Associated Students of Idaho State University Early Learning Center earns STAR Rating

The Associated Students of Idaho State University Early Learning Center has earned a STAR Rating through the IdahoSTARS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).

The QRIS is a voluntary quality rating and improvement system for child care facilities in Idaho. The quality of the facility is rated through a system of five stars, similar to ratings for hotels, movies and restaurants.

The QRIS has three goals: inform parents choices, improve the quality of child care, and implement “Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education.”  “Strengthening Families” is a child abuse and neglect prevention framework that focuses on supporting family strengths through positive child care provider/parent relationships.

Child care facilities participating in QRIS earn points and an overall rating based on eight quality standards: environment, education, professional development, inclusion, strengthening families, child-to-staff ratio, group size and business practices.

The QRIS includes a built-in system for improvement in each standard. In this way, the QRIS credits facilities for the quality practices already in pace while providing a roadmap to increased quality.

The QRIS was designed with input from child care providers, professionals and community members in pilot trials during 2007 and 2008 and opened statewide on Jan.1.

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