RISING STARS FOR ME Q&A
Rising Stars for ME ResourcesSomeone from the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) contacted me about a site visit. What is this?
Amber Taurasi at the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) is beginning to contact child care programs about conducting a site visit. Programs are randomly selected for a scheduled site visit to validate a program’s Rising Stars for ME application. These visits...
Our program has a focus on outdoor learning. How does that fit in with the Standards in Rising Stars for ME?
Rising Stars for ME is meant to be inclusive for all programs in Maine, no matter the size, philosophy, or location! If your program has a specific focus, such as outdoor learning, there are several ways you can demonstrate that in your Rising Stars for ME application...
My program currently has a Conditional License. How does this affect my rating with Rising Stars for ME?
Programs with a Conditional License must be enrolled with Rising Stars for ME to comply with licensing regulations. The rating given to programs with a Conditional License is Star 2 Restricted. This rating recognizes the program’s participation with Rising Stars for...
Do you have an update on when I’ll be able to change my program’s information about openings on Child Care Choices?
This is such a timely question! YES – those with Director of Record Access (DoRA) or DoRA Assistant can now update program openings and certain display information on Child Care Choices! Updates are made through the program’s Rising Stars for ME profile. Once the...
We’re coming up to the end of the program year and our program would like to be more intentional about our end-of-the year evaluations and surveys, so we can use them purposefully in our Continuous Quality Improvement Plan for Rising Stars for ME. And tips on where to start?
MRTQ PDN’s Quality Improvement Toolkits (QITs) for Center-based and Family Child Care Programs are a great place to start! These on-demand resources provide a detailed overview of what program evaluation is and how to plan for it in your program. You’ll find resources...
I received information about the new Quality Improvement Awards (QIA) for programs currently at Star 2 and I have questions about my Rising Stars for ME application and recommendations. Who should I contact?
Programs at Star 2 should have received information about MRTQ PDN’s new Quality Improvement Award process. (Note that information for all other programs will be available next month.) There have been many questions about this new process, including what programs are...
I’m looking for some guidance on creating my program’s E-Portfolio
Every week SHORTcuts includes the link to the Rising Stars for ME Tip of the Week Archive. If you’re short on time and want to review some of the most popular tips related to the E-Portfolio, check out the following: Are there instructions for completing the Rising...
I’m looking for some guidance on taking the Preschool and/or Infant and Toddler Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS) training.
Every week SHORTcuts includes the link to the Rising Stars for ME Tip of the Week Archive. If you’re short on time and want to review some of the most popular tips related to the P MELDS and IT MELDS, check out the following: Do I need to take the P MELDS or IT...
My facility doesn’t prepare food for children. How can we meet the requirement around meeting dietary needs under Standard 7?
Important note: This requirement applies to FACILITIES only. Family child care programs do not have a requirement around this policy. Standard 7 addresses Health, Safety, Physical Activity, and Nutrition. Under Star 3 there is a requirement that reads “The Provider...
Last week I read about how Rising Stars for ME and Child Care Choices are connected. What do I do if I have questions about my information on Child Care Choices?
Great question, and – it depends! If you have questions about your program’s information, like address, phone number, or program name, you should always check with your Child Care Licensing worker first. All of the program information on Child Care Choices comes from...