YoungStar

YoungStar is the Department of Family and Children’s new five-star quality rating and improvement system for child care in Wisconsin. Children who participate in quality early childhood programs get a strong start in education and development, the spring board to future success.

YoungStar will improve child care throughout the state, make it easier for parents to choose the best child care for their kids, and link child care provider quality to payments from the Wisconsin SHARES program.

YoungStar sets a five-star rating system for child care providers based on education, learning environment, business practices and the health and well being of children. Through this rating system the state will address several key issues in Wisconsin’s child care system. It will:

• Improve the overall quality of child care
• Create a clear, understandable tool for parents to choose quality child care
• Create incentives for providers to improve services, particularly for low-income children
• Establish a connection between child care quality and the rate of Wisconsin Shares payments
• Help prevent fraud in the Wisconsin Shares system

What Child Care Programs are Eligible for YoungStar?

Providers that currently serve children birth through age five are eligible to participate in YoungStar this year. Programs that currently receive Wisconsin SHARES Child Care Subsidy must participate in YoungStar in order to continue to receive Wisconsin SHARES after July 1, 2012. All programs that meet the regulatory compliance definition and complete both an Application for YoungStar Participation (Application For YoungStar Participation – for Group Providers  or Application For YoungStar Participation – for Family Providers) and a Wisconsin Shares Contract,  and submit these to their YoungStar Regional Office by June 1st, 2011 will continue to be eligible to receive Wisconsin Shares after July 1, 2012.

Application for YoungStar Participation forms and Wisconsin Shares Contracts received after will be processed in the order received. Providers must complete a Wisconsin Shares Participation Contract and an Application for YoungStar Participation for each individual child care site, even if they are owned or operated by the same person or organization.

Find your YoungStar Regional Office.

Training and Technical Assistance

YoungStar is designed to support child care providers so they can improve the care they offer to children. DCF has partnered with organizations in twelve counties to make training and technical assistance available immediately. This assistance will reach more than 5,000 early care providers, and the customized intensive support will reach approximately 200 child care programs to provide on-site support. To see if additional resources are available in your area, visit our training page. 

For more info:

 http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/providers.htm

Additional Resources for Child Care Providers

• Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards
• The Registry
• Definition of Regulatory Compliance
• TEACH Scholarships
• Institutions of Higher Education Link
• Wisconsin Early Childhood Association – Credit for Prior Learning Brief
• Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Mandated Reporter Training – note this training would need to be delivered through the PDAS approval system
• Program Wide Pyramid Model Implementation Related to Social Emotional Development
• Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners
• Supporting Families Together Association

http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/providers.htm

Information For Parents

YoungStar will ensure that a child receives the best care, by offering incentives for childcare providers who demonstrate higher quality.  You can utilize information from Family and Childcare Resources and the Young star Ratings to make a well-informed choice for your children in selecting a childcare provider. It is important to use all available tools when selecting quality care for your family.

YoungStar builds on the Department of Children & Families’ commitment to ensure child care be safe. The parents of Wisconsin rely on the tens of thousands of visits made by our licensing staff and county certification staff, who visit every regulated child care center to check for health and safety. By rating child care through YoungStar, we ensure the health and safety of child care in Wisconsin.

Studies show that children who have quality early experiences are:

• Less Likely to 
  • Use Drugs and Alcohol
  • Be Involved in the Criminal Justice System
  • Experience Abuse or Neglect
• More Likely to
  • Graduate from High School
  • Have Higher Paying Jobs

For more information on the YoungStar initiative

http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/details.htm