
Director or Owner, (Name of Your Center or Home)
©2013 First Things First 11
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are all providers in Quality First? No. Quality First is a voluntary program and space is limited by the resources available in each community. We were
fortunate that resources were available in our area when we applied and were enrolled in the program.
What does Quality First mean for the education my child receives? Participation means that our program is continuously working on making improvements in all of the areas of quality
early learning, including:
Enhancing our teachers’ skills working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers;
Building positive, nurturing relationships that give young kids the individual attention they need;
Building learning environments that encourage creativity and imaginative play;
Providing hands-on activities that stimulate and encourage positive brain connections in children; and,
Giving regular feedback to parents on the development of their child.
Does your participation in Quality First mean that you will charge more? No. First Things First provides funding for quality improvement efforts – like scholarships and coaching to improve
teachers’ interactions with young kids and incentives to improve classrooms and learning materials – to prevent
providers from passing the cost of quality improvement on to families.
What are Star Ratings? After each provider has been assessed by highly-trained professionals and had time to make quality improvements, the
provider is rated on how well they meet quality standards. Assessments are made using valid and reliable tools that
focus on what research shows are the key components of quality early learning settings, including adult-child
interactions, learning environments and staff qualifications. All providers participating in Quality First have made a
commitment to quality improvement. Providers with ratings of 3 stars or more have met or exceeded quality standards.
If a provider is rated with 1 or 2 stars, does that mean they are a bad provider? Not at all. By participating in Quality First, those providers are actively working on quality improvement. Through each
provider’s ongoing work with Quality First, they will have the information, resources and support they need to move up
the scale. Good things are in store.
©2013 First Things First 12
What do the ratings mean? The quality of each program participating in Quality First is assessed by highly-trained professionals using valid and
reliable tools that focus on what research shows are the key components of quality early care and education. Based on
these assessments, each program is given a Quality First Star Rating, ranging from 1 to 5 stars.
Criteria include:
Health and safety practices that promote children’s basic well being
Staff qualifications, including experience working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers as well as training or
college coursework in early childhood development and education
Teacher-child interactions that are positive, consistent and nurture healthy development and learning
Learning environments, including age-appropriate books, toys and learning materials that promote emotional,
social, language and cognitive development
Lessons that follow state requirements or recommendations for infants, toddlers and preschoolers
Group sizes that give young children the individual attention they need
Child assessment and parent communication that keeps families regularly informed of their child’s
development
Far exceeds quality standards
Exceeds quality standards
Meets quality standards
Approaching quality standards
Committed to quality improvement
Program is enrolled in Quality First
but does not yet have a public rating
©2013 First Things First 13
REACHING OUT TO THE MEDIA
As a provider participating in Quality First, you should consider the media as a vehicle for speaking to the audience that
matters most to you – parents and caregivers. The information you provide to the media – and their questions to you –
will be very similar to what is provided to and asked by families.
Effective work with media in your community has the potential to build support in the community for quality
improvement efforts in general, and generate word-of-mouth interest in your specific program.
When working with the media, it is important to focus on two things – why quality matters in early learning and how
participation in Quality First is helping you to make improvements in all of the components of quality.
Don’t worry about answering very detailed questions about Quality First – the program. Media questions about the
program itself should be directed to the First Things First Communications Office at (602) 771-5063.
The resources that follow are intended to help you reach out to media at two very important milestones in your Quality
First journey – selection for participation and attaining a Star Rating in the quality levels.
In addition to these two milestones, look for other opportunities to highlight how your participation in Quality First is
benefitting the children in your care, such as feedback from schools or educators in improved school readiness among
the children exiting your program.
©2013 First Things First 14
SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE - QUALITY FIRST SELECTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Jane Doe, Director
Phone: xxx.xxx.xxxx
Email: [email protected]
(Name of Your Center or Home) Selected for Participation in Quality First
(Date) – Young kids at (Name of your center or home) will now have access to a higher standard of early learning.
(Name of center or home) been accepted to participate in Quality First, a signature program of First Things First that
partners with regulated child care and preschool providers to improve the quality of early learning across Arizona.
Research has shown that children with access to high-quality early learning programs are better prepared for
kindergarten, do better in school, and are more likely to graduate and go on to college.
“Today’s kindergarteners face greater rigor and higher stakes than ever before,” said (insert name of director or owner).
“By participating in Quality First, we will be providing a higher quality early learning experience to our students, and
giving them the tools they need to meet our state’s expectations.”
Quality First works with child care and preschool providers to make quality improvements that research proves help
children thrive. Through Quality First, (center/home) will have access to supports such as:
College scholarships and trainings to help staff enhance their skills working with infants, toddlers and
preschoolers;
Coaching and mentoring to help build positive relationships with children and give them the individualized
attention they need;
Resources to help enhance learning environments to encourage creativity and imaginative play and provide
hands-on activities that stimulate and encourage positive brain connections in children; and,
Ideas and suggestions for giving families regular feedback on the development of their children.
“As parents and caregivers, we all want the same things for children – for them to arrive at school healthy and ready to
succeed,” (insert last name of person previously quoted) said. “By improving our early learning program through
participation in Quality First, we will be giving young kids the tools they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.”
###
About Quality First – Quality First – a signature program of First Things First – partners with regulated early childhood providers to
make quality improvements that research proves help children birth to 5 thrive, such as education for teachers to expand their
expertise in working with young children. It also supports parents with information about what to look for in quality early childhood
programs that goes beyond health and safety to include a nurturing environment that supports their child’s learning.
©2013 First Things First 15
About First Things First – First Things First is a voter-created, statewide organization that funds early education and health programs
to help kids be successful once they enter kindergarten. Decisions about how those funds are spent are made by local councils
staffed by community volunteers. To learn more, visit azftf.gov.
©2013 First Things First 16
SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE - REACHING QUALITY RATING LEVELS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Jane Doe, Director
Phone: xxx.xxx.xxxx
Email: [email protected]
(Name of Your Center or Home) Attains (Quality/Quality Plus/Highest Quality) Rating
(Date) – (Name of your center or home) has achieved a (Quality/Quality Plus/Highest Quality) rating from Quality First.
Quality First, a signature program of First Things First, partners with regulated child care and preschool providers to
improve the quality of early learning across Arizona. Research has shown that children with access to high-quality early
learning programs are better prepared for kindergarten, do better in school, and are more likely to graduate and go on
to college.
Quality First participating providers work with a coach to assess their programs and implement quality improvement
plans in areas that research shows help young kids thrive. After about one year of participation, programs are rated on a
5-star scale based on how well they meet quality standards; a rating of (3, 4, or 5) stars means the program (meets,
exceeds or far exceeds quality standards).
The areas assessed include:
Health and safety practices that promote children’s basic well-being;
Staff qualifications, including experience working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers as well as training
or college coursework in early childhood development and education;
Teacher-child interactions that are positive, consistent and nurture healthy development and learning;
Learning environments, including age-appropriate books, toys and learning materials that promote
emotional, social, language and cognitive development;
Lessons that follow state requirements or recommendations for infants, toddlers and preschoolers;
Group sizes that give young children the individual attention they need; and,
Child assessment and parent communication that keeps families regularly informed of their child’s
development.
“Today’s kindergarteners face greater rigor and higher stakes than ever before,” said (insert name of director or owner).
“By attaining a (x-star) rating, the families of children in our care will know that their children are getting the quality
early education they need to arrive at school prepared to meet our state’s expectations.”
###
©2013 First Things First 17
About Quality First – Quality First – a signature program of First Things First – partners with regulated early childhood providers to
make quality improvements that research proves help children birth to 5 thrive, such as education for teachers to expand their
expertise in working with young children. It also supports parents with information about what to look for in quality early childhood
programs that goes beyond health and safety to include a nurturing environment that supports their child’s learning.
About First Things First – First Things First is a voter-created, statewide organization that funds early education and health programs
to help kids be successful once they enter kindergarten. Decisions about how those funds are spent are made by local councils
staffed by community volunteers. To learn more, visit azftf.gov.
