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Delaware Stars Has High Rates of Participation, Especially for Center-Based Programs

• As of January 2014, 72 percent of licensed early care and education (ECE) centers participated in Delaware Stars, the providers first targeted for enrollment. Enrollment of home-based child care providers, the more recent entrants, was 21 percent.
• Delaware Stars ECE providers served about two out of three children enrolled in licensed programs. Participation was even higher for children in center-based programs (77 percent).

Delaware Stars Providers Have Varying Levels of Quality

• A plurality of providers (38 percent) in Delaware Stars were rated at the Star 2 level as of January 2014, the second of five rating tiers. About one in three providers (32 percent) was at the Star 4 or Star 5 level.
• Almost half of participating children (but just 27 percent of those with Purchase of Care subsidies) were in Star 4 or Star 5 programs.
• Delaware Stars uses a points-based provider choice model, so top-rated providers do not meet a consistent set of quality standards, including some that are expected for high-quality programs.

Stakeholders Are Committed to Improving Delaware Stars

• Systems strengths, according to stakeholders, included engagement from all parties, strong participation by providers, and extensive technical assistance for providers.
• Identified areas for improvement included prioritizing quality standards, ensuring financial sustainability, and improving parent awareness.

Prior Research Shows the Need for QRIS Validation Research

• Previous validation studies show that QRISs, as currently designed, do not necessarily capture meaningful differences in program quality.
• Research shows that it is challenging to identify measures of program quality that are highly predictive of children's early learning.