Quality Improvement Program from Grow NJ Kids Hits New Providence

Santa Fe Centers is participating in “Grow NJ Kids”, a state-wide program known as QRIS (Quality Rating Improvement System). The adopted standards were developed in partnership with the Departments of Education, Human Services, Children and Families and Health in Union County, NJ. The centers began working independently on the standards after their initial announcement in 2013 and were chosen to join the network of Early Childhood Educational professionals in March 2015.

A quality improvement specialist from Community Coordinated Childcare of Union County evaluates our childcare programs and establishes goals with the teaching staff in the following categories:

• Safe, healthy learning environments
• Curriculum and learning environments
• Family and community engagement
• Work/professional development
• Administration and Management

Santa Fe Centers continues to support our staff as they broaden their education in the field of early childhood by completing a CDA, an AA or a BA. This shared knowledge base helps to facilitate the development of our children in all areas of growth — physical, social, emotional and cognitive. At first contact with families, guidelines are helpful in evaluating potential schools for their child. Some of the questions parents need to ask are:

• Is the program sensitive to and respectful of cultural and linguistic diversity? Does it expect, allow, and appreciate individual differences?
• Is the program based on current brain research to help each child reach individual social, emotional, physical and cognitive potential?
• Does the program respect and support each child’s feelings?
• Does the program promote feelings of psychological safety, security, and belonging?
• Does the program promote interactive hands-on learning, encouraging the child’s personal construction of conceptual knowledge?
• Do staff members build and maintain a professional, ethical and mutually respectful relationship with families?
• Do teachers use positive discipline strategies leading to self-regulation and development of higher level thinking skills?
• Does the staff model and promote a sense of joy in being with their children leading to each child’s feelings of acceptance, success, competence, and confidence in their abilities?
• Do staff members provide a variety of activities and materials that increase in complexity, difficulty and level of challenge as the children develop greater understanding and higher skill levels throughout the year?

The above questions will be helpful when evaluating a facility. For a more extensive list, please go to www.santafecenters.com . The key is that parents need to feel comfortable with the childcare they select for their child.  For more information on “Grow NJ Kids” go to: childandfamily-nj.org
Jane Coleman Cabildo, RN, MS
Director
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