Kern
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Community Connection for Child Care
Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency using the website information here to access the child care search tool or call 1-800-KIDS-793 (1-800-543-7793) for more information and support.
County Program Profile: Kern
Time Period: 2018–2019
QRIS :: Kern Early Stars
Kern County’s voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System, Kern Early Stars, serves state-funded child development centers, private child development centers, and family child care providers in Kern County and is administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Since July 2015, more than 183 sites have been rated or received support to improve quality. Kern Early Stars has three levels of participation and measures several elements of program quality including:
- Child Development and School Readiness
- Teachers and Teaching
- Program and Environment
County Contact Information
website
contact
Cheryl Nelson
phone
661-861-5311
chnelson@kern.org
Funding Streams
- CSPP
- Infant Toddler and Migrant QRIS
- IMPACT
Partner Agencies
- Consortium Members
- Community Connection for Child Care / Resource & Referral
- Local School Districts – Arvin School District, Bakersfield City School District, Delano Union Elementary School District, Edison School District, Greenfield School District
- Community Action Partnership of Kern
- First 5 Kern
- Bakersfield Homeless Center’s Discovery Depot
- Kern County Superintendent of Schools – Migrant Education
- Kern County Superintendent of Schools – Early Childhood Education
- Bakersfield College, Taft College, Bakersfield Adult School
- California State University, Bakersfield Children’s Center
Process to Outreach/Onboard Programs and Providers
Kern Early Stars recruitment opportunities are offered via email, word of mouth, and community meetings. Applications are reviewed and accepted in May, with a letter of acceptance to follow.
Quality Improvement Program Support Strategies
Kern Early Stars (KES) has implemented a two-year “onboarding” option, in which the participant attends four or five training sessions within a one-year time span. The trainings cover the components of each of the elements of the Rating Matrix. The site is assigned a coach, who works directly with the participants. It has been found that this process better prepares participants for the continuous improvement journey and the rating process.
Local Approach to Offering Financial Incentives and Stipends
The local approach to offering financial incentives and stipends includes a stipend based on the tier rating. Other incentives include personalized coaching, numerous community resources and linkages, and a variety of high-quality training opportunities.