MOUNT VERNON, Ky. — Christian Appalachian Project’s Family Life Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) has been certified as a 4-Star provider in the STARS for KIDS NOW program, the highest certification available. This achievement signifies a program’s commitment to improving the quality of child care in Kentucky.
The STARS for KIDS NOW program is part of the KIDS NOW Initiative (Kentucky Invests in Developing Success NOW!) and is administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS).
“Our biggest goal is to make sure all the children are prepared to start kindergarten,” said Sharon Goff, who has worked at the CFDC in Mt. Vernon for more than two decades. “Our committed staff strives to work on areas of growth for each child on a daily basis. We are always looking for ways to raise the bar of excellence higher for our students and ourselves.”
According to CHFS, early care and education programs participating in STARS for KIDS NOW work to meet standards associated with quality care that result in positive outcomes for young children. STARS is Kentucky’s child care quality rating system. It is a resource available to help parents identify levels of quality when seeking a child care facility.
“Having high-quality early childhood education available in the community is one of the best ways to help children start off on the right foot,” said Michael Loiacono, director of human services, Cumberland Valley for Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). “Children who enter kindergarten with the skills they need are much more likely to graduate and become productive, responsible community members as adults. High-quality early childhood programming is an investment in our kids and our future.”
Loiacono knows what quality childcare means to the community. “The Family Life Child and Family Development Center is already firmly engrained in the life of Rockcastle County, having served several generations of families already. It’s important for us to continue to work closely with the public school system, local daycare providers, social service organizations and other service providers for the good of our kids and the good of our community,” he added.
The preschool currently serves 30 families at the center and 29 families in the home visitation programs. The CFDC enrolls children who are three or four years old by August 1. For more information on CAP and its mission to help people in need in Appalachia, visit www.christianapp.org.
