Get the recognition you deserve for demonstrating best practices in early education! Parent Aware is the statewide Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for Minnesota. Every state in the country now has a QRIS. Ours is called Parent Aware. Parent Aware Ratings are focused on getting children ready to succeed in kindergarten and in life! When you volunteer to participate, you go beyond basic health and safety requirements to demonstrate the best practices in early education. Learn more about Parent Aware here.
Program Benefits
Have your quality recognized
FREE coaching and assistance
Increased access to scholarships for families
Ongoing marketing support
Higher reimbursement rates
Join the community of Rated programs
Parent Aware Grant Information
$1,000 is available for programs that choose Building Quality and complete a minimum of 20 hours with a Quality Coach, which gives participants more coaching as they prepare for a Parent Aware Star Rating; and
$1,500 is available for programs that receive a 1-Star rating
$2,000 is available for programs that earn a 2-Star rating
$3,500 is available for programs that earn a 3-Star rating
$4,000 is available for programs that earn a 4-Star rating
New Policy for Re-Rating programs- rated programs that apply to be re-rated in advance of their current rating expiration date will only be eligible for grants if they earn a higher star rating level than they currently have.
Providers that have participated in the Building Quality pathway are eligible to participate again. These quality improvement dollars can be spent on professional development training, curricula, assessment tools, toys, equipment, technology— such as a computer, printer, or software—or other materials tied to the provider’s program goals.
Join Us for Quality Tune Ups
You are invited to join us for monthly quality tune-ups to stay connected to other early childhood educators and to network and share ideas and learn from each other in a non training environment. For dates, topics, or more information; please contact Tanisha Lungelow at 651-233-2297 or qualitysupports@thinksmall.org
Attend an Information Session
All information sessions will be held by webinar, to RSVP please contact Tanisha Lungelow at 651-233-2297 or here. Please RSVP at least one day prior to the session to get a link emailed to you to join the session.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 (1:30pm — 2:30pm)
Monday, May 17, 2021 (6:30pm — 7:30pm)
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 (1:30pm — 2:30pm)
If you are unable to attend any of the dates listed above; please contact the agency below, listed by counties.
Hennepin & Ramsey County Providers
Think Small 10 Yorkton Ct St. Paul, MN 55117 Tanisha Lungelow at 651-233-2297 or tlungelow@thinksmall.org.
Carver &Scott County Providers
CAP Agency 712 Canterbury Rd. S. Shakopee, MN 55379
Marie Johnson at 952-402-9824 or mjohnson@capagency.org
Dakota County Providers
360 Communities Office 501 E. Highway 13, Suite 112 Burnsville, MN 55337
Mischelle Ulrich at 952-985-4045 or mulrich@360communities.org.
Anoka & Washington County Providers
ACCAP 1201 89th Ave. NE Suite 345 Blaine, MN 55434
Annette Borman at 763-783-4711 or aborman@accap.org.
Inside Look at Parent Aware
Watch these videos produced by Think Small which are specifically designed for Spanish, Hmong and Somali child care providers. You’ll get an inside look at Parent Aware rated programs in Minnesota and learn about the benefits of earning a Parent Aware rating.