As a Star Level 4 rated organization, we adhere to the following standards as set by the PA Keystone STARS: - A required minimum of 24 professional development and training hours for staff -Two-thirds of the staff must have completed or be working toward completing credentials or degrees -Have activities designed to encourage communication, both written and verbal, that occur naturally in throughout the day -Parental and community resources are used effectively in the delivery of quality child care -Business, organizational, and staff compensation practices are maximized -A review of the facility by a nationally recognized environmental rating scale that indicates a high-quality score For more information on PA Keystone STARS ratings, please visit www.pakeys.org.
Hilltop Community Children's Center: a Pennsylvania State Department of Welfare licensed institution featuring Early Head Start, Head Start, and Pre-K programs. In collaboration with COTRAIC and Pittsburgh Public Schools. For more information on child care regulations, please visit PA Department of Welfare Early Learning
NAEYC Accreditation: The mark of quality in early childhood education. You have chosen an early childhood program for your child that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. For more than 20 years, families have relied on NAEYC accreditation to ensure the quality of education and care provided in programs for young children. What is a high-quality early childhood program? High-quality programs provide a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the development of young children. NAEYC-Accredited programs show their quality by meeting the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards, which are based on the latest research on the education and development of young children. All NAEYC-Accredited programs must: -Promote positive relationships for all children and adults to encourage each child's sense of individual worth. -Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of child development: cognitive, emotional, language, physical, and social. -Use developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching approaches. -Provide ongoing assesments of a child's learning and development and communicate the child's progress to the family. -Promote the nutrition and health of children and protect children and staff from illness and injury. -Employ and support a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children's learning and development and to support families' diverse interests and needs. -Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with each child's family. -Establish relationships with and use the resources of the community to support achievement of program goals. -Provide a safe and healthy physical environment. -Implement strong personnel, fiscal, and program management policies so that all children, families, and staff have high quality experiences. For more information about NAEYC Accreditation, please visit www.rightchoiceforkids.org.
