HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell said Pennsylvania’s children are benefiting from Keystone STARS, a state program that has measurably improved the quality of child care, according to a new study.
“Child care in Pennsylvania serves more than 300,000 children, and it is the largest program helping to prepare children for school,” said Rendell. “The findings of this study are so important because research has shown that high-quality early care and education are critical in preparing children for success in school, work and life.”
Since 2002, Keystone STARS has worked to improve the quality of day care by promoting staff education, staff participation in ongoing professional development, use of a curriculum and helping practitioners support children’s early learning and development. As of September, nearly 4,300 child care programs were enrolled in Keystone STARS.
The study by the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development and Penn State University’s Prevention Research Center evaluated 572 child care facilities across Pennsylvania between March and September. Programs were assessed using two rating scales (ECERS-R and FDCRS) using a seven-point scoring basis, with 1 representing “inadequate” and 7 representing “excellent.” Major findings include:
— Child care quality is improving. Between 1996 and 2002, the average score dropped from 4.50 to 3.90. In 2006, the average score for sites not participating in STARS rose to 3.94.
— Keystone STARS continues to improve quality in child care centers. The average scores in 2006 for centers participating in STARS ranged from to 4.11 (Start with STARS) to 5.42 (STAR 4).
— Programs with a defined curriculum provide higher quality education for children, scoring 4.83 on the ECERS-R scale while programs without a curriculum scored only 4.36.
— Programs employing teachers with at least an associate’s degree provide higher quality early education and care, scoring 4.82 on the ECERS-R scale while programs employing teachers without at least an associate’s degree scored only 4.11.
— Previous research examining Pennsylvania’s early care and education programs suggested that quality had been declining over the past decade, according to DPW Secretary Estelle Richman.
“We could not sit back and watch quality in these programs continue to decline, especially when the early years of a child’s life have a permanent impact on their brain development and learning abilities,” Richman said.
Keystone STARS is one of a variety of programs administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare’s Office of Child Development to help families and communities provide for, protect, nurture and teach our young children. To read the executive summary and download the full report, click here.
