Policy Resource

Parent Aware, Minnesota's Quality Rating and Improvement System

Feb 9, 2016

Parent Aware was originally available statewide to programs eligible for Accelerated Pathway to Rating (Accredited child care centers, accredited family child care providers, Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Childhood Special Education and School-Based Pre-K programs).

Parent Aware, Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is a hybrid block/point system in which early childhood programs are rated in four categories: Physical Health and Well-Being, Teaching and Relationships, Assessment of Child Progress and Teacher Training and Education.

Minnesota’s Quality Improvement and Registry Tool, Develop, contains multiple features to support both professional development and quality improvement, including:

• Online submission of QRIS documentation

• Rating process and decision management

• Technical assistance and coaching case management

Since the statewide roll-out in 2012, the number of programs holding a Parent Aware Rating has steadily increased to over 2,500 programs serving almost 55,000 children, over 20,000 of whom are infants and toddlers in Fall 2019.

Two reports on Parent Aware are currently available:

• Parents’ Perceptions of the Parent Aware Website and Search Tool (DHS-7937) (PDF), published September 2019 and

• Provider Perceptions of Parent Aware: Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (DHS-7859-ENG) (PDF), published May 2019

Updated November 2019