Latest News
Apply for the Winter/Spring 2022 Quality Improvement Specialist Pipeline Project
22-Hour Certificate Program for Early Childhood Leaders In partnership with the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, QUALITYstarsNY is offering a 22-hour certificate program for experienced early childhood leaders interested in learning the skills to advance their career, deepen their understanding of high quality early childhood education practices, and position themselves for success as a Quality Improvement Specialist candidate. Update January 26, 2022: The application window is [...]
New Requirement for Training Standards Starting April 1, 2022
QUALITYstarsNY has several Quality Standards related to staff trainings that can earn programs points during the rating process. As of April 1, 2022, trainings must be entered into The Aspire Registry for approval in order for programs to earn points for the applicable training Standards. Programs may still earn points toward their rating for trainings that take place before April 1, 2022 that are not entered as approved events in Aspire, as long as [...]
Lawmakers visit Exploration Acres as Last Stop on Child Care Listening Tour
On December 1, QUALITYstarsNY participant Exploration Acres hosted lawmakers for the final stop of NYS Senator Jabari Brisport’s state-wide child care listening tour. Owned and operated by René & Paul Leonard, Exploration Acres is a group family child care program in Granville—located in Washington County in northern New York, which joined QUALITYstarsNY during the pandemic. Their QUALITYstarsNY Quality Improvement Specialist Sarah Gould-Houde also joined for the visit to discuss the importance of quality in early [...]
The Innovative Daycare hosts Lawmakers on Long Island Stop of the Child Care Listening Tour
On October 27, state lawmakers visited The Innovative Daycare in Freeport, Long Island to learn more about what they are currently experiencing as child care providers in the wake of the pandemic. The Innovative Daycare, a group family child care program owned and operated by Janna Rodriguez, joined QUALITYstarsNY in 2020 during the pandemic. Their Quality Improvement Specialist, Karin Sperb, joined them for the visit to contribute to the discussion and highlight what it [...]
Greenpoint Garden Playhouse Hosts Lawmakers to Discuss COVID-19 Hardships for Family Providers
On September 29, Greenpoint Garden Playhouse, welcomed New York State lawmakers and community activists for a visit to discuss the hardships of COVID-19 and the importance of supporting providers and families through recovery. Greenpoint Garden Playhouse is a group family child care program in Brooklyn, owned and operated by program Director Kasia Kaim-Goncalves, that has been participating in QUALITYstarsNY since 2019. The visit was part of the first day of a state-wide listening tour [...]
Quality Improvement Specialists Resuming In-Person Visits with Participating Programs
We are pleased to share that as of August 2021, QUALITYstarsNY Quality Improvement Specialists (QI Specialists) have resumed in-person visits with some of their participating programs. The QUALITYstarsNY model of continuous quality improvement relies on regular meetings between QI Specialists and program leaders and staff on-site so they can most effectively offer individualized guidance to help programs realize their aspirations. These face-to-face interactions are key to developing a strong relationship between program leaders and [...]
Apply for the Fall 2021 Quality Improvement Specialist Pipeline Project
22-Hour Certificate Program for Early Childhood Leaders In partnership with the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, QUALITYstarsNY is offering a 22-hour certificate program for experienced early childhood leaders interested in learning the skills to advance their career, deepen their understanding of high quality early childhood education practices, and position themselves for success as a Quality Improvement Specialist candidate. The application window has closed for the Fall [...]
OCFS Now Accepting Applications for Child Care Stabilization Grant
On July 30, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will administer nearly $1.1 billion in stabilization grants to support child care providers and enable New York’s families to return to work. This funding will provide direct support to help early childhood programs recover from the devastating impact COVID-19 and stabilize New York’s child care industry. This historic investment is being funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act and the Coronavirus Response [...]
Participant Spotlight: Mercy Cares for Kids Video Highlights Importance of Investing in Early Childhood Quality
Mercy Cares for Kids in Albany created a video to highlight the importance of investing in high quality early childhood education supports, such as QUALITYstarsNY. In the video, Executive Director Theresa Joslin and teaching staff explain some of the ways they implement high quality practices in their infant and toddler classrooms and what it means to the children and parents they serve. Ms. Joslin also shares the important role QUALITYstarsNY has played in [...]
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul Announces $35 Million Expansion of QUALITYstarsNY
On July 6, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state’s $35 million investment in QUALITYstarsNY to expand our services to more early childhood programs across the state. The announcement was made at an event at Bronx Community College (BCC) Early Childhood Center, which is one of nearly 900 programs currently participating in QUALITYstarsNY. Lt. Governor Hochul was joined at the event by City University of New York (CUNY) Interim Executive Vice Chancellor Dan Lemons, [...]