VQB5 for providers
Know What to Expect From VQB5
VQB5 is Virginia’s system for measuring and improving quality in early childhood programs. Whether your program is required to participate or you’re considering joining, Foundation First helps you understand the requirements, prepare for participation, and find the support you need.
What VQB5 is
A Statewide System With Local Support
Led by Virginia’s Department of Education
Virginia Quality Birth to Five measures educator-child interactions and curriculum use in early childhood programs. Through observations, feedback, and improvement support, VQB5 helps educators strengthen the learning experiences they provide, so children are better prepared for kindergarten.
Participation Depends on Public Funding
Eligible birth-to-five programs receiving public funding must participate each year, including childcare centers, family day homes, public school preschools, Head Start, and faith-based programs. Programs without public funding can choose to participate if they meet eligibility requirements.
Supported Locally by Foundation First
Virginia’s nine Ready Regions coordinate VQB5 participation and support across the state. Foundation First leads Ready Region North Central, helping you understand requirements and connect with resources, so you have local people to turn to with questions about your program.
Who needs to participate
Does Your Program Need to Participate?
Your Program Receives Public Funding
Eligible birth-to-five programs receiving public funding must participate in VQB5 each year. Funding sources include the Child Care Subsidy Program, Mixed Delivery, the Virginia Preschool Initiative, Head Start, and Early Head Start.
Your Program Doesn’t Receive Public Funding
You can choose to participate if your program meets the eligibility requirements. Once you join, you’ll complete the same registration, observations, and other participation requirements as publicly funded programs.
You’re Newly Approved as a Subsidy Vendor
Contact Foundation First for help understanding how VQB5 applies to your program and when you need to begin, so you can prepare for your first year with support from our local team.
How quality is measured
Two Measures of Classroom Quality
VQB5 looks at educator-child interactions and curriculum use to understand children’s daily learning experiences and guide improvement.
Interactions
Classroom observations use the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) to measure how educators interact with children and support their learning. You’ll receive feedback on your classroom’s strengths and areas for improvement, so your team knows where to focus.
Curriculum
VQB5 also considers whether your classrooms use an approved curriculum aligned with Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards. Using an approved curriculum is optional within VQB5 and gives educators guidance for planning learning experiences for the children in their care.
What you have to do
Plan Your VQB5 Year
August 15 – October 1
Complete Your Registration
Confirm which sites and classrooms are eligible, then register through LinkB5, VQB5’s online data system within VAConnects. You’ll provide information about your site, administrators, classrooms, and educators, with help from Foundation First if you need guidance.
Fall and spring
Complete Two Local CLASS Observations
Each eligible classroom receives one local observation in the fall and another in the spring, with feedback to help your educators understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
August 15 – May 31
Participate in External CLASS Observations
External observers assess at least one classroom at each age level your site serves during the program year. These observations are separate from your local fall and spring observations.
Following Fall
Your Quality Profile Is Published
Your site’s results are published in a public Quality Profile, giving families information about your program’s rating and quality measures as they explore childcare options.
Quality profiles
What Families See
Your public VQB5 Quality Profile shows your site’s rating, interaction results, and curriculum information, so families can learn about your program as they compare childcare options. Policymakers, funders, and the public can also view this information.
If your site receives funding from several public programs, you’ll generally receive one profile for the physical location, with results from all eligible classrooms at the site.
How Foundation First helps
You're Not Doing This Alone
Running your program takes time and attention, and VQB5 adds responsibilities to your day. Foundation First helps you understand each step and find the resources you need, so you can meet requirements and support your educators.
We explain registration, profiles, and observation requirements, so you know what your program needs to complete.
We help you understand key dates and plan for registration and observations alongside your program’s other responsibilities.
We help you understand your observation feedback and identify where your educators can focus their improvement efforts.
We connect you with CLASS, curriculum, self-assessment, and professional development resources to support your team’s work.
When the state approves your program as a subsidy vendor, we’re notified and contact you to help you get started with VQB5.
Our team provides guidance and resources to support improvement, but we can’t guarantee a particular observation score or rating.
FAQs
Answers to what providers ask us most
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Talk to someone who knows the rules, so nothing gets missed.
Lead Agency · Ready Region North Central
A coordinated early childhood system across eleven localities in North Central Virginia.
Ready Region North Central brings together local agencies, early childhood providers, and families to build a seamless, family-centered system. Our goal is to make it easier for every child and caregiver in our region to access the supports they need to thrive.
Learn more about Ready Region