Your story on day-care was good - with a couple of clarifications

Dear Editor, Thank you for your interest in the state's new Quality Rating System as evidenced by your story in the April 19 edition of the St. Charles Herald-Guide: Does you child’s day-care center make the grade?

However, for accuracy, we request you make the following clarifications. In the first paragraph, the article states, “But 10 facilities in St. Charles Parish meet new high standards recommended by the state, placing them among the best of the best.”

In fact, the first stars of the QRS ranking system will not be awarded until late summer or early fall, so no centers as yet have been determined as meeting the new criteria.

The 10 child-care centers mentioned in the article participated in the state’s initial training series, called Foundations Up, which served as an introduction to QRS guidelines and goals. We applaud these centers for their show of interest in learning more about QRS. However, the statement in paragraph five, “The facilities named in the list above have gone ‘the extra mile’ to meet what are, for now, strictly voluntary criteria…,”cannot be made until after the first stars are awarded in late summer or early fall.

In addition, the article mentions Louisiana’s legislatively mandated two-tiered Class A and Class B state licensure as “grades.” In fact, theses two categories are not “grades” but simply designations indicating different licensing requirements.

The QRS is designed to build on the foundation established through the current two-tiered licensing system by providing a voluntary program that will enhance program improvement among participating centers.

Sherry Guarisco, Director of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, DSS Office of Family Support

Editor’s note: The system is complicated, indeed, and we are happy to clarify. As DSS spokesman Janice Lovett put it, “State-licensing ... can be confusing. And we wish to reassure the editors and reporter that this is not the first time there has been some misunderstanding.”