Latest News
Spotlight: Hughes Home Day Care | Western New York
Hughes Home Day Care is a family child care program in Cheektowaga, NY that joined QUALITYstarsNY's Start with Stars initiative in October, 2022 after being awarded an OCFS Child Care Deserts RFA 1 Grant for new programs.* It is always rewarding to hear from our QUALITYstarsNY participants how their commitment to improving and sustaining quality is benefiting the children in their care. Daina Hughes, Hughes Home Day Care owner/director shared her excitement about a [...]
Applying for QUALITYstarsNY & Start with Stars
How to get starting with the application process for QUALITYstarsNY & Start with Stars
Governor Hochul Maintains $5 Million Funding for QUALITYstarsNY in the NYS Executive Budget for FY 2024
On February 1, Governor Hochul released her Executive Budget for FY 2024. The proposed budget maintains the $5 million annual funding for QUALITYstarsNY; however, a sustained, increased investment in QUALITYstarsNY is needed to safeguard program quality as policies are implemented to expand access and affordability for families.
QUALITYstarsNY Testifies at NYS Senate Children and Families Committee Hearing on the Child Care Crisis
On January 26, the Institute’s Executive Director Dona Anderson testified on behalf of QUALITYstarsNY at a public hearing of the New York State Senate Committee on Children and Families focused on New York’s child care crisis. The testimony highlighted the impact of QUALITYstarsNY, its proven model of continuous quality improvement, and its role in safeguarding the quality of New York’s early childhood System.
Participant Spotlight: ABCD at Newfane Transforms Breastfeeding Area for Mothers
Sara Hunter, Education Disabilities Coordinator at ABCD at Newfane discusses how their center was able to create a comfy breastfeeding area for mothers thanks to the materials and support they accessed through their QUALITYstarsNY participation
QUALITYstarsNY Scholarship Now Available for Participants Pursuing Early Childhood Education Degrees
QUALITYstarsNY has launched a new collaboration with the Early Childhood Career Development Center to offer the QUALITYstarsNY Scholarship. This scholarship can support staff pursuing an early childhood education degree who work at an early childhood program participating in QUALITYstarsNY.
Governor Hochul Announces Awardees of RFA 1 Child Care Deserts Grant
Governor Hochul has announced that nearly $70 million in grant funding has been awarded to newly licensed or permitted early childhood programs in New York’s child care deserts. The funds, made available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are administered under the Office of Children and Family Services.
Participant Spotlight: Susan Zucker Reflects on 36 Years as Director of Virginia Marx Children’s Center at SUNY Westchester Community College
The United Federation of Teachers has awarded QUALITYstarsNY participant Shante Parrish the Provider Appreciation Award for Outstanding Providers. Shante Parrish is the Owner/Operator Jump for Success, Corp., a group family child care program in the Bronx, NYC.
Mayor Releases Blueprint for Child Care & Education in NYC
Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams released “A Blueprint for Child Care & Early Childhood Education in New York City”. The Blueprint outlines his plans to strengthen NYC’s early childhood system and provide accessible, high-quality, equitable, and affordable child care to more of the city’s 500,000 young children and their families. The Blueprint concludes by noting the strategies outlined in the plan are just the beginning and future steps are in development [...]
QUALITYstarsNY Stands with Buffalo
The QUALITYstarsNY community stands in solidarity to acknowledge the loss of lives in Buffalo. As the community comes together to care for one another, we reach out to offer comfort during this time. QUALITYstarsNY Improvement Specialists are poised to support participating programs in Western New York and throughout the state as they work with their young children and families to build communities that value diversity and love.