Participating in Delaware Stars

The overarching goal of Delaware’s Early Childhood Plan for Early Success (2006) is that all children enter life and school ready to succeed.  Access to high quality early care and education programs for all of Delaware’s children, with an initial focus on children from low-income families, is an essential component of the plan.

Delaware Stars for Early Success is a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which is a method used to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education and school-age settings.  It establishes quality standards for programs and provides technical assistance and limited financial support to programs involved in Stars as they engage in quality improvement efforts.  Delaware Stars is designed as a voluntary system that expects programs to work on improving quality by moving up the Star Levels.

Delaware Stars for Early Success is a five level system, with “5” being the highest rating.  The licensing rules issued by the Office of Child Care Licensing serve as the Standards for Star Level 1.  With each higher Star Level, a program is required to meet increasingly higher quality Standards in the following categories.  Copies of the standards can be found under the section on Policy and Forms.

Application Process

In order to participate in Delaware Stars, a program must have been open and serving families with a current, valid license (not be under any enforcement action, including suspension, probation, or warning of probation) from the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) for a minimum of 12 months prior to application and at the time of enrollment.  In addition, there must be no outstanding concerns with Purchase of Care (POC) or the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

To apply, please review the eligibility requirements.  If your program meets all of these requirements, complete and submit an application.  Please us the application checklist to make sure your application is complete and to expedite the process og of your application.  Missing or outdated information may delay this process.  Once you have confirmed that your application is complete, please fax or mail you application to DIEEC.

Application

To request an application call (302) 831-3239 or send an email to Institute-Early-Childhood@udel.edu, with your name and program address.

Send to:

DIEEC
Attn: Delaware Stars for Early Success
111 Alison West
University of Delaware
Newark, DE  19716

Fax:  (302) 831-8776  Attn:  DIEEC

Vision, Mission, and Goals

The vision for Delaware Stars for Early Success is that all of Delaware's children and families will have access to quality early care and education from birth through school-age.  The mission of this work aims to: Increase access to quality early care and education for all of Delaware's children, with initial focus on children and families of low-income, design and implement a system that defines quality and supports the development of quality early care and education programs, engage the legislature and policymakers in supporting the implementation of Delaware Stars, and provide consumer education about the importance of early care and education and Delaware's system for providing quality programs.

Delaware Stars was initiated by the Delaware Early Childhood Council and is supported by public/private partnership.  The Delaware Department of Education (DOE) is ultimately responsible for Delaware Stars, through the Office of Early Care and Education.  A subcommittee of the Delaware Early Childhood Council serves as an advisory group to Delaware Stars. A management team comprised of representatives from the Delaware Early Childhood Council, DOE Office of Early Care and Education, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Office of Child Care Licensing (CCL), Children and Families First, and the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) is responsible for making decisions related to the development and implementation of Delaware Stars.

Currently, public funding comes from the state Department of Education (DOE).  In the past, the Department of Health and Social Services has contributed to the program as well. United Way serves as the fiscal agent for private funding.  In five years, Delaware Stars intends to be supported primarily by public funds.

Delaware Stars has been supported by a public/private partnership with the following organizations: Delaware Early Childhood Council, Department of Education, Department of Health and Social Services - Division of Social Services, Office of Child Care Licensing, Nemours Health and Prevention Services, United Way Success by Six^TM, Children & Families First, Divisions of Social Services and Public Health, The Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee's Oversight Committee on Vision 2015, JP Morgan Chase, Social Venture Partners Delaware, Robin Foundation, ING, Chichester DuPont Foundation, and private donors.

Goals are under construction and will be posted soon.