The Star Gazette - Great Start to Quality

January 2022

The Star Gazette

In this Edition:

MELBA Membership for Participating Programs
Eligibility Requirements
Ways to Get in More Outdoor Time During the Winter
Trends From the Field: Outdoor Time during Your PQA
Get to Know the Validators

MELBA Membership for Participating Programs

Great news for programs that participate in Great Start to Quality! Beginning February 14, all participating programs will have access to a free MELBA membership for the program through February 14, 2023.

MELBA (Michigan Early Learning Business Advantage) provides access to resources and vendor discounts to support child care businesses to operate high-quality programs.

Access to discounts and cost saving include:

Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Payroll services
Insurance
Hiring and job posting fees
Food delivery to centers
Disinfecting supplies such as gloves and bleach
Children’s learning and play materials
Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) Membership
And much, much more

As the transition to the new quality improvement process takes place in the fall of 2022, MELBA can support programs with business efficiencies that focus on program improvements to benefit children and families.

Programs that are Star rated or have completed a Self-Assessment Survey will receive an email to set up an account and take advantage of the endless resources available in the upcoming weeks.

Learn More

Eligibility Requirements

There are a few eligibility requirements in order to participate in Great Start to Quality.

The program must be a licensed center or licensed family child care provider in good standing with a licensing status of one of the following:

Original
Regular
1st Provisional

Exceptions to the licensing requirement are tribal child care programs.

The program must have at least one child enrolled and currently attending the program.

Have questions? We are here to help! Reach out to the Validation Team any time at Validation@ecic4kids.org for additional support and guidance.

Ways to Get in More Outdoor Time During the Winter (Indicator C-HE2, N-HE2 and A-HE2)

Sometimes it can be hard to get the children outside for the full 30 minutes for every 3 hours during the winter. If your program is struggling to find ways to get the children outside in the winter or you are just looking for something new to try, here are some ideas:

Play hopscotch by jumping and creating footprints in fresh snow. Have someone follow in your footsteps, trying not to fall out of them.
Make a conga line and dance in the snow.
Bury a treasure box to find when the snow melts.
Leave a carrot trail in the snow for deer and other animals – lead them right up to the fence for the children to observe them.
Instead of making a snowman, try sculpting another object: a snow castle, a snow banana, a snow bed – use your imagination.
Pack snow onto a tray or dish and paint it with watercolors.
Get out your beach toys – dig with the shovels, build castles with buckets, etc.
Practice writing letters, drawing shapes, or making designs in the snow with a stick (or make it a gross motor activity by shuffling feet through the snow to make large letters, shapes, and designs).
Freeze some of your children’s favorite small toys in ice trays, hide them around the yard, and have a scavenger hunt. Come inside and put them in a bowl of hot water to watch them melt.

Have questions? We are here to help! Reach out to the Validation Team any time at Validation@ecic4kids.org for additional support and guidance.

Trends From the Field: Outdoor Time During your PQA

The Assessment Team knows that it can be difficult to get children outside in the winter, but we want to remind programs that the PQA requires that children engage in outside activities on a daily basis, unless there is inclement weather.

Programs that do not go outside on the day of their on-site assessment, when there is no inclement weather, will score a 1 for the outside time section of the PQA. The Assessors will ask about each program’s winter weather policy, so be sure to have that available on the day of your on-site assessment.

Some ideas to help get children outside in the winter include:

Send small groups of children who are ready outside, if staffing allows.
Have children practice putting on their own outside gear to shorten the time staff will spend helping children get ready.
Sing songs, do fingerplays, or allow children to look at books to stay occupied.

Have questions? We are here to help! Reach out to the Assessment Team any time at Assessment@ecic4kids.org for additional support and guidance.

Important Reminder! The last day to postpone an on-site assessment is January 31, 2022.

Get to Know the Validators

Cristina Chinavare, Validator

Cristina Chinavare became a Great Start to Quality Validator in 2021 where she focuses on the integrity of the Great Start to Quality rating system by reviewing the evidence submitted as a part of the Self-Assessment Survey.

Ms. Chinavare has worked in the field of early childhood for over 10 years serving children from birth to 5 years old. Cristina has gained knowledge and experience in early childhood best practice, family engagement, and program management.

Ms. Chinavare received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Eastern Michigan University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education, with a focus in leadership and administration, from the University of Michigan.

Great Start to Quality on Facebook

Great Start to Quality is on Facebook! Like and follow our page to get the latest updates for you and resources to share with your colleagues and families.

Like Us on Facebook for More Updates:

If you are thinking about how to maintain or continue making quality improvements, or if you’re ready to learn more and need help, contact your local Great Start to Quality Resource Center by calling 1-877-614-7328 or visit www.greatstarttoquality.org.

Funding from the Office of Great Start within the Michigan Department of Education supports the implementation of Great Start.