Childcare Ratings System Unveiled in Georgia

Print This Post


Whether I’m in Chik Fil A or in a fancy steak house, my first order of business is to check out the rating. A high score or a Zagat rating assures me that my food will be tasty and that the kitchen is clean. And I would never think of taking my family on vacation without first scoping out hotels with a few stars attached to their names to ensure safety and comfort.

If we take measures to ensure the quality of a meal or temporary lodging before going in, common sense dictates that we should also be able to determine the conditions of the early and school-age programs before sending our kids.

Finding the right child-care program in Georgia got a little easier this week, because Bobby Cagle, commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, has applied the same rating principle to early and school‐age care and education programs across the state.

Officially launched this week, Quality Rated is Georgia’s new voluntary system to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early care and education programs. Similar to rating systems for other service industries like restaurants and hotels, Quality Rated uses one, two and three stars to indicate early care and education programs that meet a set of standards exceeding the state’s minimum licensing requirements.

More than 1200 childcare centers, family day-cares and after-school programs have applied to become Quality Rated, and so far, 154 are rated.

Help the parents in your community locate Quality Rated programs, and encourage the programs in your neighborhood to apply for a quality rating.

Learn more about Quality Rated:

Here’s where you can go to find a Quality Rated Program in your neighborhood.

Or call 855-800-7747.