University Child Care Center earns top rating
The Helen R. Godfrey University Child Care Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has earned the highest possible rating in a statewide program that gives parents information on the quality of care offered by child care providers.
The University Child Care Center received a five-star rating in the YoungStar program, which was begun by the state Department of Children and Families last year. The center was one of six programs among 374 rated in the nine-county Region 6 to receive the top ranking in conjunction with their accompanying accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Accreditation is a voluntary process designed to improve the quality of early and school-age care programs. Achieving accreditation involves extensive self-study and validation by professionals outside the program to verify that quality standards are met. Accreditation status is one more piece of information parents can consider when choosing a child care center.
YoungStar rates providers on educational qualifications and training, learning environment and curriculum, professional and business practices, and child health and well-being practices. Ratings for 1,700 providers across the state can be found on the YoungStar website. Providers that accept Wisconsin Shares child care subsidies for qualified families with children aged 5 and younger are required to be rated to receive reimbursement.
“This system enables the Department of Children and Families to identify quality providers, share that information with parents and reward providers for exceeding minimum expectations,” said University Child Care Center Director Becky Helf. “Quality ratings help Wisconsin child care providers to be on a positive path to providing the best care for our children.”
The mission of the center is to provide high-quality, comprehensive child care and pre-school programming for the families of UW-Stevens Point students, faculty, staff and alumni. A limited number of openings are currently available for children from the community. For more information, contact Becky Helf at 715-346-4370 or bhelf@uwsp.edu. The center is located in Delzell Hall, 910 Fremont St.
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