Oklahoma has five levels of quality ratings for all licensed child care programs, levels 1-5. All licensed programs immediately qualify as a 1 Star.  Programs may voluntarily increase their Stars level by meeting additional quality criteria.

The quality standards include:

• Commitment to minimum licensing requirements
   Meeting and maintaining minimum licensing requirements ensures the basic health and safety of children in care.  It is the foundation of the Stars program.
• Management and administration
  This criteria is related to the policies and procedures for staff management and operation of the child care program.
• Workforce qualifications and professional development
  Staff in leadership roles have credentials and formal, job-related education with specialized knowledge in the field of early care of children.
• Learning and development
  The criteria surrounding the learning and development of children, including the classroom environment and learning opportunities planned for children. 
• Family partnerships
  Family partnership criteria supports working with families to improve the care of the child. A strong connection between child care staff and families is critical for building a positive environment, allowing children to feel more secure and confident.
• Program evaluation and continuous quality improvement
  This criteria helps identify the strengths and challenges of the program. They set goals that lead to improvement over time. This is one of the most widely recognized standards of quality in child care. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) is a way for programs to regularly improve services and outcomes for the children and families they serve.