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Delaware
Statistics on children, youth and families in Delaware from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and KIDS COUNT in Delaware
Early childhood education programs by quality rating (Star rating) in Delaware
Early childhood education programs by quality rating (Star rating)
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Why This Indicator Matters
The first five years of a child's life are an important time for growth and development, and lay out the foundations for language, academic ability, habits and socio-emotional development. Research shows that access to high quality early care and education programs help young children grow up ready to succeed in school and life. However, there are large gaps in the quality of early care and childhood programs and not all children receive the maximum benefits from their program. When we invest in replicate high quality programs for children and youth, we can solve these gaps in early childhood development and show significant long-term improvements for children. Investing in a system of high quality early care and education programs will benefit both young children and society as early investments reap dividends when child development translates into economic development later on.
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Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
Delaware's Stars for Early Success:
Star Level 1 – Programs at this first level of participation in Delaware Stars are in good standing with the Office of Child Care Licensing and are working on required steps for orientation.
Star Level 2 – Programs at Star Level 2 have begun their active pursuit of continuous quality improvement for their early care and education or school age program. Programs have completed all components required in “Starting with Stars” and are implementing a Quality Improvement Plan linked to the Delaware Stars for Early Success Standards.
Star Level 3 – To reach a Star Level 3, a program must achieve a minimum of a 3.4 on each of the ERS assessments for their program and earn at least 40 quality points through their verification of quality standards.
Star Level 4 – To reach a Star Level 4, a program must achieve a minimum of a 4.4 on each of the ERS assessments for their program and earn at least 60 quality points through the verification of quality standards.
Star Level 5 – The highest level of achievement for programs in Delaware Stars. To reach a Star Level 5, a program must achieve a minimum of a 5.4 on each of the ERS assessments for their program and earn at least 80 quality points through the verification of quality standards.
Data Source
Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood, University of Delaware.
Notes
Delaware's Stars for Early Success, a product of the University of Delaware's Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Education, is Delaware's voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) administered by the Delaware Department of Education.
Number of providers by star level reflects an annual 12/31 point in time count.
Number of providers by star level reflects an annual 12/31 point in time count.
Note: new star levels were not awarded in 2021, 2022, or 2023. If the numbers increased for SL3-SL5 programs after 2020, it was because programs were removed from enforcement action. New programs were able to enroll in Stars at level 1. The state is transitioning to a new quality improvement system, which will be reflected in future updates as the data becomes available.
Last Updated
February 2024