Quality Rated is Georgia's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for licensed child care. Programs earn one, two, or three stars through a three-phase review; a star means a program has gone beyond Georgia's minimum licensing requirements on staffing, environment, and curriculum.
If you are comparing daycares in Georgia and keep seeing star ratings, this guide explains what Quality Rated actually measures, who runs it, how to look a program up, and how the rating connects to subsidy — so you can use it as one input, not the whole decision. The framework comes from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), with the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care setting the broader QRIS structure states follow.
Quality Rated is Georgia's voluntary quality rating and improvement system, known as a QRIS. Administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), it assigns participating licensed centers and family child care homes one, two, or three stars through a three-phase review. Higher star ratings signal stronger staff qualifications, learning environments, and program administration, per DECAL and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
A QRIS does two jobs at once. It rates programs so families can compare them, and it improves programs by pairing each rating with coaching, training, and sometimes funding. Georgia adopted this model, like most states, with support from the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by the ACF Office of Child Care.
The star count rises as a program does more than the licensing minimum. A program first becomes Quality Rated by completing a portfolio and meeting standards; an independent classroom assessment and a points review then determine whether it earns one, two, or three stars. The table below shows the dimensions DECAL weighs, drawn from the Quality Rated standards.
| What the rating measures | What a higher star rating looks like |
|---|---|
| Licensing & health and safety | Active license in good standing with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) as the entry requirement. |
| Director & teacher qualifications | Lead staff with more early-childhood coursework, credentials, or degrees, plus ongoing professional development. |
| Learning environment | An independent classroom observation (such as the Environment Rating Scales) above the minimum threshold. |
| Ratios & group size | Smaller groups and lower child-to-staff ratios than the licensing floor requires. |
| Child health, nutrition & family engagement | Developmental screening, nutrition practices, and family partnership beyond the baseline. |
Exact point thresholds are set by DECAL; confirm the current Quality Rated standards on its website, because states revise QRIS rubrics periodically.
Use the official Quality Rated provider directory from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) to find a program's current star rating, then cross-check its license status on the DECAL licensing search. Treat the rating as one verified data point alongside your own tour, because ratings can lag a program's real, day-to-day conditions by a year or more.
Honest tradeoff. A Quality Rated star is genuinely useful, but it is voluntary and imperfect. Some excellent Georgia programs never enroll, and a rating can be a year or more behind reality. Use it to narrow your list, never to replace a visit.
The star rating does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. But in Georgia, programs must be Quality Rated (or provisional or probationary) to receive Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) subsidy funding, and two- and three-star providers serving CAPS families can earn Commitment to Quality (C2Q) payments on top of the subsidy, per the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. For national context, ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report put center-based care at roughly $8,000 to $24,000 per year depending on age and state.
For Georgia-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, Georgia's Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program is the place to start.
Quality Rated is Georgia's voluntary quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for licensed child care. Administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), it assigns participating programs one, two, or three stars through a three-phase review, with higher ratings reflecting stronger quality, per the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
Earning stars is voluntary, but programs must be Quality Rated, provisional, or probationary to receive CAPS subsidy funding, per the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). An unrated, privately paid daycare can still be licensed and in good standing; licensing is the mandatory baseline.
Search the Quality Rated provider directory published by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), then confirm the program's license status on the DECAL licensing search. Ratings can lag real conditions, so pair the star rating with your own tour.
Not directly through tuition, which each program sets. But two- and three-star providers serving CAPS families can earn Commitment to Quality (C2Q) payments on top of the subsidy, per the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Center care nationally runs roughly $8,000–$24,000 per year, per ChildCare Aware of America's 2024 Price of Child Care report.
For the full picture in your state, see the Georgia daycare guide, which covers licensing, subsidy, and pre-K. Our daycare quality and safety pillar explains accreditation, ratios, and what to look for on a tour.
Comparing how other states rate quality? Read our explainers on Colorado Shines, Alabama Quality STARS, and Better Beginnings.
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