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11 Parents’ Guide to Selecting Quality Child Care | One-STAR: Meets the minimum state licensing requirements for health and safety. Two-STAR: Exceeds basic licensing by meeting higher standards in staff qualifications and learning environments. Three-STAR: Demonstrates a higher level of program quality, including more staff training and improved learning environments. Four-STAR: Offers a comprehensive program with advanced teacher training and curriculum that supports children’s growth. Five-STAR: Provides the highest quality care, incorporating best practices in early childhood education with highly trained staff and enriched learning environments. As a program’s STAR level increases, their reimbursement from Child Care Assistance increases. Please note that the QRIS (Quality Rating and Improvement System) is undergoing a redesign as of Fall 2024. To learn more about the current redesign phase of FOCUS, you can visit the FOCUS Redesign page at ECECD. The page provides details on the ongoing updates and improvements to the system. COMPREHENSIVE BACKGROUND CHECKS ECECD requires all child care providers to undergo comprehensive background checks. This includes checks for criminal history, child abuse and neglect records, and sex offender registry status. The background checks are mandatory for all individuals who work directly with children, as well as those who have unsupervised access to children in licensed child care facilities, ensuring that children are in a safe environment. • Background checks must be renewed periodically, usually at a minimum of every five years, to ensure ongoing safety in child care environments. • All individuals in a child care facility, including staff, volunteers, and household members of in-homechild care facilities homes, are subject to these checks. • The background checks cover both state and federal criminal databases, which includes fingerprinting to identify any potential risks. • ECECD has a Comprehensive Background Check Process that ensures that checks are completed thoroughly and efficiently, following national best practices to protect children. This process is part of New Mexico’s commitment to maintaining a high level of trust and security in child care settings.