Sarasota Star Providers

Sarasota area child care providers who are participating in Look for the Stars are exceeding the basic requirements for child care and are providing quality early learning environments for the children of Sarasota County.

All parents should visit at least 3 different sites to determine the best fit for their child. This guide is one tool to help with that process and parents should discuss with the provider their respective strengths and areas for improvement noted in their star level report.

Providers who achieve a 4 to 5+ star level are providing and maintaining high levels of quality childcare for the children of Sarasota County. Providers who achieve a 3 Star level are recognized for providing quality above state licensing requirements and have demonstrated that they are actively taking steps to improve quality. Sites rated below 3 Stars are not considered high quality at this time.

The Star Ratings are closely aligned with their CLASS assessment composite scores, as the state is requiring all VPK and School Readiness classrooms to be assessed using this tool. We believe that the CLASS tool reflects overall quality childcare by focusing on classroom interactions. Our scale starts at a 3 Star because that is what we consider sufficient quality and reflects the minimum CLASS score of a 4.0 that is needed to contract with the coalition.

Other criteria used when assigning star levels include, learning environment, classroom interactions, screening, assessment and inclusion, staff qualifications, and professional development.

Note: Gold Seal Certified sites are noted under the provider’s name.

Not every child care provider is listed on the Look for the Stars website. Some reasons a provider may not be listed include:

• Provider chose not to participate
• Provider wanted to participate, but did not have the opportunity to participate this year
• Provider was assessed but chose to opt out of participation
• Provider has a Class 1 licensing violation within the past year and is ineligible for participation this year
• Provider has received a CLASS score below a 4.0 and is ineligible for participation this year.

Parents can contact the Early Learning Coalition’s Look for the Stars line for information on why a provider is not on the list at 941.556.1600 ext. 229 or [email protected].

Child Care Resource and Referral is a source of information on resources available for parents and can also provide a personalized list of child care options based on parents’ individual needs. including ages served, hours of operation, program enhancements, and other program information. Contact Child Care Resource and Referral at 941.556.1600 ext. 106 or [email protected].

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) website is another resource, with a feature that allows parents to search for child care provider based on specific criteria.