COMMUNITY LEARNING
CENTER, INC.
PORT WASHINGTON, WI
YoungStar
CLC’s YoungStar Formal Rating
*** 3 Star Rating ***
CLC's Official YoungStar Rating Certificate
CLC’s rating process was completed by YoungStar. The rating process was based on our current staff’s educational qualifications and longevity, a review of our business and professional practices, and the overall health, safety, and wellness practices at CLC.
Please feel free to visit the following website for more information and details on Wisconsin’s YoungStar Program; http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/.
More About YoungStar
What does YoungStar mean?
YoungStar is a program of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) created to improve the quality of child care for Wisconsin children. YoungStar evaluates the quality of care given by regulated child care providers and rates them from 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars being the highest rating. A provider's star rating is based on:
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Education Qualifications and Training
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Learning Environment and Curriculum
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Professional and Business Practices
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Child Health and Well-Being Practices
In Wisconsin, childhood professionals and the organizations that serve them, have long held the idea that training, experience and professionalism are the hallmarks of quality care. The Registry, with guidance and support from the field, has worked to highlight those qualities and provide recognition. The collaboration with YoungStar represents an exciting step in the evolution of professional development in Wisconsin. Teacher education is considered one of the most consistent predictors of quality in an early childhood setting. YoungStar criteria for staff related to training and education is verified through the individual's Registry membership. This information is shared electronically with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families to help determine YoungStar points.
Is every child care center required to participate in YoungStar?
Participation in YoungStar is voluntary. However, licensed and certified child care providers, Head Start programs, and school-age programs that accept payments from Wisconsin’s Child Care Subsidy program, Wisconsin Shares, are required to participate in YoungStar. Wisconsin Shares helps families pay for child care. If the parent of a child needing child care is eligible, child care can be subsidized for children under the age of 13 (and up to 19 if special needs).
How can I find out when a center was rated? How long is the rating current?
The rating is updated annually unless there is a large staff turnover that could move the rating up or down. You may research a center through the following website:
http://childcarefinder.wisconsin.gov/Search/BasicSearch.aspx
My center has a 4 star rating. Should I be concerned?
The YoungStar rating scale is a five star system, which uses compliance with existing child care regulations as a base. Star levels are achieved on the basis of the total number of points earned in a 40-point quality indicator system. There are also minimum quality indicators that must be met at each star level.
A 4 star rating for a center means that the program meets elevated levels of quality standards. It is important not only to look at the star level but also to ask your provider what areas they are working on in YoungStar. Two providers at the same star level may be very different because they choose to work on different areas of quality improvement. That is why it is important for parents to ask providers more information about their YoungStar rating aside from the star level. For example, if you are a parent who is more concerned with the health and nutrition your child receives, you may want to find a provider who is working on that area of YoungStar.
What is the difference between star ratings? What makes a 5 star center? What makes a 3 star center?
YoungStar is a system that allows providers to earn points for meeting quality standards. In addition to earning points in YoungStar, programs must achieve certain minimum quality indicators to move from one star level to the next. For this reason, all programs at a given star level will have at least met the minimums for that star level. The other quality practices they utilize will depend on their area of focus.They can choose to focus on education and training; learning environment and curriculum; business and professional practices; or child health and wellness.
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youngstar/pdf/minimum_points_required.pdf
How can I find out more about YoungStar?
You can find more information on YoungStar at http://www.youngstar.wi.gov.
All the above information and more can be found at the following websites: