Info Sessions Give Participants Sneak Peek at
QUALITYstarsNY Field Test  

Information Sessions take place on January 26, 2010

Nearly 60 representatives of Westchester early care and education programs attended info sessions at the Council on January 26, 2010 to learn more about New York’s new quality rating improvement system, QUALITYstarsNY and how to participate in the field test.  As the lead agency for the field test in Westchester, the Council is responsible for getting the word out about QUALITYstarsNYand supporting the state coordinating agency and evaluators throughout the process.

Westchester County is one of only 13 sites across the state participating in the field test.   "We believe we were selected because of our previous work in quality improvement, the involvement of the Frog Rock Foundation in this process at the state level and support from many community partners including the Westchester Department of Social Services, Westchester AEYC, Southern Westchester BOCES, Sarah Lawrence College Child Development Institute, Westchester Children’s Association, SUNY Purchase and the United Way of Westchester and Putnam”, explained Kathy Halas, Executive Director of the Council.

When fully implemented, QUALITYstarsNY will recognize programs that demonstrate quality above and beyond New York State Office of Children and Family Services licensing regulations and help programs improve their quality with technical assistance and professional development.  Participating programs will be able to earn from one to five stars reflecting progressive levels of quality, giving parents more information about their options as they search for early childhood services.  QUALITYstarsNY will be a voluntary process but it is expected that as has been the case with other states with QRIS systems already implemented, that over time more New York child care programs will participate and quality ratings will climb.

“We want prospective participants to understand the benefits of the QUALITYstarsNY process, and what a unique opportunity this field test represents in shaping the future of QUALITYstarsNY, not just in our county, but statewide,” states Susan M. Edelstein who is heading up the Council’s participation.