Parent Aware is Minnesota's child care and early education quality rating system. It rates participating programs on a one- to four-star scale built on licensing, with higher stars reflecting added standards. The state's new Department of Children, Youth, and Families now oversees it, with support from Child Care Aware of Minnesota.
If you are comparing daycares in Minnesota and keep seeing a Parent Aware star rating, this guide explains what the stars measure, who runs the system, how to look a program up, and how a rating connects to subsidy — so you can use it as one input, not the whole decision. Oversight of early childhood programs moved to the new Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in 2024, from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, within the broader structure the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care sets for states.
Parent Aware is Minnesota's child care and early education quality rating and improvement system (QRIS). It rates participating programs on a star scale built on licensing, and is administered by the state's early childhood agency with support from Child Care Aware of Minnesota. Oversight moved to the new Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in 2024, from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, per the State of Minnesota and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
A quality rating system does two jobs at once. It rates programs so families can compare them, and it improves programs by pairing higher stars with coaching, training, and resources. Minnesota 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.
Parent Aware uses a one- to four-star scale. Higher stars reflect added standards in areas such as teaching practices, tracking each child's progress, and family engagement, per the State of Minnesota. The table below shows how the levels build on each other.
| Level | What it generally reflects |
|---|---|
| One to two stars | An entry point built on licensing, with foundational quality practices. |
| Three stars | Added standards in teaching, assessment, and family engagement. |
| Four stars | The highest level, reflecting the fullest set of documented quality standards, per the State of Minnesota. |
Higher star levels are voluntary and take time and resources for a program to reach, so a lower-star program is not automatically a weaker choice. Minnesota periodically revises Parent Aware, so confirm a program's current star level rather than relying on an older figure.
Search the program on the Parent Aware site, where participating programs show a star rating, then confirm the program's license status with the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), which now oversees child care licensing. Treat the star level 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 star rating is genuinely useful, but it reflects documented standards a program chose to pursue, not a guarantee about any single classroom or day. A two-star program can be a wonderful fit, and a high rating can mask recent staff turnover. 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 Minnesota, higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, enhanced reimbursement tied to the 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 Minnesota-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is the place to start.
Parent Aware is Minnesota's child care and early education quality rating and improvement system (QRIS). It rates participating programs on a star scale built on licensing, and is administered by the state's early childhood agency with support from Child Care Aware of Minnesota. Oversight of early childhood programs moved to the new Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in 2024, from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, per the State of Minnesota and the federal ACF Office of Child Care.
Parent Aware uses a one- to four-star scale, with higher stars reflecting added standards in areas like teaching practices, tracking each child's progress, and family engagement, per the State of Minnesota. Higher star levels are voluntary and take time and resources for programs to reach, so a lower-star program is not automatically a poor choice.
Search the program on the Parent Aware site, where participating programs show a star rating, then confirm the program's license status with the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), which now oversees child care licensing. Ratings can lag a program's day-to-day reality, so pair the star level with your own tour.
Not directly through tuition, which each program sets. But higher-rated providers can qualify for added support and, where offered, enhanced reimbursement tied to Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), per the State of Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Michigan's Great Start to Quality, Maryland EXCELS, and the Massachusetts QRIS.
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