What are the components of high-quality care for school-age children? How can parents and others tell the quality of care being provided on a daily basis?

Catholic Charities' child care programs are constantly reaching for the heights. Now, however, they are Reaching for the Stars too, in the state of Tennessee's Quality Child Care Evaluation System.  The top rating using this system is three stars and includes a quality of care assessment using a School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS)  for school-age programs. 

The SACERS consists of 49 items, organized under 7 categories:  Space & Furnishings, Health & Safety, Activities, Interactions, Program Structure, Staff Development, and Supplementary Items.

Virginia Davenport, Director of Child Care Services for Catholic Charities, is pleased to announce that all of Catholic Charities' child care programs have received a three-star rating under this new system!  Ms. Davenport says that "Our staff work hard to maintain the highest levels of care for children. When quality care and excellent service are a part of a program's daily routine, reaching the stars does not seem impossible."