Early childhood professionals and others concerned with the welfare of young children believe that voluntary quality guidelines can provide a model for program developers and current operators to use in assuring that program practices are age appropriate, that trained personnel are available, and that facilities are acceptable. These quality guidelines, which represent a standard of quality exceeding minimum licensing, approval, and accreditation requirements, were prepared for use by most types of public and private early childhood programs--child care centers, family child care homes, early childhood special education programs, preschools, nursery schools, Head Start programs, kindergartens, and primary units. The guidelines have been grouped into seven major categories: Administration, Staffing, the Learning Environment, Health and Safety, Family Involvement and Parenting Education, Use of Community Resources, and Evaluation of Program and Staff. In each category, a statement of ideals and a rationale are followed by indicators that identify characteristics of quality programs. Also provided is a checklist that administrators, teachers, parents, and others can use to determine the extent to which their program meets the guidelines. It is emphasized that the guidelines are not requirements; they only describe a model of program quality. (HTH)