RI DHS and Brightstars Quality Rating Announce State’s First 5-Star Family Child Care Program

Published on Tuesday, April 04, 2023

The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) and BrightStars are proud to announce that Nuris Ynoa, a family child care provider located in Providence, has achieved a 5-star rating- the highest rating for licensed child care programs in the state.  Launched in 2009, BrightStars is Rhode Island’s quality rating and improvement system for child care and early learning programs.

Lisa Hildebrand, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children (RIAEYC), the Rhode Island based non-profit that manages BrightStars for the state, said, “We are so proud of the hard work that Nuris does every single day to care for and educate the children in her program. By achieving 5 stars, Nuris has demonstrated her commitment to quality and to creating a nurturing learning environment for children.”

Nuris Ynoa opened her licensed home child care program after learning that her own child was struggling with a speech delay. She and her husband Jose are still working hard 23 years later to ensure that all children who pass through their program leave ready to learn. “Family child care providers are educators,” said Nuris, “I went to school to make sure that I earned the necessary credentials to become an early childhood educator, and I am so proud that BrightStars acknowledges that I am offering high-quality learning and care for the children in my program.”

"As chair of the Children’s Cabinet and a lifelong advocate for equity, I am so pleased that we are able to announce our first 5-star family child care provider," said Acting Secretary Ana Novais. "Congratulations to Nuris and Jose on this accomplishment, which I hope serves as an inspiration and catalyst for other family child care providers.”

Kimberly Merolla-Brito, Acting Director, Department of Human Services said, “BrightStars is a critical part of Rhode Island’s early learning system. Research on early care and education shows the importance of program quality to childrens’ skills and overall healthy development. The latest science tells us that the early years of life matter because early experiences affect a child’s brain development. That is why high-quality early care, education and school-age programs that provide a healthy environment and a wide range of enriching experiences are important for growth and development.”

Measures have been developed to track program quality and not only encourage, but reward incremental quality improvements. Brightstars works to inform families about quality and coordinate resources that will help support improvements in both centers and family child care.

Programs participating in BrightStars meet critical state licensing requirements and receive a rating based on six quality areas 1) child’s daily experience, 2) teaching and learning, 3) staff-child ratio and group size, 4) family communication and engagement, 5) staff qualifications, and 6) program management.

All licensed child care centers and preschools, center-based Head Start and Early Head Start programs, family child care homes, independently licensed school age programs and preschools located in Public School districts across the state can participate in BrightStars.

To learn more, visit www.BrightStars.org