WE HAVE RECIEVED OUR FIFTH STAR!!!
Quality Counts for kids is a quality rating system that provides a consistent way to distinguish the level of quality in early care and education programs, allowing families to make more informed choices and allowing programs a way to continually improve the quality of their services.
Participation and the award of a star level rating reflect a programs choice to raise the bar in their commitment to quality beyond expectation or requirements. Quality Counts for kids is a user-friendly rating system and a powerful consumer education tool informing you about quality as you consider options for your child’s earliest learning experiences.
We’re participating in the Quality Counts for Kids Program because we know that the quality of care your child receives sets the stage for all their future learning. This voluntary program is a way for us to have the level of our quality rated so you know how well were doing and a way for us to continually improve our services by learning from highly skilled mentors and professionals.
Here’s what you should know:
- We applied to participate in this continuous quality improvement program and it is voluntary. We are going beyond what is required of us to achieve a higher level of care and learning for your child.
- You will see results of our improvement over time. We expect to be participating in this program for several years.
- One, two, three, four or five stars are awarded to programs based on achievement in the following quality standards for Centers are: 1) Curriculum & Instructional Assessment, 2) Family Engagement, 3) Learning Environment, 4) Program Administration, 5) Ratio & Group Size, 6) Screening & Identification of Special Needs, and 7) Staff Qualifications.
- The award of one star or higher reflects that we chose to raise the bar in our commitment to quality beyond expectation or requirements.
- We are working with highly trained professionals who will provide technical assistance and guidance as we implement our improvement plan. These professionals are local early childhood experts who have first hand experience working in quality child care settings.
- Our program will be assesses regularly by trained and experienced raters. Thorough and systematic on-site visits are conducted to help determine which star level our program will receive.
- As a demonstration of our commitments to quality improvement, we’ll be displaying our star rating certificate for you to see.