Survey on the new Early Learning
and Care Assessment of Quality
Improvements (ELCAQI) tool
Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care
Survey Content
 To determine if ELCAQI improves the quality of child
care
 Conducted over a two month period (June to August
2014)
 163 online anonymous surveys sent to TCBCC child
care membership (non-profit)
 90 returns
 Content and application of the ELCAQI tool
 Relationships between the City staff and child care
centres
 Perception by the general public of the posted scores
online
Findings
 CONTENT AND APPLICATION OF THE ELCAQI TOOL
 Whether ELCAQI improves the service quality of child
care centres
 49% reported they were satisfied to some degree that
ELCAQI improves the quality of their service
 47% reported they did not feel ELCAQI improves the
quality of their service
Improves Service
 4% Unsure
Quality
Does not
Improve Service
Quality
Unsure
Findings
 Approximate cost to obtain a
score of 5
 1% $0.00
 34% up to $50,000.00
 10% $51,000.00-$100,000.00
 7% $101,000.00-$150,000.00
 4% $151,000.00-$200,000.00
 6% over $200,000.00
 38% unsure
$0.00
$50,000.00
$51,000.00$100,000.00
$101,000.00$150,000.00
$151,000.00$200,000.00
Over
$200,000.00
Unsure
Findings
 How easily the landloard will approve the building permit
for renovations
 60% reported difficulty
 28% unsure
 12% reported easily
Difficult
Unsure
Easily
Findings
 How well balanced is ELCAQI between curriculum,
staff interactions and facilities
 57 % reported ELCAQI was not well balanced
 37 % reported ELCAQI was well balanced
 6% unsure
Not well balanced
Well balanced
Unsure
Findings
 How easy was it to obtain direction/information from
inspection bodies (Health, File, Province etc.) in
relation to line items in ELCAQI
 43% reported finding it difficult
 37% reported they found it easy
 20% Unsure
Difficulty obtaining
direction/information
Easy obtaining
direction/information
Unsure
Findings
 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND CHILD
CARE CENTRES
 Satisfaction with the level of support during the
assessment by the Quality Assurance staff
 49% reported satisfactory support
 36% reported they did not feel supported
 15% Unsure
Satisfactory QA
support
Unsatisfactory QA
support
Unsure
Findings
 Satisfaction level of the relationship between
Children’s Services and child care centres
 68% reported a satisfactory relationship
 26% reported an unsatisfactory relationship
 6% Unsure
Satisfactory
relationship
Unsatisfactory
relationship
Unsure
Findings
 Perception by the general public of the posted online
score
 55% reported they were not satisfied with the online
scoring and appeal process
 28% reported they were satisfied
 17% reported they were unsure
Not Satisfied
Satisfied
Unsure
Conclusions
 Respondents are divided on whether ELCAQI
improves the quality of service they deliver
 The majority of respondents know ELCAQI drives up
the cost of care
 The majority of respondents will have difficulty
getting landloard approval for renovations
 Respondents indicate ELCAQI is not balanced
between curriculum, staff interactions and facilities
 A significant number of respondents are having
difficulty getting clear direction/information from
inspection bodies in relation to line items of ELCAQI
Conclusions
 Respondents are equally divided on the level of
support received by the Quality Assurance staff
during the inspection process
 A majority of respondents are satisfied with their
overall relationship with Toronto Children’s Services
 The greatest majority of respondents are dissatisfied
with the online ELCAQI scoring and appeal process