Gateway to Quality staff include: Charlotte Ferretti Principal Investigator Gretchen Ames Project Coordinator Kelly K. Lopez Barbra Blender Assessment Team Co-Coordinator/Anchor Assessors Betty Rappaport Vanessa Fontana Manuel Kichi Wong Elaine Leung Laura Monterosso Katherine Murphy Christine O'Brien Rosamaria Palafox Annabella Tong Judy Bonhiver Office Manager Eric Miller Web Development To achieve this goal, strengths and needs of early childhood programs and educators are assessed using Environmental Rating Scales, tools created by Thelma Harms, Debbie Cryer and Dick Clifford, at the Frank Porter Graham Institute of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Trained Assessors use the tool to evaluate quality and then develop, with the providers, quality improvement plans to address the needs of the programs. Benefits to the providers include technical assistance provided on site by the assessors, referrals and other resources (both financial and service-oriented) to help improve the quality of centers and family child care homes.