Ratings give region's day care centers room for improvement

No Virginia child care provider received five stars, and none from South Hampton Roads scored better than three in the first wave of grades under the state's new quality rating and improvement system.

The closest four-star facilities so far? Two Early Head Start programs: Oyster Point Early Head Start Center in Newport News and the Children's Center in Smithfield.

"We were elated," said Toni Daye, child care coordinator for the Children's Center. "It makes us feel like we're doing what we're supposed to do."

Under Virginia's new voluntary system, state-trained consultants evaluate child care facilities on a five-star scale. Mentors then are assigned to help the facilities work on improvements, and the centers are eligible for a new rating two years later.

Unlike restaurant or hotel ratings, a one-star score for a child care center doesn't indicate low quality, said Kathy Glazer, director of the Virginia Office of Early Childhood Development.

"Even a one-star means these programs have gone beyond any expectations that have been placed on them before," Glazer said.

Raters began their work last fall, and scores for 103 centers around the state are now posted online. Dozens more will be added in coming months, and officials plan to include more details about the child care facilities and their evaluations soon.

Grades for home-based providers will be published next year.

The Virginia Star Quality Initiative addresses four areas: staff training and qualifications, interaction between children and teachers, class sizes and staff-to-child ratios, and learning environment and instructional practices.

Lisa Howard, executive director of Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads, said she wasn't surprised that no local facility received more than three stars.

To earn higher ratings, local centers need to improve the quality of interactions between teachers and children and ensure that staff members are better trained, she said: "It comes down to the teacher quality."

Smart Beginnings, which coordinates the region's participation in the system, has applied to add 50 more of South Hampton Roads' 308 licensed child day centers to the rating schedule. More than 2,500 facilities in Virginia are eligible to participate in the program.

Jean Rockwell, director of Norfolk's Mustard Seed Child Care Center, said she is pleased with her two-star rating - as long as parents understand that each star is extra credit.

"It's always helpful to have a fresh eye looking at things," she said, "to remind you of your strengths and also point out areas you want to look at."

Smithfield's Children's Center received high marks for maintaining a ratio of one staff member for every four children and for the teachers' high levels of education. The center requires all staff members to earn at least a Child Development Associate credential, Daye said. That includes at least 120 clock hours of formal child care education and 480 hours of experience working with children.

In the 11-page evaluation, the center's teachers were praised for exercising "preventive, proactive behavior management strategies," "frequent recognition of accomplishments," and taking advantage of "teachable moments."

Recommendations for improvement ranged from discouraging the use of noodles for art projects to adding rugs, cushions and padded chairs to create a more relaxing area for the children.

Virginia is among 28 states that are exploring or piloting a quality rating system for early childhood care and education settings, according to the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia already operate such systems.

Advocates say the ratings help improve child care because parents are likely to choose programs awarded more stars, giving facilities an incentive to offer better service.

But some providers say achieving the top rating could be difficult because child care businesses can't easily afford the salaries of teachers with higher levels of education. For example, the five-star standard for teacher qualifications requires 75 percent of a center's instructors hold at least a bachelor's degree in a child-related field.

So far, a mix of local governments, businesses, grants and non profits have paid for Virginia's rating system, as state lawmakers have opted against providing funds. However, officials plan to use $1.5 million in federal stimulus money for the program, Glazer said.

Amy Jeter, (757) 446-2730, amy.jeter@pilotonline.com