Keystone Stars

A Keystone STARS facility:

  • Provides a Department of Public Welfare Certificate of Compliance for Centers or registration for Family Day Care Homes at each day care center;
  • Is a comfortable place where your child can explore and learn;
  • Offers laughing, reading, and talking to help your child build good language skills;
  • Hires teachers who continually learn new ways to help your child succeed;
  • Is a safe, healthy and exciting place;
  • Offers music, art, science, and play activities that increase school readiness;
  • Provides an environment where you child will feel good about him/herself;
  • Encourages family involvement;
  • Provides teachers who listen to children and parents; and
  • Offers children the opportunity to have fun together while being respectful of each other.

Keystone STARS is a quality rating system. Each STAR designation has its own research-based performance standards.

A Keystone Star 3 Center

These standards measure three areas of child care that make a difference in the quality of care your child receives at his/her New Cumberland child development center:

-from the staff employed by the center,
-in the environment your child attends every day, and in
-the way the facility is operated.

  • A full DPW Child Care Certificate of Compliance or Registration for a year
  • A plan to increase early care and education professional development and training for the staff
  • Increased staff communication via team meetings
  • A completed self-assessment on quality items in the environment
  • Director and staff must receive at least three to six hours more annual professional development and training than DPW regulations require.
  • One-third of the staff completed or are enrolled in credentials or degrees.
  • Learning materials such as books, blocks, puzzles, music, and art supplies are available for some of the day.
  • The facility has a budget and provides at least one benefit to staff.
  • Some involvement of parents in the program.
  • A plan to address needs found in a standardized self-assessment of the program.
  • Even more professional development and training hours than STAR 2 requires.
  • Half of the staff completed or are enrolled in credentials or degrees.
  • Learning materials are available for a large part of the day.
  • Literacy activities, including reading to children, story telling, and encouraging written and verbal communication take place often during the day.
  • Increased parental involvement
  • Written policies and procedures
  • Implementation of a financial system, increased staff compensation, and benefits