West Virginia

STARS

West Virginia Statewide Training and Registry System (aka WV STARS) is a place for Early Childhood and Out-Of-School Time Professionals to track their educational achievements, career goals, and professional development. We place professionals on our Career Pathway Levels based on experience and education and we oversee West Virginia's Early Childhood Core Knowledge and Competencies. We oversee the credential process for approving Professional Development Providers to register and provide WV STARS Training Hours to Early Childhood Professionals. We run the Child Care Scholarship and Wage Supplement programs. We work with a variety of partners at regional, state, and local levels.

Mission

West Virginia STARS supports the Early Childhood and Out-of-School time workforce growing their careers and improving quality of care through professional development and education opportunities while collaborating with programs and agencies to develop and implement policy, collect data, and improve professionalism to create a positive impact on West Virginia's children.

We do this by:

Maintaining a comprehensive training calendar, registration, and tracking system
Placing individuals on a Career Pathway Ladder determined by education and experience
Collecting comprehensive data about the Early Childhood and Out-of-School time Workforce
Credentialing Professional Development Providers
Ensuring training aligns to West Virginia's Early Childhood Core Knowledge and Competencies or Trainer or Technical Assistance Core Knowledge and Competencies
Offering Scholarship and Wage incentive programs for Child Care Providers

Vision

At WV STARS, we see a future where the Early Childhood and Out-of-School time workforce receives professional respect, earns equitable compensation, and is recognized for the value they provide to their communities. We know that members of the workforce who feel successful, happy, and healthy bring that positive attitude to the young children and families they serve. West Virginia STARS is working to become the central, trusted resource for the Early Childhood and Out-of-School time workforce to find meaningful, relevant opportunities for professional growth, development, and advancement across the span of their career.

WV STARS Policy Advisory Council

WV STARS Policy Advisory Council exists to assist West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources (WVECTCR) in maintaining the integrity of West Virginia State Training and Registry System(WV STARS). The Policy Advisory Council’s intent is to establish and update policies and procedures to improve the quality of the registry system while maintaining the original purpose-to measure and advance the professional development of early care and education professionals in West Virginia.

Council members represent a cross-section of agencies and organizations in the early childhood community in the hopes that the input depicts the diversity of the profession. Members collaborate so that individual perspective is given and one collective voice advises. Recommendations and advisement provided by council members is based on professional expertise and research.

The WV STARS Policy Advisory Council meets quarterly to discuss and make decisions about many WV STARS related topics including but not limited to: appeals filed against a decision made by WV STARS, the creation of new and revision of out-of-date policy for WV STARS, any questionable issues relating to the registry system, or improvement of WV STARS procedures. Decisions and recommendations made by the council are to be implemented by WVECTCR staff.

A WVECTCR staff member cannot make any decision that may conflict with any current WV STARS policy or not covered specifically in current WV STARS policy. All determinations that may fall into this category must be made by WV STARS Policy Advisory Council.

History

West Virginia STARS began as a collaborative effort under the Governor’s Early Childhood Implementation Commission. The Professional Development Committee of the Governor’s Early Childhood Implementation Commission worked collaboratively with WV Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources and other local, state, and national partners to create WV STARS to implement a comprehensive continuum of specialized training and career mobility for all early care and education practitioners. Since the development, several committees have donated time, research, and work to update and maintain the integrity of the Professional Development System.

This program is being presented with financial assistance as a grant from the West Virginia Department of Health and the West Virginia Department of Human Services and is administered by West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources, a program of River Valley Child Development Services.

West Virginia is a PER Member of