DUBOIS – The DuBois Child and Family Center, a Keystone STARS Star 4 childcare and pre-school in Clearfield County operated by Cen-Clear Child Services Inc., was awarded the “Bright Star” Award for 2013-14 in a ceremony at the center on Tuesday.
Under the daily supervision of Kylie Jones, and supported by a team of center staff, supervisors and administrators, the facility was nominated for having safe places to live and learn, with access to health care, adequate clothing and nutritious food.
The DuBois Child and Family Center is a full-day, full-year Head Start site that provides wrap around child care. Staff has monthly contacts with families, home visits and monthly parent engagement activities. Children are provided with numerous screenings and services while in attendance.
Among the participants in the ceremony at the center were Elana Como, executive director of the Northwest Regional Key; Dr. Louann Bonnet, professor of Early Childhood Education at Clarion University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Gene Kephart, executive director of Cen-Clear Child Services; Mark Heckman, superintendent of the DuBois Area School District; and all of the center’s children.
The Bright Star award is a quality recognition program for Keystone STARS sites within the 22 counties of the Northwest Regional Key (NWRK). Early learning and school-age programs that demonstrate exemplars of quality are nominated for the award.
The sign(s) of quality must align with one or more of the 10 Pillars of a Good Childhood for 2012-2022, as adopted by the Association for Childhood Education International.
When a pillar of quality is observed, NWRK staff and consultants submit a nomination in writing to NWIR Leadership. At the end of each quarter, the nominations are reviewed by leadership, who vote for the site most deserving.
The DuBois Child and Family Center has been a participant in the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS program since 2005 and has had a Star 4 rating since that time. Keystone STARS is an initiative of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to improve, support and recognize the continuous quality improvement efforts of early learning programs in Pennsylvania.