Web 2.0:
Virginia Star Quality Initiative
Virginia Interactive, the Office of Early Childhood Development
and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation: Progressing into
the Future Together with the Virginia Star Quality Initiative
Overview:
Virginia Interactive developed the Virginia’s Star Quality Initiative application, which was administered in partnership between the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the Office of Early Childhood Development. The Virginia Star Quality Initiative was created to provide a consistent way to distinguish the level of quality in early education programs, allowing parents to make more informed choices. Early learning providers who participate in this voluntary program are provided with a guide to continually improve the quality of their services.
The Virginia Star Quality Initiative awards early childhood programs one of five star levels of increasing quality. Participation and the award of a one-star or higher rating reflects a program’s choice to raise the bar in commitment to quality beyond expectation or requirement. But the rating is only the first step of the process. After receiving a rating, programs are given tools to improve their quality through mentoring and other assistance. Along with the basic information (name, address, contact information, and hours of operation), parents can also review program information such as:
- Type of care (Child Care Center, Preschool Program, School Age Program)
- Refine search options such as:
- food plan options
- transportation
- special needs
- Star Quality rating, using the star-symbol approach
Innovation Factors:
Parents can easily access either the Smart Beginnings’ or Office of Early Childhood Development’s website to browse star-rated centers in their area to help find an early learning program that is right for their family. This forward-thinking application allows parents to also share feedback and/or provide comment about their experience with this program.
Performance Indicators:
Prior to the application going live, only 120 childhood programs participated in the Star Quality Initiative. There are now a total of 238 programs participating currently listed in the online database.
Service Link: www.smartbeginnings.org or www.earlychildhood.virginia.gov/