When developing and implementing your QRIS, offering as many benefits as possible for participating providers can help attract new providers. And even better: some of those benefits can be used to teach parents and families about quality care and education.
Providers participating in your state’s QRIS should celebrate their enrollment and communicate it to parents. How? One easy way is to design rack cards and give them to providers so they can share with each parent/family who has a child in their program. The goal of these rack cards is to introduce the parent/family to the QRIS in your state, communicate that their provider cares about quality and is demonstrating that commitment, and describe what QRIS participation means.
The rack cards can either be generic or can be personalized for each provider (listing their name and contact information). While your QRIS may require many different options, below are some examples of both generic and personalized pieces:
Generic Rack Cards
Producing these in different languages is important so providers have the option that works best for their need. The card should carry the brand identity of your QRIS, with the logo as the lead image, and the lead message should always communicate that “we care about quality.” Remember that you’re writing to parents, so the language describing your QRIS needs to be written for that audience, which is different than if you were explaining your QRIS to providers. Keep the language friendly and easy to understand, and use images that reflect different cultures.
Personalized Rack Cards
Another approach is to personalize each card with the provider’s name, address, phone number, and website if they have one, and use the name of the provider in the copy. This option has several benefits: it creates a stronger connection between the provider and your QRIS brand; it adds a level of personalization that providers love; and, it helps ensure that providers share the cards with parents and families. Using variable-data digital printing (which is available everywhere), your designer can create a piece which the printer then merges with a spreadsheet in which you provide all of the fill-in-the-blank information. The great thing about this approach is that you can tailor the information for each provider and print the exact number that each provider needs.
Informing parents about what quality REALLY means in early care and education – and helping them to learn what your state’s QRIS is and what it means for their family – is a challenge. Having this message come from the provider they already know is one of the best ways to spread this important message with credibility and ensure that your QRIS is presented consistently.
“Personalize each card with the provider’s name, address, phone number, and website if they have one, and use the name of the provider in the copy.”
