How Many Stars Do You Have

[MarinaVanessa]

You can check with your county office of education, R&R or local child care planning council to see if your county is participating and how you might get involved.

I called thank you. Now just waiting on a response back, Thank you so much.

[Meeko]

I will stay at zero as long as I possibly can.

This is MY business and I am not ready to turn it over to Big Brother's rules. I have done things my way for 28 years and it's worked just fine.

Almost three decades of happy kids and happy parents. Three decades of happy licensers and happy food program monitors.

Not about to change that until I'm forced to...which I know is coming....but I will hang on until then. The fact is much of what I do falls in the government window of "good care". My problem is being told I MUST do it in order to be considered a good daycare.

I believe with all my heart and soul that PARENTS should decide for themselves if they like a daycare or not and not be influenced by a government rating. I hate seeing individuality heading out the window and everybody having to follow the same path.

[Meeko]

That would be wonderful if the parents had financial incentives to choose high quality care! I agree it would make a difference.

I fail to see how the government blackmailing/bribing parents to chose one daycare over another is a good thing.

"High quality" should be up to the parent to decide.

How about they do their own research and decide for themselves? Now there's a concept our government doesn't want! People who actually think for themselves!!!

[mom2many]

I will stay at zero as long as I possibly can.

This is MY business and I am not ready to turn it over to Big Brother's rules. I have done things my way for 28 years and it's worked just fine.

Almost three decades of happy kids and happy parents. Three decades of happy licensers and happy food program monitors.

Not about to change that until I'm forced to...which I know is coming....but I will hang on until then. The fact is much of what I do falls in the government window of "good care". My problem is being told I MUST do it in order to be considered a good daycare.

I believe with all my heart and soul that PARENTS should decide for themselves if they like a daycare or not and not be influenced by a government rating. I hate seeing individuality heading out the window and everybody having to follow the same path.

I'm in the same boat....I told my husband it may be time to sell our 2 homes and move out to the sticks and just live off his pension, when this whole thing comes to be. We shall see.... I'm rated at a 1 and if that is detrimental to my business, then I will be forced to close my doors. It makes me really sad thinking about it.

I just cannot see shelling out thousands of dollars to educate myself on what I have done successfully for over 2 decades. It's not that I think I know everything, but I have sat through "mandatory" food program classes and first aid courses year after year and been dismayed at what a joke they are. They have been a total waste of time! I have seen first hand that when the government gets involved, things can become so bureaucratic and common sense falls by the way side.

Ok...time for a glass of wine! I'm so over it all!!!!!

[BumbleBee]

This is comparing apples and oranges. In my State I have fulfilled 100% of four categories but because I do not have a degree in ECE or a CDA I can get no higher than a one(1) of five(5) and never will. By what I read on this forum that would give me more stars in another state.

Same here, I may possibly get up to 2 stars but it would take a h*ll of a lot of work for that one extra star.

The center I worked at was a 3 or 4 star and I can say without a doubt in my mind that my program and way of teaching has waaaaaaaaay more to offer than the center ever did.

Michigan...gotta love it.

[nanglgrl]

I fail to see how the government blackmailing/bribing parents to chose one daycare over another is a good thing.

"High quality" should be up to the parent to decide.

How about they do their own research and decide for themselves? Now there's a concept our government doesn't want! People who actually think for themselves!!!

I'm not saying I don't disagree. I also think the government has too much involvement. My ratings have not changed the quality of care I provide, my environment or any other factor of my daycare but I do it because things are changing and to stay in business I feel like I need to stay ahead of the game.
As far as blackmailing/bribing parents it's a sad world we live in but it seems to me that at least 75% of parents in my area will choose cheaper care over quality care even if cheaper is $20 a month but a lot less quality. The fact of the matter is there are more bad parents out there, more children in childcare for the majority of their waking hours and more bad providers, because of that more children that grow up without what is needed in their formative years.
What do I think a child needs? Love, understanding and chances to explore. They don't need all of the stuff the government thinks..none of them benefit from the no smoking signs on my doors or a lot of the things the government makes me do but they do benefit from a few of the regulations. Would I do the things that benefit them even without regulations? Yes, but a lot of providers wouldn't and a lot of parents wouldn't care, that's the sad truth of the matter.
I had my first surprise inspection this year and I hated it. I feel like it is an unneeded invasion to my personal space. I groaned and moaned and I still will hate it every year when they come but when I really think about it I remind myself that somewhere even in my small town there is probably a provider abusing or neglecting the children in her care and no one knows. Sometimes this abuse/neglect leads to death of an innocent child. I will **** it up and deal with the government being more involved and coming into my home unannounced if it gives them more of a chance of finding those abusers.
I should also add that my view may be skewed because of the state I live in and how fair our QRS operates. There is no need for me to do much more than I already do to achieve a good rating. Getting 2 stars required me to change nothing. Ours is based on points that you can get a variety of ways. If I don't want to go get a Bachelors in education to get 5 stars that's fine...I can do something else to earn the points.

[MizzCheryl]

I have 5 stars. Had 5 for the last 10 years. The program changed 5 or 6 years ago but I did well enough to keep 5 stars. It is alot of work!

[Crystal]

Awesome!! Your state is way ahead of the curve, having a tiering system for so long! It is relatively new elsewhere! Good for you for meeting and exceeding standards!!!!

[mom2many]

I have 5 stars. Had 5 for the last 10 years. The program changed 5 or 6 years ago but I did well enough to keep 5 stars. It is alot of work!

Just curious, do you have a Masters degree??? I am really disheartened by this 5 star program, when I have put my heart & soul into this career for so many years and now see that as not being "good enough", because I lack a "formal" education now. I understand those individuals who have gone to school, being on board for this...but truly wonder how many experienced providers with 20 plus years... feeling like me & ready to give up, because we will now be looked upon as failures with a lowly rating of "ONE".

[Crystal]

Just curious, do you have a Masters degree??? I am really disheartened by this 5 star program, when I have put my heart & sole into this career for so many years and now see that not being "good enough", because I lack a "formal" education now. I understand those individuals who have gone to school, being on board for this...but truly wonder how many experienced providers with 20 plus years... feeling like me & ready to give up, because we will now be looked upon as failures with a lowly rating of "ONE".

I think what we will likely see, because this is a pilot program....meant to work out the kinks of what is and is not achievable, is a compromise as to the education portion of the qualifications. There will be alot of feedback from providers involved in the pilot phase, and it will come out that it is not realistic for FCCP to meet those expectations due to a lack of day time hours to attend school and a lack of resources available to us.

Don't get disheartened yet......get involved and let your voice be heard!!!!

[Crystal]

BTW....the highest level (5) requires a Bachelor's Degree for FCCP, and a Master's for Center Directors.

[mom2many]

I think what we will likely see, because this is a pilot program....meant to work out the kinks of what is and is not achievable, is a compromise as to the education portion of the qualifications. There will be alot of feedback from providers involved in the pilot phase, and it will come out that it is not realistic for FCCP to meet those expectations due to a lack of day time hours to attend school and a lack of resources available to us.

Don't get disheartened yet......get involved and let your voice be heard!!!!

I am going to email the woman who is charge of the Santa Clara County QRIS program and see if I can. I just found it in another thread- thanks for posting that!

I noticed that their last meeting was on 10/23 from 10-noon, so I hope they will be able to accommodate "working" providers and will have some meetings in the evenings too...we shall see! I figure it doesn't hurt to try.

[BumbleBee]

Just curious, do you have a Masters degree??? I am really disheartened by this 5 star program, when I have put my heart & soul into this career for so many years and now see that as not being "good enough", because I lack a "formal" education now. I understand those individuals who have gone to school, being on board for this...but truly wonder how many experienced providers with 20 plus years... feeling like me & ready to give up, because we will now be looked upon as failures with a lowly rating of "ONE".

Unfortunately I see this "education requirement" as being a big downfall to the programs. Personally, and I'm sure others have seen this as well, I have seen early childhood caregivers/educators with degrees who have no business being around children in any capacity. Likewise I have seen non-formally educated early childhood caregivers/educators who I look up to, emulate, and hold on a proverbial pedestal because they truly have a gift & talent for working w/children.

I agree with one of the PP's that working out the kinks is sooooo important as well as making our voices be heard. Just as each child is different & we cannot use the same techniques across the board, I believe the ratings programs need to look at the individual programs/daycares/caregivers and adjust techniques as necesssary.

As a degreed child care provider I have voiced my concern of the educational component (among other things) at area meetings and will continue to do so. A degree is a piece of paper-it does not make anybody more or less of a caregiver than somebody without a degree.

[lovemykidstoo]

I will stay at zero as long as I possibly can.

This is MY business and I am not ready to turn it over to Big Brother's rules. I have done things my way for 28 years and it's worked just fine.

Almost three decades of happy kids and happy parents. Three decades of happy licensers and happy food program monitors.

Not about to change that until I'm forced to...which I know is coming....but I will hang on until then. The fact is much of what I do falls in the government window of "good care". My problem is being told I MUST do it in order to be considered a good daycare.

I believe with all my heart and soul that PARENTS should decide for themselves if they like a daycare or not and not be influenced by a government rating. I hate seeing individuality heading out the window and everybody having to follow the same path.

I agree. The last meeting I went to about it, even our state instructors were rolling their eyes about it. The one training session was about the children brushing their teeth. You get more points if they brush their teeth in the morning. Someone asked, well when are the parents going to be responsible for their own children in the morning? They can't make sure they brush their teeth

[jojosmommy]

I have not gone through the process yet. As I understand I could have 4 stars but I rec'd my dual license teaching degree in EC and Family Ed in 2007 which is more than the 5 yr mark so I have to take more classes to get a good rating. And unless they pay off the 30 K I took out in loans in 07 to get those two teaching licenses I could care less about the star system.

I think the whole thing is BS. And I don't know of any parents who are going to give a rip enough to look into it anyway.