Preschool program is head of the class

Sunshine station earns four stars - highest state rating, By Linda Fields MILFORD — There’s a new star in town. To see for yourself, simply check out the sign in front of Sunshine Station - the childcare center on Route 6 and 209, across from Luhr’s. The four big stars, followed by an exclamation mark is an announcement that no doubt makes Director/Owner Pam Lufty very proud: hers is the first early childhood education center in Pike County to be awarded a “star 4” rating. That is the highest level under the state’s rating system. If you think getting to 4 stars isn’t a big deal, consider this: in all of Pennsylvania, there are 5,020 providers in the program and only 450 have been awarded four stars. “I’m elated,” says Lufty, who started Sunshine Station 17 years ago. She adds, “It’s been a lot of hard work,” and notes she has to continue that hard work to keep her high rating. Under the program, stars are awarded to a provider based on criteria concerning the educational background of the staff, their continuing professional development, an environment that fosters maximal development of the child, the staff’s ability to interact and help the child learn and develop, and a professional business plan. “It is a wonderful achievement,” says Sara George, vice president of Development at Community Services for Children, or CSC. Among the programs administered by CSC is the Keystone STARS program. The acronym STARS stands for Standards, Training/Professional Development, Assistance, Resources, and Support. The state funded rating program is a voluntary one, and is designed to support and acknowledge quality improvement efforts of early learning programs in Pennsylvania. George explains, “Early education isn’t about babysitting; it is about early childhood development.” She adds, “It helps prepare children to succeed in kindergarten.” As any teacher would tell you, giving a child a leg-up is a good thing. Lufty worked for fourteen years as a certified speech and language therapist in the Delaware Valley School District before establishing Sunshine Station. “I became a mom,” she explains and adds, “I had young children and I wasn’t prepared to leave them. I felt we needed a child care center with flexibility in hours.” That is why Lufty makes sure her center offers that kind of flexibility. “We have 148 enrolled but they are not here all the time because of flexible scheduling.” That is no small undertaking, since she has to juggle hours five days a week (from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for quite a few children of varying ages and in different stages of their education. “We service families with children 6 weeks old to middle-school age. The older children take advantage of her program designed for afterschool activities,” Lufty says. “One of my high scores with the evaluation was for the latch-key program. We have a writer’s club and an inventor’s club.” In referring to her success, Lufty underscores the contribution of her staff, and in particular those who have degrees in education. Besides herself, Lufty notes four others on her staff are certified teachers: co-director Jessica Adler, Heather Davenport, Donna Sucek and Melissa Rose. Lufty also notes that a number of teacher assistants are working on their associate degrees, and she has student interns helping out as well. “We work with school districts in the area. Student interns come in for the work experience.” Some of those student interns end up as staff members at Sunshine Station and for their dedication, Lufty awards them scholarship money which is used to continue their education as an early childhood professional. Lufty has been recognized for her commitment to developing quality child care but she is quick to recognize the help she received along the way. “Some of what we accomplished here, I could not do without the grant money. We have the drive, but the grants have allowed me to make improvements that I otherwise couldn’t afford.” In noting the voluntary nature of the Keystone STARS program, Lufty says modestly, “Each star determines an increase in benefits to be offered to your staff so it is a big commitment on my part. Not all centers can do that, but it doesn’t mean that they are not doing a great job.” And with a smile, she added, “But it does show that we are.” For information about Sunshine Station, call 570-296-7241. For more on the Keystone Stars program: visit www.cscinc.org or www.pakeys.org/star.