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IdahoSTARS — Idaho's Child Care Resource and Referral System

posted on March 02, 2009 11:18

Idaho CareLine: Dial 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588

IdahoSTARS - Idaho's Child Care Resource and Referral System

All services are available by calling the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine. Dial "2-1-1"
or 1-800-926-2588.

Welcome to IdahoSTARS.

The Center on Disabilities and Human Development (CDHD) at the University of Idaho and Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (Idaho AEYC) were awarded a contract from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

This contract is for the development and implementation of a professional development system for child care providers in Idaho.

Responsibilities of this project also include enrollment of child care providers and eligible families into the Idaho Child Care Program. These services in Idaho are provided by a single contractor, IdahoSTARS — Idaho State Training and Registry System.

There are subcontractors for each region with a primary focus on the professional development system and recruitment of child care providers into this system. The tasks performed regionally and centrally may be assigned differently, but services and immediate access to a resource person are the highest priority.

A key component of this system is that development should be consumer-driven with increased quality of child care for the children in our state. When this outcome is achieved, research shows that children will enter school ready to learn, and parents will be more productive in their work.

IdahoSTARS has three elements:

Part 1 deals with providers and their enrollment in the Idaho Child Care Program. Enrollment services are consolidated. Enrollment specialists enroll providers throughout the state. Providers receive training and information locally.
Part 2 deals with resources and referrals for parents seeking child care information. A call to the 2-1-1 Idaho Careline links families seeking referrals to a child care specialist who provides information on child care services anywhere in Idaho. The 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine staff link the caller with a referral specialist available to help families locate child care.
Part 3 involves opportunities for training and professional development for providers. This program offers financial rewards to providers for training. If you have questions or need additional information, dial "2-1-1" or 1-800-926-2588.

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