QRIS/Star Rating FCC Participants....

[Blackcat31]

This is meant for family child care providers NOT centers as I FULLY understand that process already)

I have a question for those providers who participate in their state's star rating programs. From what I gather so far, the star rating systems in each state are a bit different from state to state (I am sure due to differing rules and regs) but for the most part follow the basic QRIS platform.

So is there anyone participating for more than 5 years?

My state is in the process of implementing the star ratings and only a few counties are currently doing it. One of the biggest complaints or problems with it so far is that the courses, classes, college credits or what ever trainings you have need to have been taken within the last 5 years to be counted as valid. So one of the area providers we have here has a degree in ECE but graduated more than 5 years ago, and was told that she has to re-take certain courses in order to get the max number of stars.

For example, she has already taken a complete 3 credit course in Observation and Evaluation but is being told that course doesn't count toward her "trainings" because it was more than 5 years ago. She is feeling like her degree as a whole should count towards something whether it was 5 yrs ago or 5 months ago.

I have the the requirements to reach the max amount of stars (so far from what I am told) but I am wondering about what happens when the time comes for re-newal of these stars?
Will people have to re-take a ton of courses to get or stay at the highest star levels?
Maybe just re-fresher courses or the min. required trainings?

It just appears so far that the provider who has the right training is being left in the dust because her classes weren't taken within 5 year. I though college courses count forever?

I am only in the beginning of this so I don't know and the coaches/advisors we have seem to be learning right along with us and don't know the answers yet either. We get a lot of "I don't knows".

So I am just wondering what troubles or roadblocks providers have encountered, if any, when the time comes for re-newing. Also looking for some feedback on what you feel is good and bad about the whole ratings thing. Has it helped you personally as a provider and has it helped or hurt your business?

Anyone doing family child care and participating in the star rating system, please share your experiences and thoughts... (especially about trainings and the renewal process) Thank you!

[snbauser]

Here the "education" part of the star rating system has to do with what level your education is and has nothing to do with how recent it is. So if you have taken the NC ECE Credential Class and have your certification for it, it puts you at one level, no mater how long ago it was. AA in ECE would put you at a higher level, an AA plus x number of addition ECE hours a higher level, etc. We have annual training hours we have to do but that is for licensing regulations and not for our star rating. And our license renewed annually but the FCCERS is done every 3 years unless it is requested earlier. Our licenser can also bump our stars down if they see drastic changes in our program or facility. Or we can request our stars be reviewed if we have increased our education level.

[Childminder]

I have 100% in all my areas except for education and even though I have taken all of the classes offered from our resource center and some college courses I will never make it higher than 1 star because I do not have a degree or CDA. I will not at my age spend the money and time to go back to school so I shal never get higher than 1 star. BTW I am in MI and they just started the actual QRIS this fall.

[Heidi]

In WI, they do not have that reg. A degree is a degree, no matter how old.

WECA has also managed to develop a TEACH scholarship program that is great. I am completing my Associate's Degree, and they are paying 80 percent! I do have to commit to the field and to my program for a certain time period, though.

[Meeko]

I have 100% in all my areas except for education and even though I have taken all of the classes offered from our resource center and some college courses I will never make it higher than 1 star because I do not have a degree or CDA. I will not at my age spend the money and time to go back to school so I shal never get higher than 1 star. BTW I am in MI and they just started the actual QRIS this fall.

I feel the same way.

So sad that experience means absolutely nothing to these people. (People who have probably never tended a child other than their own in their whole lives)

While I appreciate and admire those with degrees....it is not everything. I don't need a degree to prove to anybody that I can love a child.

[Heidi]

I feel the same way.

So sad that experience means absolutely nothing to these people. (People who have probably never tended a child other than their own in their whole lives)

While I appreciate and admire those with degrees....it is not everything. I don't need a degree to prove to anybody that I can love a child.

[Crystal]

I feel the same way.

So sad that experience means absolutely nothing to these people. (People who have probably never tended a child other than their own in their whole lives)

While I appreciate and admire those with degrees....it is not everything. I don't need a degree to prove to anybody that I can love a child.

I agree. I have a B.A. and am working on my Masters, but I do know that my (almost) 16 years experience has been the BEST teacher. Without practical experience working in multi-age, group care, there is no way to fully understand or appreciate the challenges and PRACTICE it takes to get good at it. You can have all of the book knowledge there is, but hands-on experience is definitley more valuable.

[Blackcat31]

In WI, they do not have that reg. A degree is a degree, no matter how old.

WECA has also managed to develop a TEACH scholarship program that is great. I am completing my Associate's Degree, and they are paying 80 percent! I do have to commit to the field and to my program for a certain time period, though.

The T.E.A.C.H. grant is fantastic! They funded me for my entire degree! (not 100% but enought to make a difference!)

Once you complete your T.E.A.C.H. contract period and earn your degree, you also receive bonus money for doing so! happyface

[slpender]

THey just started the stars rating her in Florida and in my county it is voluntary I was going to do it at first but the more I read up on it I decided not to. The education thing is what got me. Not only do they want you to have a degree but they only count training classes that are offered through the local early learnong coaliton. I find these classes to be very boring and they only deal with creative curriculum lesson planning etc. I like more hands on training classes not sitting at a table for 2 hours reading info via power point after I have already worked an 11 hr day

[Blackcat31]

Well, I have a one on one conference with the Professional Development Advisor as well as the Parent Aware coach/trainer for my area coming up soon so I will definitely have a ton of questions for them both.

I really want to do the Parent Aware ratings but NOT if the training requirements are really rigid and not if it is going to be more work than it's worth....kwim?

I live in a an area where experience and reputation mean A LOT more than stars given my governing agencies and although I really think the rating system is a great way for parents and licensing agencies to make sure child cares are using best practice standards and are trained well in their field, I am just not so sure that parents here (in my community) "shop" for child care that way.

Heck, I only know of maybe 2 or 3 providers who even have web-sites and most of the client base for child care here comes from word of mouth or parents just going down the list provided by CCR&R and calling and interviewing each place.

So we will see what becomes of this. Right now, they are pushing providers to get the ball rolling on this process and one of the ways is to really promote the money which they will give to us in a grant for "Building Quality". I think someone said it is $500 but the catch is, you can only purchase things from their approved list of things and I guess the list isnt that appealing.

[Childminder]

I think the biggest gripe I have is that they want us to put all this time and money into improving our programs and education, using a curriculum, for basically the under threes, when we will still only be able to draw a wage that is just not even minimum.

Last year I did the math at my per hourly rate and I only made $4.64 per hour. I was open 5600 hours and my adjusted gross income was at poverty level. While there are many advantages to being my own boss in my own home I worked a lot of long hours for barely enough to survive.

Spending all the time qualifying for 5 stars in QRIS will in no way improve my situation. Maybe if I was younger and had less cynicism I might feel different. I have spent over 40 years investing in the children and seeing these "programs" come and go. Not worth the effort, imo.

[Heidi]

I think the biggest gripe I have is that they want us to put all this time and money into improving our programs and education, using a curriculum, for basically the under threes, when we will still only be able to draw a wage that is just not even minimum.

Last year I did the math at my per hourly rate and I only made $4.64 per hour. I was open 5600 hours and my adjusted gross income was at poverty level. While there are many advantages to being my own boss in my own home I worked a lot of long hours for barely enough to survive.

Spending all the time qualifying for 5 stars in QRIS will in no way improve my situation. Maybe if I was younger and had less cynicism I might feel different. I have spent over 40 years investing in the children and seeing these "programs" come and go. Not worth the effort, imo.

You don't know how many times I've said exactly that out loud! The rates in my area are the same as 12 years ago, but the expectations are WAY higher. The CC&R people and others "in charge" in the industry just smile, nod, and shrug..."what can you do?"

[Blackcat31]

I think the biggest gripe I have is that they want us to put all this time and money into improving our programs and education, using a curriculum, for basically the under threes, when we will still only be able to draw a wage that is just not even minimum.

Last year I did the math at my per hourly rate and I only made $4.64 per hour. I was open 5600 hours and my adjusted gross income was at poverty level. While there are many advantages to being my own boss in my own home I worked a lot of long hours for barely enough to survive.

Spending all the time qualifying for 5 stars in QRIS will in no way improve my situation. Maybe if I was younger and had less cynicism I might feel different. I have spent over 40 years investing in the children and seeing these "programs" come and go. Not worth the effort, imo.

You are right about the time and effort that pursuing the star ratings. Especially for those of us who have already been in the field for 20 years. I don't see a monetary gain either but I guess for me it is more for personal gain. I am one of those "weird-o's" that would seriously be a career college student if time and money allowed. I have a list a mile long of things I would love to study so doing the ratings thing is just another way to satisfy my need to "over-acheive" and also to feel better professionally about what I do.

For exmple, I started out in child care having a bit of knowledge and ALOT of hands on experience but no formal education other than the trainings and such I took for my job at Head Start and then when I "officially" went back to college to earn my ECE degree, I was really amazed at how much I knew but didn't know. Does that make sense?

Bottom line is I had a much better grasp on the WHY I did the things I did and found I could explain things much better to parents. Such as the importance of play. I knew the importance of it and could see the benefits of it first hand but really didn't know the WHY behind it all and the scientific parts of brain development and how the toys and games we play with the kids implact those things.

I completely get why you wouldn't want to go throught the process at this point in your career and I don't fault you one bit for it as I do think that experience is far more weighty than degrees or book smarts but Ihonestly believe that eventually the whole QRIS thing will NOT be voluntary and will be required in order to accept state assistance, be licensed and stay in business all together.

[Childminder]

I completely get why you wouldn't want to go throught the process at this point in your career and I don't fault you one bit for it as I do think that experience is far more weighty than degrees or book smarts but Ihonestly believe that eventually the whole QRIS thing will NOT be voluntary and will be required in order to accept state assistance, be licensed and stay in business all together.

I know this will happen I will be out be of a job and at my age it looks pretty glum. I have always been one to take courses and trainings and feel that educating oneself should be a top priority. I learn something new at every opportunity, I just can't see how spending all of the hours and money to get a degree will help me make more than $4 per hour in this biz. Probably less $$ because the time I'm in school and studying will take up hours that I would be watching children. Kwim?

[DCMom]

I am only in the beginning of this so I don't know and the coaches/advisors we have seem to be learning right along with us and don't know the answers yet either. We get a lot of "I don't knows".

I was at a training last night (non-Parent Aware). They had one of the Parent Aware advocates in prior to the training to pass out cards to push providers to sign up for the Parent Aware info sessions. Your question was asked and the answer was to this effect:

"It is a work in progress, we are just coming up on the five year mark of providers participating and we are handling these situations as they come up"

I felt like it was a non-answer; this program has already changed a lot from when it was first rolled out. I've kind of kept an eye on it just to see if it would be here today, gone tomorrow like many are. This one seems to be staying around, so I'm getting closer to joining a cohort if nothing else but to have input on what they are doing, ! Especially with the education component; I feel that previous experience should count toward something.