The quality of early care and education has been at the forefront of research in the early childhood field. In early intervention, the definition of quality inclusion is evolving. In this study we conducted 92 interviews to examine understandings of quality inclusive child care from the perspectives of parents and practitioners who had experienced these services. The findings confirm suggestions in the literature that quality inclusion be considered two-dimensional, encompassing general early childhood practices and principles as well as individualization, traditionally associated with early intervention and special education programs. In this study we extend this notion by delineating program features within each of these dimensions and identifying resources, strategies, and outcomes thought to be associated with high-quality inclusion. The results have implications for future efforts aimed at evaluating and improving the quality of early childhood inclusion.
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