Early Care and Education
In Indiana County
Keystone STARS in Indiana County
 STARS stands for Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources, and Support.Keystone STARS is a quality improvement initiative designed to recognize and reward child care providers who exceed state health and safety licensing requirements. Child care providers are awarded a STAR One, STAR Two, STAR Three, or STAR Four quality rating based on their achievement of quality performance standards in the areas of staff education, learning environment, and administration. The star rating reflects standards of quality that are research based and linked to improved outcomes for children as related to social and emotional development, learning skills, and school readiness Indiana County child care Providers who are participating in Keystone STARS are listed below: |
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with STARS:
Brenda McCloskey , Homer Center |
Two STARS ABC FUN, Inc. , Homer City Grand Beginnings Children’s Center-West, Indiana Kozy Kidz Daycare, Blairsville Marcella Pollock, Blairsville Trinity School Age Program, Indiana
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One STAR Almost Home Day Care, Marion Center Almost Home Day Care II, Clymer Almost Home Day Care III, Indiana Almost Home Day Care 4, Indiana Almost Home Day Care 5, Home Beacon Day Care Center, Indiana Betty Polenick, Clymer Denise Barberich's Group Day Care Home, Blairsville Deborah Rend, Indiana Donna Rowley’s Day Care, Blairsville Holly Henderson, Robinson Jen's Group Day Care, Indiana Linda Fulton, Indiana Margaret Kunkle, Indiana Stay N’ Play, Homer Center Stay N’ Play Day Care, Indiana The Ark Kids, Penn Run |
Three STARS Grand Beginnings Children's Center -East, Indiana Ben Franklin Elementary School Age Program, Indiana Horace Mann Elementary School-Age Program, Indiana |
Four STARS: University Early Child Care and Education Center, Indiana Homer Center Elementary School-Age, Homer Center
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Governor Ed Rendell has set several Early Care and Education Priorities for the commonwealth. The Early Care and Education Committee (a working committee of the Children’s Advisory Commission of Indiana County) would like to share information on one of the Governor’s priorities on improving capacity of learning programs. Keystone STARS is Pennsylvania’s program to
improve the quality of child care. It is believed that quality
environments for children contribute to increased social and emotional
development, learning skills and school readiness. The program was
developed to facilitate continuous improvement and recognize achievement
by child care providers. This is a voluntary program that recognizes
Department of Public Welfare (DPW) regulated child care providers that
exceed state health and safety licensing requirements. Pennsylvania
licenses child care centers and group day homes that have seven or more
children unrelated to the operator. It also registers family day care
homes that provide care for four to six children unrelated to the
provider. The STARS program is available to all of the providers regulated
by DPW. Keystone STARS establishes a rating system beginning
with the Start with STARS level and progressing through a STAR One, Two,
Three, or Four designation. Each STAR level has its own research-based
performance standards or benchmarks linked to improving outcomes for
children. Each level has different and higher standards for Staff
Education, Program Learning Environment, and Administration. The STARS program is
administered by the Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality- six
Regional Keys and a state level Pennsylvania Key. Indiana County is under
the Northwestern Key, based out of Erie. Providers
may contact the Key Regional Office for more information. Keystone STARS
provides families with a valuable tool to assess the quality of their
child care provider. Parents can also contact the regional office for a
list of Keystone STARS participants in Indiana County. You may obtain
information by calling 1-800-860-2281, by checking the website- www.pakeys.org,
or by contacting the Northwest Regional Key at nw@pakeys.org
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Talk.
