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The Department of Human Services has temporarily changed some requirements for the Parent Aware Quality Rating and Improvement System, allowing flexibility in rules and deadlines for program participants during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. These changes provide flexibility for child care providers in meeting requirements and deadlines for applying for ratings, and making Parent Aware coaching available online or over the phone, and training available online.
For more information, see these frequently-asked-questions documents for child care providers or school-based prekindergarten and Head Start programs and their child care partners. Any additional questions about changes for child care providers can be emailed to DHS.child.care@state.mn.us, and questions about changes for school-based prekindergarten and Head Start programs can be emailed to MDE.ELS@state.mn.us.
Starting this summer, significant policy changes will expand eligibility and amounts for grants issued to participating programs through Parent Aware, Minnesota’s quality rating and improvement system for child care and early education providers.
Parent Aware provides quality ratings to child care and early education programs based on a one- to four-star scale. These ratings, shared on ParentAware.org, provide information to families, encouraging them to consider higher rated programs when searching for a child care and early education program for their children. Parent Aware also provides a common set of best practices for child care and early education, and offers supports to help programs work toward best practices.
Previously, Parent Aware Grants were only available to providers who had one-, two- or three-star ratings. Under the new policy, four-star rated providers will be eligible to earn Parent Aware Grants for the first time. The new grants for programs that earn a four-star rating recognize and support child care programs with financial resources to maintain high quality, improve the validity of Parent Aware ratings, support access to high quality child care for families with low incomes, and expand parental choice.
In addition, Parent Aware Grant amounts will be tiered based on star rating level, and programs requesting to re-rate in advance of their current rating’s expiration date will only be eligible to receive a Parent Aware Grant if they increase their current star level.
The policy changes take effect July 1, 2020, and the first grants affected will be those issued in January 2021.
Learn more about the Parent Aware Grant policy changes, what the new grant amounts will be and what led to the changes in this overview (PDF) from the Minnesota Department of Human Services: https://mn.gov/dhs/assets/parent-aware-grant-policy-change-announcement_tcm1053-421139.pdf
To join Parent Aware and access these free benefits, contact your local Child Care Aware agency at https://www.parentaware.org/programs/join-us/ or 888-291-9811.
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