Bill > HB1600

This bill updates Pennsylvania's regulatory framework for child care facilities by establishing and defining the Keystone STARS Program, a quality rating and improvement system for child care providers. The bill allows participating child care facilities to display their STAR-level rating on their websites and obtain placards from the department that indicate their rating, which must include specific information like the facility's name, the department's name, and the number of STARS received. The department will create a rubric that enables child care facilities to advance their STAR level by demonstrating improvements in areas such as staff qualifications, professional development, educational program activities, family and community partnerships, and program management. The bill also modifies existing law to remove the term "day" from certain references to child care centers and eliminates annual licensing fees for child care centers, family child care homes, and certain other types of facilities. The Keystone STARS Program aims to provide a standardized method for assessing and improving the quality of early childhood education programs, with ratings based on criteria like staff education, learning environment, leadership, and community engagement. The changes will take effect 180 days after the bill's enactment.

Budget and Finance, Education, Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1600