The purpose of a Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) is to encourage and increase quality of care. This is done through supporting program awareness of Standards of Early Care and Education, recognizing programs that are providing quality care, and info the wider community, especially parents, about identifiable standards of quality. Maine’s QRIS is a 5 Star system.
Star 1: Legal licensed-exempt family child care programs caring for 2 or less children.
Star 2: Licensed program in compliance with the appropriate Licensing Rule.
Star 3 – 5: Voluntary program for licensed programs.
Rising Stars for ME is funded by the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Block Grant Program and administered by the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).
Per CCAP Rule, OCFS cannot reimburse providers with an expired Rising Stars for ME certificate.
Questions? Reach out to risingstarsforme@maine.edu.
How do I access the Rising Stars Application?
Here’s what you’ll need to log in to the application:
- Your MRTQ Registry login email and password.
- Current approval for Director of Record Access (DoRA) or DoRA Assistant.
- Your program’s license number.
For more support here’s a 10-minute video on how to navigate the application:
- Once you log in, you can start a new application. You’ll first review some preliminary questions regarding your program’s contact information, ages of children served, and staff information. After confirming the demographic information is correct, you’ll move on to the E-Portfolio and Standards section.
- You can choose to upload all of your documents to the E-Portfolio before you begin answering the questions, or you can upload as you go.
- You can stop the application at any time and your progress will be saved. The next time you log in, you can select the saved application and continue or update any previously entered information.
- Each program can have only one in-process application at a time and once the application is signed and submitted, no additional changes can be made to that application.
- If your program has more than one DoRA or DoRA Assistant, the application will be shared between the two accounts.
To update Provider Information and child care openings Providers can go directly through the Rising Stars Log in Portal: “Your Billboard”.
Facility servicing 12 or less children use: Standard for Family Child Care (PDF)
Facility serving 13 or more children use: Standards for Facilities (PDF)
FCCAM spreadsheet that shows requirements for Moving Through the Stars 3-5 in one place.
Rising Stars for ME Inclusive Practices Checklist (PDF)
Maine’s Learning Development Standards (includes ITMELDS and P-MELDS)
Rising Stars for ME System Rules
For those wondering about what is needed to achieve a higher level on the MRTQ PDN Career Lattice here’s FCCAM’s Moving Up the Career Lattice Table that shows a comparison of the levels and requirements.
fccamaine.com 