Achieving a 5-star QRIS rating with Lillio & Lillio Learning powered by FunShine Express Curriculum

The Challenge

Improving center QRIS rating from 3 to 5 stars to increase funding and center quality

To be recognized as a 5-star center within the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), centers need to demonstrate a commitment to providing the highest quality of care. A 5-star rating means that a center not only meets high standards set out by experts in the field, but will also receive increased funding to deliver on the promise of improved outcomes as a result of high-quality care. For Bernita Taylor and Kim Johnson, the owner and assistant executive director of MIGHT Technology and Learning Center in Oklahoma, this was their goal for improving their center. 

Prior to using HiMama, MIGHT had a 3-star QRIS rating. To increase the center’s rating, Bernita and Kim were searching for high-quality classroom learning materials, as well as a robust communication tool to more professionally and meaningfully interact with parents and families in the center. They knew that these improvements would offer better support for children in the classroom and a seamless way to demonstrate center improvements to parents and families. For Bernita and Kim, achieving a 5-star rating meant justifying a tuition rate increase that, in combination with an increase in funding, would enable them to deliver ongoing enhancements at the center, like investing in staff growth and development.

The Solution

Implement HiMama’s comprehensive parent communication platform, paired with high-quality curriculum and daily lesson plans. 

Bernita and Kim recognized gaps in center offerings that were holding them back from better serving the center community. They gravitated towards HiMama’s digital and box curriculum as a way to deliver meaningful learning experiences in the classroom, in a way that’s not only easy-to-implement, but adaptable to each child’s needs, and leverages the skill sets and comfort levels of various educators at the center. They were also interested in a parent communication tool that would empower educators to build stronger relationships with families by sharing learning moments and milestones in their child’s day. By offering a more sophisticated form of communication, parents would have deeper insight into the critical work the educators are doing everyday. Together, these solutions would serve as the foundation for an elevated and consistent customer experience. 

Bernita and Kim use HiMama’s interactive parent communication platform to monitor all communication between educators and families. Every parent has a HiMama account to receive information unique to their child, helping to deepen their relationship with educators and bridge the gap between home and school. Teachers can send photos, videos and messages via HiMama throughout the day, elevating parents’ sense of security and trust, and including them in these important moments in ways they never could before. 

MIGHT uses HiMama’s digital curriculum and box curriculum kits powered by FunShine Express to save time and offer high-quality learning on a consistent basis. HiMama’s digital curriculum provides educators with ready-to-use daily lesson plans that are already loaded into the app, saving them tons of time each day. Each lesson plan uses FunShine Express’ expert-designed, research-based curriculum that aligns with early learning standards and frameworks across North America, helping centers improve their educational and quality ratings.

HiMama offered a comprehensive approach to improving center quality for Bernita and Kim. Teachers now have lesson plans at their fingertips so they can focus more of their time supporting children in the classroom, parents have more insight into the deep learning that is happening each day, and Bernita and Kim have eyes on it all to make sure everything is progressing in the right direction.

The Result

Achieving a 5-star QRIS rating with HiMama curriculum powered by Funshine Express

Providing educators with in-depth and ready to use daily lesson plans and curriculum kits has certainly paid off for Bernita and Kim and the entire community of MIGHT Technology and Learning Center. 

"We used to be a 3-star facility. Now we are a 5-star nationally accredited facility. 5-star is the absolute highest you can be in the state of Oklahoma. HiMama had a lot to do with that, so thank you very much! We could never imagine leaving HiMama!"

- Kim Johnson

After joining HiMama as a 3-star center, MIGHT achieved the highest quality rating of 5 stars just one year later. The implementation of HiMama digital curriculum and box curriculum kits powered by FunShine Express has served their community exceptionally well. With the new rating, Bernita and Kim anticipate an increase in funding, and now have the ability to raise tuition rates to reflect the quality of care happening at the center. This will enable them to increase educator wages and offer additional opportunities for growth and development. In the future, Bernita and Kim plan to maintain this rating and continue to be a stand-out center in the community with the help of HiMama. 

MIGHT Technology and Learning Center is one of many HiMama customers who have improved their center quality with HiMama and Funshine Express.