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Quality Rating Systems: Quality Standards
A quality rating system (QRS) is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early care and education programs. Similar to rating systems for restaurants and hotels, QRS award quality ratings to early care and education programs that meet a set of defined program standards. These systems provide an opportunity for States to increase the quality of care and education for children; increase parents' understanding and demand for higher quality care; and increase professional development of child care providers. QRS can also be a strategy for aligning components of the early care and education system for increased accountability in improving quality of care. Additional information about QRS is available on the NCCIC Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/topics/topic/index.cfm?topicId=44.
All QRS are composed of five common elements: (1) standards; (2) accountability measures; (3) program and practitioner outreach and support; (4) financing incentives; and (5) parent/consumer education efforts. Currently, 14 States (Colorado, District of Columbia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vermont) have a statewide QRS.
QRS standards are used to assign ratings to programs that participate in QRS, providing parents and the public with information about each program's quality. States typically use licensing standards as the starting point, or base of the system, upon which higher levels of quality standards are built. Every QRS contains two or more levels of standards beyond licensing, with incremental progressions to the highest level of quality as defined by the State. Systems vary in the number of levels and in the number of standards identified in each level. The types of standards used by QRS to assign ratings are based on research about the characteristics of programs that produce positive child outcomes.
Categories of standards in statewide QRS include the following:
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The following table includes links to each State's QRS standards used to assign quality ratings. NCCIC does not endorse any organization, publication, or resource.
QRS Quality Standards
| State | Start Date |
QRS Name and Web Site (When Available) |
QRS Quality Standards Web Site (When Available) |
| Colorado | 2000 | Qualistar Rating System |
Qualistar Rating Components www.qualistar.org/professionals/components.php |
| District of Columbia | 2000 |
Going for the Gold Web site not available |
Web site not available |
| Iowa | 2006 | Iowa Child Care Quality Rating System www.dhs.state.ia.us/iqrs/ |
Child Development Homes and Child Care Center Charts www.dhs.state.ia.us/iqrs/ |
| Kentucky | 2001 |
STARS for KIDS NOW Child Care Quality Rating System www.kde.state.ky.us/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Early+Childhood+Development/STARS ++for+KIDS+NOW+%28Quality+Rating+Sys tem%29.htm |
STARS for KIDS NOW Level Requirements for Type I Centers STARS for KIDS NOW Level Requirements for Licensed Family Child Care Homes STARS for KIDS NOW Level Requirements for Certified Family Child Care Homes |
| Maryland | 2001 |
Maryland Child Care Tiered Reimbursement Program www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/credentials/tiered |
Tiered Reimbursement Levels Chart Web site not available |
| Montana | 2002 |
Star Quality Rating System www.dphhs.mt.gov/programsservices/starqualitychildcare.shtml |
Star Quality Rating System www.dphhs.mt.gov/programsservices/starqualitychildcare.shtml |
| New Hampshire | 2006 | Licensed Plus www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/CDB/licensedplus.htm |
Licensed Plus Quality Standards www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/CDB/LIBRARY/Form/licensedplus-applications.htm |
| New Mexico | 2005 | Look for the Stars www.newmexicokids.org/caregivers |
AIM HIGH Essential Elements of Quality www.newmexicokids.org/Resource/Library/AIMHIGH/EssentialElements.pdf |
| North Carolina | 1999 |
North Carolina Star Rated License http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/parents/pr_sn2_ov_sr.asp |
Program Standards summary http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/parents/pr_sn2_ps.asp Education Standards summary http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/parents/pr_sn2_es.asp Child Care Rules—full text of all standards http://nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/NC/nc_0506TOC.htm |
| Ohio | 2006 |
Step Up to Quality www.stepuptoquality.org |
Step Up to Quality Benchmarks and Indicators www.stepuptoquality.org |
| Oklahoma | 1998 |
Reaching for the Stars www.okdhs.org/programsandservices/cc/stars |
340:110-1-8.3. Certification of facilities to receive a differential quality rate www.okdhs.org/library/policy/oac340/110/01/0008003.htm |
| Pennsylvania | 2002 |
Keystone STARS (Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources, and Support) www.dpw.state.pa.us/PartnersProviders/ChildCareEarlyEd/KeyStoneStarChildCare |
Keystone Stars Performance Standards for Center www.dpw.state.pa.us/PartnersProviders/ChildCareEarlyEd/KeyStoneStarChildCare/ PerformanceStandards/003671059.htm Keystone Stars Performance Standards for Family Day Care Home www.dpw.state.pa.us/PartnersProviders/ChildCareEarlyEd/KeyStoneStarChildCare/ PerformanceStandards/003671060.htm Keystone Stars Performance Standards for Group Home www.dpw.state.pa.us/PartnersProviders/ChildCareEarlyEd/KeyStoneStarChildCare/ PerformanceStandards/003671058.htm |
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Tennessee |
2001 | Child Care Evaluation and Report Card Program |
Web site not available |
| 2001 |
Star-Quality Child Care Program www.tnstarquality.org |
Web site not available |
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| Vermont | 2003 |
STep Ahead Recognition System for Child Care Programs (STARS) www.STARSstepahead.org |
STARS Program Guide www.starsstepahead.org/press/program_guide.pdf |
Updated October 2007
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NCCIC is a service of the Child Care Bureau (CCB), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Administration for Children and Families(ACF), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services