Parent Aware Rating System for Minnesota Child Care

Parent Aware is a rating system that helps Minnesota parents find high-quality child care and early education providers. We are proud to be in alignment with the Mission of Parent Aware. ​

Parent Aware, Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, offers tools and resources to help:

• Families find quality child care and early education
• Programs improve their practices
• Children benefit from care and education that will prepare them for school and life.

Compass and Parent Aware believe that:

• Every child has unique gifts and abilities to celebrate and nurture
• All families deserve equitable access to quality care and education for their children
• Quality early learning from trained and culturally competent professionals makes a difference for children
• Children learn through relationships and playful interactions with their families, peers, providers, teachers, and environment

Compass and Parent Aware commit to:

• Advancing inclusive practices that build on family, child, and community strengths
• Helping care and education programs adopt best practices and serve children of all cultures, races, ethnicities, languages, beliefs, and abilities
• Offering services and supports from people who reflect our diverse community
• Supporting practices that will lead to closing the achievement gap for young children

Parent Aware will:

• Promote the importance of high-quality inclusive care and education programs and practices to all Minnesotans
• Offer professional growth for child care and early education professionals through cutting-edge, culturally-responsive training, education, and coaching
• Always improve Parent Aware services through evaluation, listening to parents and providers, and using the latest methods, models, and research.

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What do the star ratings indicate?

Compass Child Care centers are constantly working to improve. Ask your director for the current rating!

​One-Star Rating 

These programs have demonstrated these best practices:

• Uses consistent routines to support children
• Talks with children and families to better understand interests and culture
• Shares important community resources with families
• Learns about each individual child by observing and taking notes
• Commits to and maintains professional ethics in the early learning field

​Two-Star Rating 

These programs have demonstrated all One-Star practices, AND:

• Evaluates learning activities, materials, classroom layout, and health-related practices to set goals for growth
• Plans school-readiness activities for children
• Guides families through their children’s transition to kindergarten
• Shares information with families in ways that meet their unique needs
• Plans for continued learning and professional growth

​Three-Star Rating 

These programs have demonstrated all One- and Two-Star practices, AND:

• Uses a curriculum aligned with Minnesota’s early learning standards
• Teaches in a way that is organized, challenging and warm
• Helps children transition between activities and stay engaged
• Uses approved tools to track children’s development
• Commits to ongoing quality improvement by using some of these best practices:
  • Responds to unique cultural customs and needs of children and families
  • Offers activities that encourage family participation and help children transition to kindergarten
  • Gives families opportunities to provide feedback about the program
  • Shares child development updates with families to set goals together
  • Makes accommodations for children with special needs and their families
  • Has highly-qualified and trained leadership staff, teachers, and providers
  • Creates a program-wide professional development plan
  • Encourages healthy living through nutrition and physical activity, always evaluating to set goals for growth

​Four-Star Rating 

These programs have demonstrated all One-, Two-, and Three-Star practices, AND commits to ongoing quality improvement by using most of these best practices:

• Responds to unique cultural customs and needs of children and families
• Offers activities that encourage family participation and help children transition to kindergarten
• Gives families opportunities to provide feedback about the program
• Shares child development updates with families to set goals together
• Makes accommodations for children with special needs and their families
• Has highly-qualified and trained leadership staff, teachers, and providers
• Creates a program-wide professional development plan
• Encourages healthy living through nutrition and physical activity, always evaluating to set goals for growth

Compass Child Care centers are constantly working to improve. Ask your director for your center's current rating!

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