In addition to child care licensing regulations, which set basic health and safety requirements to protect the well-being of children in care, many states and territories also have child care quality ratings. These ratings help measure additional program features that go beyond minimum child care licensing requirements to support higher quality care.
In general, high-quality programs support and nurture children’s overall growth and development, including their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. These programs support development by letting children learn through play, providing positive, nurturing environments, and offering a wide range of artistic, cultural, intellectual, social, and physical activities.
Moreover, child care quality ratings are how states measure and improve child care program quality. State and territories use these ratings to share information with you about program quality in a way that is helpful and understandable.
What Can Child Care Ratings Tell You
A child care quality rating helps you easily recognize program quality. Most states use symbols, such as stars, to easily indicate levels of quality. Providers earn higher ratings as the state determines they have met more quality standards.
Like rating systems for public schools, hotels, or restaurants, states award child care quality ratings to early learning or child care programs when they meet a set of defined program quality standards.
The following are ways you can use quality rating information:
Identify those programs in your search that meet higher quality standards.
Compare the quality of different programs.
Consider quality ratings when selecting a program.
How Child Care Quality Ratings Work
Here are some important things to know about how they work:
Each state sets their own quality rating standards.
Although the specific quality standards used to rate child care providers are different in each state, they usually evaluate some of the same program features, such as the following:
Provider and staff education and training
Curriculum and learning activities
Health and safety
Number of staff and children present
The program’s business practices
Quality ratings use child care licensing as a starting point.
All states that have quality rating systems consider child care licensing as a key component for participation. However, this looks different in each system.
In most states, the first quality level simply requires programs to be in compliance with state licensing requirements.
Some states specify that the license be “in good standing,” which often means that the program has no (or very few and not serious) violations on record.
Some states require programs to meet licensing requirements and additional quality standards to achieve the first rating level.
Participation requirements vary across states.
Some states require all licensed child care providers to participate in the quality rating system. In other states, participation is voluntary or only required for programs receiving government funding.
Checking a program’s licensing status is still important.
Because states have different licensing requirements and child care rating systems, it’s important to confirm a child care provider’s licensing status and review their child care licensing inspection reports even if the provider participates in the quality rating system. To learn more about child care licensing and child care inspections see the "How is Child Care Regulated to Ensure Health and Safety?" section.
How To Find More About Your State or Territory’s Child Care Quality Rating System
States and territories use different names for their child care quality rating systems. Some states have specific, unique program names for their quality rating programs, such as Reach for the Stars. It’s important to learn about how your child care quality rating system works so you can use it to choose a child care program.
To see if your state or territory has a child care rating system and learn more about it, select your state or territory on the "See Your State’s Resources" page and review the “Understanding and Finding Child Care” tab.
What if my state doesn’t have a child care quality rating system?
Although most states and some territories do have child care quality rating systems, some do not. Some states and territories are still planning or testing their systems. If there is no quality rating system listed on your state of territory’s ChildCare.gov “Understanding and Finding Child Care” tab, you can consider other quality indicators, such as accreditations, to identify higher quality care. In some areas, there may be regional or local quality improvement initiatives.
Child care centers, family child care homes, school-age programs, and summer programs can also receive accreditation as a mark of quality. Accreditation occurs when programs are reviewed by an outside agency to demonstrate higher quality. Programs typically submit documentation, and someone may come in to observe program practices. Accreditation can occur through local, state, and national organizations.
Remember: You Decide What Is Best
Child Care quality ratings are just one tool to help you compare the quality of child care programs and make a child care choice. There are other tools to help you.
You decide what child care program may be the best fit for your child’s needs. Be sure to use the tools that are available to understand your options, learn about what makes child care safe, and ask the right questions to make the best choice for your family.
