Parent Aware Automatic One-Star Update

As of March 12th, 2024, programs that have not earned a Parent Aware Rating can now commit to accepting an automatic One-Star Rating when it becomes available on July 1st, 2026. Programs that sign a participation agreement committing to accept the automatic One-Star Rating in July 2026 will be eligible to accept Early Learning Scholarships after signing a participation agreement. 

Why participate in Parent Aware?

Families who are awarded an Early Learning Scholarship can only use their funds at a program that is participating in Parent Aware either via a traditional pathway or a program who has signed the agreement accepting the automatic One-Star Rating. See the table below for the maximum amounts of Early Learning Scholarships that families can use to help pay for care at a Parent Aware Rated program based on their level of participation and program type.

If you are a childcare program and you would like to sign the participation agreement committing to accept an automatic One-Star, you can access it via Develop by going to your Organizational Profile. For more information about this process, please review the Develop guide called, “Guide to the Automatic One-Star Rating Commitment Agreement” that is available on the Develop How Do I page.

If you are a childcare program and you are interested in participating in a traditional pathway to earn a One-, Two-, Three-, or Four-Star Rating to accept higher Early Learning Scholarship amounts, please reach out to your local Parent Aware Recruiter to learn more. The differences in benefits between participating in a traditional Parent Aware pathway vs accepting the automatic One-Star Rating are outlined in the Venn diagram. 

The state’s goal for these activities is to make sure families have access to quality, affordable child care, and that children receive the best care possible. For more information about these changes or if you have any questions, please read this FAQ or contact your local Parent Aware Recruiter.