One of the most important trends in the early childhood field is the emergence of quality rating systems (QRS), or quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), which are designed to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality of early and school-age care programs. QRS came onto the scene in 1998 when Oklahoma enacted its "Reaching for the Stars" program and in 1999 when North Carolina launched its "Star Rated License" program. Since that time, 16 more states have implemented QRS and nearly all other states are either developing or considering developing, QRS. The author talks about QRS/QRIS, its goal and the programs that come under its umbrella. The author also discusses how QRS/QRIS are funded, how parents are informed about the ratings, and the challenges in implementing QRS/QRIS. (Contains 2 tables.)