Illinois Launches New Quality Rating System for Early Care and Education

McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Linda Butkovich and Teri Talan | September 1, 2007

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

With the launch of the Quality Counts: Quality Rating System in July 2007, Illinois joined the growing number of states across the country implementing quality rating systems. A Quality Rating System (QRS) is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early care and education programs. Much like the rating systems used for restaurants and hotels, QRS award stars (or some other symbol) to recognize higher quality programs that meet defined program standards.… Download this resource to read the rest of this story.


This resource is part of our archived Director’s Link newsletter series.

McCormick Institute for Early Childhood logo in blue on a white and light blue gradient background
By Natalia Ambrozek May 5, 2026
Get the most out of every conference with strategies for planning your schedule, engaging in sessions, and building valuable professional connections.
Show More