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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.

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.

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. Starting September, 2020-December, 2020. For more information; please contact Tanisha Lungelow at 651-233-2297 or tlungelow@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 tlungelow@thinksmall.org. Please RSVP at least one day prior to the session to get a link emailed to you to join the session.



  • Friday, October 9, 2020 (12:00pm — 1:30pm)
  • Monday, November 16, 2020 (6:30pm — 8:00pm)
  • Monday, December 7, 2020 (3:00pm — 4:30pm)


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.

All information sessions will be held by webinar, to RSVP please contact Tanisha Lungelow at 651-233-2297 or tlungelow@thinksmall.org. Please RSVP at least one day prior to the session to get a link emailed to you to join the session.

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

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.

Parent Aware Spanish Video:

English version of Parent Aware Spanish Video:

Parent Aware Hmong Video:

English version of Parent Aware Hmong Video:

Parent Aware Somali Video:

English version of Parent Aware Somali Video: