The State of Alabama's Department of Human Recourses in conjunction with the Department of Early Childhood Education recently designed a rating system for all licensed daycares denoting the quality of centers over and above the requirements and rules set forth by the department in the state’s Performance Standards for Daycares. Licensed daycares are automatically entered at a 1 STAR if they are licensed by the state and in good standing, meeting all the mandated requirements during yearly inspections.
Alabama’s rating system is known as the QRIS, which stands for Quality Rating Improvement System. It is a 1 – 5 STAR rating. STARS over an above the 1 are achieved by centers meeting additional requirements in areas such as teacher credentials, classroom environment, children learning activities, monitoring, and reporting children’s milestones and learning, and parent involvement and participation.
In June officials from the Department of Early Childhood Education spent two full days at Discovery Island inspecting records and observing teachers and children in the classrooms. When all the points were added it was discovered Discovery Island achieved the rating of 4 STARS! Currently (as of February 2024) there are only 4 centers in the entire county with a 4 STAR rating. One in Daphine, one in Fairhope, one in Bay Minette, and Discovery Island Child Development Center. This shows Discovery Island to be the highest rated center in the south half of the county and of an elite group in the whole county.
We are proud of our staff and their hard and awesome work as a team to achieve this rating!