Early Learning Programs Achieve Highest Quality Rating
Posted on October 14, 2024Johnstown, PA (October 14, 2024) – The Learning Lamp met a major milestone for quality care and education in October when it earned Keystone STARS top-tier STAR 4 ratings across all its child care and preschool programs in a six-county region. Keystone STARS is Pennsylvania’s Continuous Quality Improvement Initiative. Parents can feel confident that their children are being cared for by trained staff in a learning-rich environment that prepares little learners for entry into kindergarten.
“This is a significant achievement that ensures children and families are provided the highest quality care and education,” said Erica Ponczek, Director of Child Development and Early Learning. “With all of our centers and preschools now a STAR 4, we have a demonstrated a commitment to our families that we provide high-quality care and education for all children.”
Finding high-quality child care that is safe and affordable is difficult for many families. According to a 2024 report from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children less than half or 46% of child care programs have earned a Star 3 or 4.
Ashley Holbay, whose daughter Ruby started kindergarten this fall, said that sending her to The Learning Lamp was critical in helping her learn social skills before starting school.
“It’s important to me that she’s prepared in numerous ways like knowing her alphabet, spelling, counting, using her pencil, and knowing her kindergarten environment,” explained Ashley.
The Learning Lamp’s STAR 4 locations include child care centers in Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties. Preschool classrooms earning STAR 4 ratings including those in Clayburg, Bedford, Somerset, Everett, Richland, Westmont, and Portage. The Learning Lamp is committed to offering high-quality before and after-school care for children and holds a STAR 4 rating at its Cambria Elementary site, as well. The organization’s five remaining before/after school classrooms are working toward STAR 3 designations.
In addition to top state ratings, The Learning Lamp’s Richland programs are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC is a professional organization that
works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8 by connecting early childhood best practices with policy and research.
For more information about The Learning Lamp, visit thelearninglamp.org.
The Learning Lamp is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage all children in the support they need to succeed. We deliver high-quality programs that are affordable and accessible to families of all income levels. In 2023, The Learning Lamp and our school-based division Ignite Education Solutions directly served 37,524 children and adults. In addition to our own program locations, we worked with 87 public and private schools in 36 Pennsylvania counties. We also supported 473 child care and community-based youth organizations with free or nearly free shared resources, positively impacting another 44,190 children statewide.
Our programs include: child care and preschool, after-school programs, tutoring, SAT prep, school staffing, alternative education programs for at-risk students, online learning, credit recovery, drug and alcohol prevention programs, and grant writing and project consulting for schools.
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