Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is Ohio's daycare rating system, organized from 1 star up to 5 stars. More stars signal more training, better ratios, and stronger learning environments. It is voluntary for many programs, but Ohio requires programs that accept public child care funding to earn and keep a rating.
If you are comparing daycares in Ohio and see a Step Up To Quality star rating, this guide explains what it measures, who runs and licenses programs, how to confirm it, and how it connects to cost and subsidy — so you can use it as one input, not the whole decision. The system is led by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), the agency Ohio created in 2024 to consolidate early childhood programs, within the broader structure the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Care sets for states.
Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is Ohio's Quality Rating and Improvement System for child care and early learning programs, organized from 1 star up to 5 stars. It is led by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), per the State of Ohio and the federal ACF Office of Child Care. It is voluntary for many programs, but Ohio requires programs that accept Publicly Funded Child Care to hold a rating.
A quality rating system does two jobs at once. It rates programs so families can compare them, and it improves programs by pairing higher levels with coaching, training, and resources. Ohio built Step Up To Quality with support from the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by the ACF Office of Child Care.
Licensing is the mandatory floor that every program must clear: the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) licenses child care programs, and licensed family child care homes are rated under the same system. Step Up To Quality is the rating built into licensing measured on top of that floor. The table below sorts out what each label means.
| Label | What to know |
|---|---|
| Step Up To Quality | Ohio's star rating, built on licensing. Voluntary for many programs, but required for programs that accept public child care funding. |
| Licensing (Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY)) | The mandatory baseline for every program, overseen by Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). Step Up To Quality is the quality layer above it. Confirm current status and compliance history. |
| Accreditation | Optional national recognition, such as NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), separate from the state and a useful extra signal. |
Because the rating is built into the license, you can expect to see a level on nearly every licensed Ohio program — but confirm the current license status and compliance history before you read too much into the number.
Start with the license: confirm the program's status with Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and review any compliance history. Then look at the Step Up To Quality star rating. Treat any 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. Because Ohio ties public funding to a rating, most subsidy-accepting programs carry one — but a star level set during a review can lag what a classroom feels like today. A 5-star center can still have a rough room, and a private-pay program may choose not to participate at all. Use the stars to start, not to finish.
The rating does not set tuition, which each program decides on its own. Tuition is set by each program, but in Ohio the rating and public funding are tightly linked: programs that accept Publicly Funded Child Care through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and county departments of job and family services must hold a Step Up To Quality rating, 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 Ohio-specific figures, see our daycare cost guide and estimate your own with the cost calculator. If you may qualify for help paying, the Ohio Publicly Funded Child Care program through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and county departments of job and family services is the place to start.
Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is Ohio's Quality Rating and Improvement System for child care and early learning programs, organized from 1 star up to 5 stars. It is led by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), per the State of Ohio and the federal ACF Office of Child Care. It is voluntary for many programs, but Ohio requires programs that accept Publicly Funded Child Care to hold a rating.
Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) licenses child care programs, per the State of Ohio. Licensing is the mandatory baseline that every program must meet, while Step Up To Quality is the quality layer measured on top of it. Confirm a program's current license and compliance history before you enroll.
Confirm the program's license and compliance history with Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), then ask about its current Step Up To Quality star rating. Treat any rating as one verified data point alongside your own tour, because a rating can lag a program's real, day-to-day conditions.
Tuition is set by each program, but in Ohio the rating and public funding are tightly linked: programs that accept Publicly Funded Child Care through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and county departments of job and family services must hold a Step Up To Quality rating, a structure the ACF Office of Child Care encourages under the federal Child Care and Development Fund. For national context, center-based care runs roughly $8,000 to $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 Ohio 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 Grow NJ Kids, Delaware Stars, and Maryland EXCELS.
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