The Child Development Center at Rampart Range Campus received four out of four stars, the highest rating possible, this month from the Qualistar Early Learning rating organization. Along with PPCC’s Centennial Campus Child Development Center, it is one of only three in the Pikes Peak Region to earn the four-star rating, and one of the few in the state to receive four stars on its first initial evaluation. Cindy Neale-Downing, director of the PPCC Child Development Centers, says “We are very excited to have achieved the highest rating possible. The teachers and staff all worked very hard to achieve this level of quality and recognition.”

Qualistar Early Learning is a nonprofit childcare rating organization that evaluates Colorado early education centers. They examine the learning environment, family partnerships, staff training and education, teacher-student ratios and group sizes, and national accreditation. “We believe the foundation of quality care is forming partnerships with parents in order to best meet the needs of their children,” says Neale-Downing. “This helps us accomplish our mission of supporting students as they work on their educational programs to benefit their children’s future.”

The Qualistar rating evaluates the quality and effectiveness of childcare programs and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses within that program, while providing tips and advice for any improvements. Trained observers make unannounced visits, spend several hours in each classroom in order to evaluate, collect and record information, and then calculate their scores to achieve the Qualistar rating, which is based on a four-star rating system with four being the highest.

“As part of Pikes Peak Community College, the Child Development Centers strive to help our youngest students – the children - develop the language and reasoning skills needed for lifelong learning,” explains Neale-Downing. “We do this every day by ensuring the children’s safety and providing a warm, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment.“

The center serves families with children from age 24 months to five years old, the majority of whom are children of PPCC students and staff. Children are divided into three classrooms, a toddler room and two pre-kindergarten classrooms, that all use a research-based, child-centered curriculum that focuses on the children’s particular areas of interest and developmental needs.

To learn more about the PPCC Child Development Centers, call 502-2424. For more information about Qualistar Early Learning, call 303-339-6800, or visit www.qualistar.org.