Mission & History
Mission
to impact care and education by promoting quality professional development opportunities for those who care for, educate and support West Virginia’s children and families.
Goals
The goals of WV STARS are to:
- Adopt a core body of knowledge needed by all practitioners to ensure a consistent base of training.
- Make sure all practitioners have training based on the core body of knowledge available to them.
- Implement a career pathway promoting continuation of education and experience and encouraging increased compensation for advancement.
- Strengthen connections among local, regional, and state partners to benefit children and families.
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.
