The Parent Referral Specialist is available to assist families in searching for quality child care. Using our data base of licensed childcare facilities, families will be given a number of child care providers to choose from which meet their individual needs.

When seeking quality childcare, a great beginning is to know the QUALITY INDICATORS to look for.

	Health & Safety
	Positive Teacher/Child Interactions
	Staff Child Ratio & Group Size
	Staff Education
	Staff Turnover
	Family Involvement
	Accredidation
	Developmentally Appropriate Activities/Curriculum

Another important recommendation is THE STAR RATING SYSTEM.

Star rating is similar to rating systems for other services such as restaurants, hotels, etc. The rating goes from 1-5 stars. One star means basic licensing requirements. Programs that choose to voluntarily meet higher standards can apply for a two up to five star license.
The rating scale is divided up into two components: Program and Education Standards, plus a quality bonus point. Facilities can receive up to 7 points in each of the two areas. Staff education and experience is one component. The second component is Program Standards, which is the program environment. Examples of this are enough space, variety of materials, number of activity areas, cleanliness, comfort, staff-child ratios, family involvement and documented policies and procedures.