Kentucky All STARS is Kentucky's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for child care. It uses a one-to-five-star scale; licensed and certified programs enter at a base level and earn higher stars by meeting standards above the licensing minimum.
If you are comparing daycares in Kentucky and keep seeing star ratings, this guide explains what Kentucky All STARS 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 Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Division of Child Care, with the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care setting the broader QRIS structure states follow.
Kentucky All STARS is the state's quality rating and improvement system, known as a QRIS, for licensed and certified child care and public preschool. Run by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Division of Child Care, it uses a one-to-five-star scale. Programs enter at a base star level and move up by meeting higher standards, per CHFS 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 star with coaching, training, and resources. Kentucky 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.
Each star level adds requirements on top of the one before. The standards span classroom and instructional quality, staff qualifications and professional development, family and community engagement, and program administration. The table below shows the areas Kentucky All STARS measures, drawn from the program standards.
| What the rating measures | What a higher star looks like |
|---|---|
| Licensing and base standards | A licensed or certified program in good standing as the entry point at a base star level. |
| Classroom and instructional quality | Stronger teaching practices and, at higher stars, independent classroom observation. |
| Staff qualifications and professional development | Staff building early-childhood credentials and completing ongoing training as stars rise. |
| Family and community engagement | Stronger family partnerships, developmental screening, and community connections. |
| Administrative and program practices | Sound program leadership, policies, and continuous quality improvement. |
Exact star requirements are set by CHFS; confirm the current Kentucky All STARS standards on the state's site, because states revise QRIS rubrics periodically.
Use the Kentucky All STARS or CHFS Division of Child Care provider search to find a program's current star rating, then cross-check its license or certification status with CHFS. Treat the star 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 Kentucky All STARS rating is genuinely useful, but it is imperfect and can be a year or more behind reality. A program at a lower star may still be a strong fit for your child. Use the rating to narrow your list, never to replace a visit.
The rating does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. But in Kentucky, higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, tiered reimbursement through the Kentucky Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), a structure the ACF Office of Child Care encourages under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. 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 Kentucky-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, the Kentucky Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is the place to start.
Kentucky All STARS is Kentucky's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for licensed and certified child care, run by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Division of Child Care. It uses a one-to-five-star scale; programs enter at a base level and earn higher stars by meeting standards across staff, classroom, family, and administrative practices, per CHFS and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
Licensed and certified programs are enrolled in Kentucky All STARS and start at a base star level, but pursuing higher stars is voluntary. A license or certification from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is the mandatory baseline; the higher star ratings sit on top of it. A lower-star program is not automatically poor quality.
Use the Kentucky All STARS or CHFS Division of Child Care provider search to see a program's current star rating, then confirm its license or certification status with CHFS. Star ratings can lag real conditions, so pair the rating with your own tour.
Not directly through tuition, which each program sets. But higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, tiered reimbursement through the Kentucky Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), per the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the ACF Office of Child Care. 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 Kentucky 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 Kansas Links to Quality, Iowa's IQ4K, and Indiana's Paths to QUALITY.
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