(Posted 7-19-99)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Service Contact: Brian Long, 336-334-4314

UNCG AWARDED $2.3 MILLION CONTRACT
TO ASSESS STATE'S CHILD CARE CENTERS
 

Dr. Deborah Cassidy

GREENSBORO -- The Department of Human Development and Family Studies at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has been awarded a $2.3 million contract to assess program quality in the state’s child care centers. The funding comes from the state Division of Child Development.

Earlier this year, the state announced that it is changing the ratings system for child care centers. Under the old system, child care centers received A or AA ratings. Under the new rated license system, centers will receive ratings of one to five stars, with five stars being the highest.

The new rating is determined based on the level that a facility attains in three separate components: compliance history, staff educational levels, and the program standards the facility meets. Points are awarded based on a center’s performance in each of the three components.

UNCG will assess how well child care facilities meet program standards. Dr. Deborah Cassidy, an associate professor of human development and family studies, is the project coordinator. Dr. Linda Hestenes, an assistant professor of human development and family studies, is the project’s data coordinator. Sharon Mims, who heads UNCG’s Child Care Education Program, is the Triad region coordinator.

Cassidy said the rated licensing system will be more informative to parents. The change also signals greater expectations of child care centers.

"This is a huge change for child care in North Carolina, in terms of the level of quality that we’re expecting," Cassidy said.

Child care centers can now choose to apply for rated licenses. The voluntary application period continues until Sept. 1, 2000. After that date, all centers must move to the new scale.

Assessors from across the state will evaluate the overall program quality in the centers that apply for the new ratings. They will evaluate both child care centers and home-based child care facilities, gauging aspects such as the physical environment, health and safety precautions, adult-child interactions and learning materials.

In order for child care centers and day-care homes to receive four- or five-star ratings, they must achieve certain levels in the environment rating scales.

Training of the assessors will begin in July. The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at UNC-Chapel Hill will conduct the assessor training under a subcontract from UNCG. Subcontracts also will be issued to these universities: Appalachian State, East Carolina, N.C. Central, UNC Charlotte, UNC Wilmington and Western Carolina.

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