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Parent Aware

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.

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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 January 2020 Session

• $1,000 is available for programs that choose Building Quality and complete a minimum of 20 hours of Quality Coach, which gives participants more coaching as they prepare for a Parent Aware Star Rating; and
• $2,500 is available for programs that receive a One-Star, Two-Star, or Three-Star Rating
• $3,500 is available for child care centers in Ramsey County that receive a 1, 2, or 3 star rating
• New and Re-Rating Parent Aware programs are eligible!
• 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.

Changes starting July 2020

The Minnesota Department of Human Services has announced that Parent Aware Grants, which help Rated child care programs improve their quality, will undergo significant policy changes this year. Learn about the changes – like grants for Four-Star Rated programs and tiered grant amounts – in this overview. 

Click here to contact your local Child Care Aware agency at or contact Tanisha Lungelow, Parent Aware Recruiter for the 7 County Metro Area, at 651-233-2297 or tlungelow@thinksmall.org.

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Attend an Information Session

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How to Earn a Star Rating

• Apply for participation in a January or July cohort.
• Join Develop and earn your step on the Career Lattice.
• Review your program strengths and set a Star Level goal with your Quality coach.
• Work with your Professional Development Advisor to review training and set goals.
• Work with your Coach to gather program documentation.
• Submit your Quality Documentation Portfolio.
• Receive your Star Rating!

Join the Next Cohort

• To start in the July 2019 cohort of Parent Aware, complete two forms: a Parent Aware Application and a Participation Agreement.
• Providers with Develop accounts may apply online on the Develop website from the Quality Improvement tab.
• Re-rating programs are also required to submit application forms or apply online.

Download the application and participation agreement.

Metro Area Contacts

Anoka County & Washington County Providers

Contact: Annette Borman
763.783.4711 or aborman@accap.org
Anoka County Community Action Program
1201 89th Ave. NE, Suite 345
Blaine, MN 55434
Fax: 763.783.4700

Carver County & Scott County Providers

Contact: Marie Johnson
952.402.9824 or mjohnson@capagency.org
CAP Agency Child Care Aware of MN
712 Canterbury Road
Shakopee, MN 55379
Fax: 952-402-9815

Dakota County Providers

Contact: Mischelle Ulrich
952.985.4045 or mulrich@360communities.org
360 Communities
501 East Highway 13, Suite 102
Burnsville, MN 55337

Hennepin County & Ramsey County Providers

Contact: Tanisha Lungelow
651-233-2297 or tlungelow@thinksmall.org
Think Small West
2021 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite LL20
Minneapolis, MN 55413

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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.

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