Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative (B-3QI)
The Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative (B-3QI) was established to improve the quality and availability of care for children ages birth to three in North Carolina through forging collaborative partnerships with teachers and directors.
The Birth-to-Three Quality Initiative (B-3QI) team provides services statewide, including coaching for child care programs and other community consultants and training specific to birth-to-three high quality practices.
B-3QI uses a Practice-Based Coaching framework that involves building partnerships and shared goals with infant and toddler teachers and administrators to help them plan for and achieve high quality practices that are responsive to their communities and cultures.
The Birth-to-Three Specialists provide hands-on, individualized coaching support for teachers and administrators. This assistance is grounded in the evidence-based Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) framework and includes:
- Building positive relationships with children, families and co-workers
- Creating environments to support social-emotional development and the developing capacity of infants and young children to:
- Form close and secure adult and peer relationships
- Experience, regulate and express emotions in socially and culturally appropriate ways
- Explore the environment and learn social skills
- Implementing high quality care practices–as defined by ZERO TO THREE’s Critical Competencies for Early Childhood Educators, ITERS-3, and Infant and Toddler CLASS–for group care that provides a solid foundation for infant and toddler development
- Providing support for developmental monitoring and screening through the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Learn the Signs Act Early materials
