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        Letter to Providers                       Application for One Star Rating
                 10/30/07

In recognition of the need to build and support an increase in the quality child care options available to children, the Department of Social Services - Office of Family Support has been working with community leaders, stakeholders, providers and advocates across the state to design a quality rating system (QRS) for child care. This rating system is known as "Quality Start." DSS has formed a new division to lead the effort to design and implement Quality Start in Louisiana. The new Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education convened a QRS Steering Committee to develop the Quality Start Model. 

Quality Start is a voluntary program. It combines existing and new supports for child care into one system. Child care centers will receive tiered bonuses for children receiving Child Care Assistance. Teachers will be part of the Pathways Career Development System and use scholarships to pay for additional training required. Families will learn about quality programs and celebrate your success as a partner.

What is the goal of a QRS and what does it really do?
The goal of a QRS is to increase the quality of child care and early learning for all children throughout Louisiana, and to give parents and consumers the ability to understand, assess and demand higher quality.

A QRS serves three overriding functions:

1. A guide for parents
2. A benchmark for program improvement
3. An accountability measure for funding

What are the benefits of a QRS?
A QRS is a cornerstone of higher-quality education and care for all young children. Louisiana is building a QRS because high quality child care is one of the most effective ways to improve school performance, increase high school graduation rates, job performance, and adult productivity.

How was the QRS developed?
The Department of Social Services formed a new division in their Office of Family Support to lead the effort to design and implement a QRS in Louisiana. The new Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education convened a QRS Steering Committee that developed the specific plan for the QRS in our state, including

• proposing components that will be part of the QRS
• recommending ways in which child care providers will earn stars
• recommending increased reimbursement rates that are tied to star levels achieved
• suggesting supports that will be necessary to ensure successful participation in the QRS
• identifying other necessary elements of the plan.

How can I ask questions about the QRS?
Please feel free to submit your questions, concerns, or any other comments to kelso@laccrra.org. Your thoughts and insight are greatly appreciated and we look forward to working with you throughout this process.

Thank you for your commitment to improving the quality of child care for the children of our state.

This web site was developed through a contract between the Tulane University Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and the Department of Social Services – Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education in the Office of Family Support for the purposes of communicating with, and providing information to, child care providers, professionals and other interested parties on the development of the Quality Rating System in Louisiana. Questions relating to Quality Start can be sent via e-mail to the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education at QualityStart@dss.state.la.us.