What is YoungStar?

YoungStar is the name of Wisconsin’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), YoungStar is a system that assesses, improves, and communicates the quality of early education and out of school time care providers across Wisconsin. The primary goal of YoungStar is to help increase and recognize high-quality care across the state so that children shine.

DCF is committed to improving the quality of care for all Wisconsin’s young children, and YoungStar is helping to make it happen by:

Helping early education and out of school time care providers improve the quality of their care
Recognizing quality practices that providers have worked hard to put in place
Setting a consistent standard for quality
Giving families meaningful information to make informed care decisions

YoungStar represents the work of many individuals and organizations over several years. From the legislative process used to create YoungStar, to the creation of the YoungStar Connect team- the organizations that are now providing all YoungStar services in Wisconsin- this work is done in partnership with multiple stakeholders who all support great outcomes for kids in Wisconsin.

Benefits of Participation

YoungStar provides an opportunity for your program to improve its overall quality, while also improving the outcomes of the children in your care. YoungStar provides functional guidelines, comprehensive resources, and hands-on support to help your program make sensible changes that lead to improved quality. Since YoungStar Connect believes in provider-driven services, you get to decide which of these resources, supports, and guidelines to access from them, on the topic(s) that are most important to you.

All providers that participate in YoungStar can request free one-on-one coaching support from a YoungStar Connect Coach. Your coach will help you navigate YoungStar processes, policies, and services while also offering ongoing help to improve the quality of your business and teaching practices. YoungStar Coaches are local Wisconsinites who are regionally dispersed throughout the state.

Participating in YoungStar also gives your program a state-recognized star rating that acknowledges your quality teaching and business practices. This information is searchable so that families can make informed decisions when choosing child care. Using the DCF Child Care Finder website, a family can see the star rating, along with the particular indicators of quality, a provider has earned.

Financial incentives have also been created to encourage providers to invest in practices that go above and beyond regulatory requirements.

YoungStar Helps Kids Shine!

The care children receive both at home and away from home couldn’t be more important. Studies show that children who experience engaging, one-on-one activities in safe, healthy, and nurturing learning environments have a better chance at lifelong success. They’re more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to engage in criminal activity, and often earn higher wages throughout their lifetime.

The primary goal of YoungStar is to help increase and recognize high-quality early education and out of school time care across the state so that children shine. Safe, healthy, nurturing, and engaging care positively affects kids’ lives. From healthier brain development to increased behavioral and emotional well-being—quality child care can lead to healthier and brighter futures.

How does YoungStar center the needs of children?

By objectively measuring early education and out of school time care quality. YoungStar rates thousands of providers, awarding up to five stars for the highest quality of care.
By giving families an easy way to compare their local care options and find the providers that match their family’s lifestyle, budget, and individual needs.
By supporting providers with tools and training to deliver high-quality care.
By setting a consistent standard for child care quality.

YoungStar Overview