Laura Jimenez Parra

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are designed to strengthen early learning programs and help families identify high-quality child care. By setting clear standards, supporting continuous improvement, and making quality more transparent, QRIS aim to improve children’s access to nurturing, developmentally supportive environments and to promote better outcomes for children and families. Capital Quality, DC’s QRIS, launched in 2016, with full implementation achieved in 2018.

In March 2025, the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) engaged the Urban Institute to comprehensively review Capital Quality—DC’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for child care and early learning programs.

Concerns about children’s mental and behavioral health have been mounting in recent years. In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics joined other national organizations in declaring a national child and adolescent mental health emergency. Symptoms are appearing early in development: nearly 16 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 5 are estimated to have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral health condition.