Head Start programs earn 5-star rating

MCCC is headquartered in Hood River, but serves Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat and Jefferson counties. Doreen Hotchkiss, associated director of MCCC, said that the goal is for all Oregon Head Start sites to receive the five-star rating.

A five-star rating shows “all of the staff at the sites are highly qualified early childhood educators,” she said. The rating also covers the health and safety, management and curriculum at each site.

“The state decided all early childhood programs (should) be of quality,” she said, and the QRIS program is a way to ensure consistency in education across the board in Oregon. Those who chose to participate were evaluated on a range of elements “that are essential for quality care and preparing children for kindergarten and beyond,” according to a press release.

The rating “is not something Head Start has to do. It’s voluntary for childcare centers, family home centers, but the State really put it out there for all of us because it’s striving for quality programs across the board for all children,” Hotchkiss said.

“There’s a standard of quality,” she said. “That what I like about the QRIS system, why I wanted to work with my staff to do this rating.”

The five-star rating is also helping to improve four-star sites, most of which depends on staff taking further education courses.

MCCC is working closely with Columbia Gorge Community College “as a resource and referral,” Hotchkiss said. Nancy Patton, director of CGCC’s Childcare Partners, is working with MCCC to provide “training and support at the college so people can reach this highest rating of a five.”

Head Start runs in tandem with county school districts to ensure children enter kindergarten ready to learn. While the Parkdale site serves children ages 3-5 and the Country Club site children 2-5, Head Start also has programs that serve pregnant mothers and babies ages 0-3.

At that age, Head Start “is already looking at, what are the skills we can develop for children that will help them be successful when they get ready for kindergarten and the rest of their lives,” said Hotchkiss.

“We’re really proud we did this voluntarily,” she said. “The board of directors is pretty excited two of our sites in Hood River County received what Oregon rates as a five star.”