About Us
Bright & Early ND is North Dakota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). It was developed to help child care and early education programs offer high-quality care that supports each child's learning and development. Bright & Early ND is designed to:
- Ensure that children have high-quality early learning experiences that help them develop the skills they need to be successful in school, work, and life.
- Support early learning professionals to provide high-quality care by providing resources such as professional development opportunities, coaching, and incentives.
- Help families find high-quality child care and early education programs that fit their needs by providing information about program quality.
Bright & Early ND is an initiative led by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and is part of a national movement to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in child care and early education programs across our state. Bright & Early ND was created under North Dakota law (NDCC 50-11.1).
Learn more about North Dakota QRIS history.
Bright & Early ND Policies
The Bright & Early ND Policy Manual is designed to help programs and stakeholders understand key components of Bright & Early ND. This manual provides a detailed overview of Bright & Early ND policies and serves as a reference tool throughout participation.