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Licensed Program Participation Rules and Densities
| State/Locality | Licensed center-based program density | Licensed center-based program participation rule | Licensed family child care program density | Licensed family child care program participation rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 41% | Voluntary | 31% |
Voluntary |
| Arizona | 35% | Voluntary | 10% | Voluntary |
| Arkansas | 63% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies | 49% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies |
| California | 24% | Voluntary | 5% |
Voluntary |
| Colorado | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Delaware | 84% | Mandatory if receiving other funding | 20% | Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| District of Columbia | 48% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies | 49% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies |
| Florida Duval | 93% | Voluntary | 76% |
Voluntary |
| Florida Miami-Dade | 84% | Voluntary | 16% | Voluntary |
| Florida Palm Beach | NR | Voluntary | NR | Voluntary |
| Georgia* | 48% | Voluntary | 29% | Voluntary |
| Idaho | 20% | Voluntary | 4% | Voluntary |
| Illinois | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Indiana | 89% | Mandatory if receiving other funding | 71% | Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Iowa | 48% | Voluntary | 23% |
Voluntary |
| Kentucky^ | 60% | Mandatory if receiving other funding | 50% | Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Louisiana | NR | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | N/A | N/A |
| Maine | 66% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | 48% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Maryland | 69% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies | 39% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies |
| Massachusetts | 41% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | 57% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Michigan | 63% | Mandatory if receiving other funding | 42% | Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Minnesota | 42% | Voluntary | 15% | Voluntary |
| Montana | 44% | Voluntary | 19% | Voluntary |
| Nebraska | NR | Voluntary | NR |
Voluntary |
| Nevada | NR | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | NR | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| New Hampshire | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| New Jersey | 3% | Voluntary | 2% | Voluntary |
| New Mexico | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| New York | 2% | Voluntary | 1% | Voluntary |
| North Carolina | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| North Dakota | 41% | Voluntary | 7% | Voluntary |
| Ohio* | 59% | Voluntary | 80% | Voluntary |
| Oklahoma | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Oregon | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Pennsylvania | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Rhode Island | 79% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | 83% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| South Carolina | 51% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies | 26% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies |
| Tennessee | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Texas | 15% | Voluntary | 3% | Voluntary |
| Utah | 34% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies | N/A | N/A |
| Vermont | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level | 100% | Licensed programs enrolled at the first level |
| Virginia | 30% | Voluntary | 15% | Voluntary |
| Washington | 47% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | 40% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Wisconsin | 84% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding | 69% | Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies; Mandatory if receiving other funding |
| Total |
Voluntary: 18 QRIS Licensed programs enrolled at the first level: 10 QRIS Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies: 12 QRIS+ Mandatory if receiving other funding: 11 QRIS+ |
Voluntary: 18 QRIS Licensed programs enrolled at the first level: 10 QRIS Mandatory if serving children receiving subsidies: 10 QRIS+ Mandatory if receiving other funding: 10 QRIS+ |
*Note: OH and GA’s QRIS are transitioning to require programs serving children receiving subsidies to participate. This policy will be in full effect in both states in July 2020.
^Note: KY’s QRIS profile was last updated in 2017.
+Note: Seven QRIS have overlapping requirements and require licensed centers to participate if they serve children receiving subsidies and if they receive public funding. Louisiana does not include licensed family child care programs in the QRIS, so there are six QRIS with overlapping requirements for licensed FCC programs.
QRIS may have voluntary participation or they may mandate participation for some or all providers. This table lists each QRIS and indicates whether programs:
- may participate voluntarily,
- are enrolled at the first level if licensed,
- must participate if the program serves children receiving subsidies, or
- must participate if the program receives other funding streams (e.g. public pre-kindergarten funding).
QRIS that enroll licensed providers at the first level typically consider participation at the higher levels of the QRIS as voluntary.
Density of participation measures the percentage of eligible programs participating in a QRIS. Density is calculated by dividing the number of rated programs by the total number of eligible licensed center-based and licensed family child care (FCC) programs within the state or locality. Ten QRIS enroll licensed center-based programs and licensed FCC programs at the first level. For the purposes of comparison across QRIS, Child Trends adjusted each of these QRIS to have a participation density of 100 percent. However, these QRIS may also track the density of programs that are rated at higher levels of the QRIS to indicate the proportion of programs engaging in quality improvement activities.
For users interested in viewing the data as the state originally indicated it and our reasons for altering the data, please see the 2019 Participation Data Changes Spreadsheet.
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