Quality Rated is Georgia’s system to determine, improve, and communicate the quality of programs that provide child care. Similar to rating systems for restaurants and hotels, Quality Rated (which is a three star system) assigns one, two or three stars to early education and school-age care programs that meet or exceed the minimum state requirements. After launching in 2012, today fifty-five percent of all eligible child care programs in Georgia are Quality Rated.
As many may be aware, in 2015 DECAL established a CAPS/Quality Rated goal of all providers who participate in the CAPS program being Quality Rated by December 31, 2020. We were well on our way of achieving that goal. But then along comes a pandemic in 2020 and impacts this goal. The deadline has been extended to December 31, 2021.
Joining us to talk about CAPS and Quality Rated is Shawnell Johnson, Director of Operations for CAPS Program Administration; Denise Jenson, Quality Rated Operations Director, and Dr. Bentley Ponder, Deputy Commissioner for Quality Innovations and Partnerships.