There are many ways to improve your child care program’s quality. Currently, in Wisconsin a valuable tool for improving quality is to actively engage in YoungStar, Wisconsin’s child care quality rating and improvement system. YoungStar recognizes quality in early care and education programs and provides support and resources, such as technical assistance and micro-grants. Participation in YoungStar is available to all early learning settings including family child care, group centers, school-age programs (before/after school) and school-age day camps. To families looking for child care, YoungStar participation is represented by a 5-star rating scale.
In order to receive reimbursements through Wisconsin’s child care subsidy program, Wisconsin Shares, a program must complete and submit a YoungStar Contract. Early care and education programs work with technical consultants to engage in efforts to promote their quality and proceed with a process that determines their star rating on a scale from one to five. A program’s annual rating is based upon indicators that are related to four primary areas of quality:
- Education and Training Qualifications
- Learning Environment and Curriculum
- Professional and Business Practices
- Health and Wellness
YoungStar Services at 4-C
4-C YoungStar technical consultants provide early childhood trainings, on-site technical consultation, resources, and facilitate micro-grants that are individualized to help programs achieve their educational, environmental, and professional goals. Participating programs are assigned a technical consultant to guide the progress toward program goals.
Options for Participating in YoungStar
Rating Only – Participants can select to have an automatic rating when they submit their YoungStar contract. This rating can have the following possible outcomes:
- If the program is not accredited, they will receive a 2 Star rating indicating the program meets Wisconsin health and safety regulations.
- If the program has achieved accreditation from a recognized professional organization, they will be rated at a higher star level. This star level is determined by YoungStar and based on the accreditation organization criteria.
On-Site Technical Rating – By choosing to have an on-site technical rating by a YoungStar technical consultant, programs are indicating they want to benefit from the guidance of a professional trained to assist programs in achieving higher star ratings. Technical consultants can assist programs with understanding and navigating Wisconsin’s early learning systems, support learning and application of practices that are known to have a positive impact on child development, increase understanding and implementation of best business practices, and guide programs in building solid and interactive family partnerships.
On-Site Technical Assistance – Lastly by selecting to have on-site technical assistance, programs also have access to micro-grant funding and professional development guidance. The micro-grant can be used to help programs access education, training, and/or materials and supplies that can help them to meet YoungStar evaluation criteria. Guidance from YoungStar technical consultants can assist providers in identifying their professional development path, and highlight the steps needed to achieve it.
Tips for the Highest Possible Rating
Your 4-C YoungStar technical consultant will assist you in achieving the highest possible rating; however, here are a few helpful tips:
Review Your Registry Program Profile – Keep information up to date.
Create a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) – Once you complete a Program Self-Assessment, (click on “Self-Assessment” drop-down), structure your QIP to assess program strengths and areas for improvement (click on “Quality Improvement Plan” drop-down).
Build Your Skills – Take advantage of free and low-cost professional development through YoungStar (click on “Education and Training” drop-down).