Do you provide child care in a rural setting? Keystone STARS wants YOU!
A priority of RTT-ELC is to increase the number of regulated child care providers in rural counties. The
Office of Child Development and Early Learning identified 33 counties* with few or no child care
providers participating in Keystone STARS. In order to promote recruitment, the Regional Key RTT
Coordinators are completing localized community outreach and providing information about
opportunities to promote their registration or licensing as a child care provider and supports to move up
in quality. Financial, Professional Development and Technical Assistance supports are available for
providers in the targeted Rural Recruitment counties*. Below are a few rural recruitment provider
success stories.
OCDEL is truly grateful for the Regional Key
staff and provider’s hard work and
determination to grow high quality child
care in the targeting Rural Recruitment
counties!
South Central Regional Key (SCRK)
*Focused Efforts in Rural Recruitment Counties
Armstrong, Blair, Bradford, Cambria, Cameron,
Carbon, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford,
Fayette, Greene, Forest, Franklin, Fulton,
Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming,
McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Northumberland Perry,
Potter Schuylkill, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna,
Tioga, Venango and Warren.
Laura Hollenbaugh opened Tots Spot Child
Care & Early Learning LLC in on August 11,
2014. Located in Huntingdon County, Laura
provides care for children ages six weeks to
12 years in age Monday through Friday.
Laura began her career working for a child
care center but decided opening her own
program would be most beneficial for her family. Upon completion of becoming Department of Human
Services (DHS) certified, Laura was contacted by the Rural Recruiter from the South Central Regional Key
to discuss moving her program into Keystone STARS.
When asked about her experience with Keystone STARS, Laura responded,
“Shortly after receiving my DHS certificate, I was contacted by the Keystone STARS Rural
Recruiter and STARS Specialist. They were fantastic! They offered services such as trainings,
funding and resources for both my daycare families and myself and answered any questions I
had. They made "house runs" as I call it to help with paperwork and various things to help me
move up the STARS level. Currently, I am a STAR 1 but and in the process of moving up to a STAR
2.”
Northwest Regional Key (NWRK)
Our Precious Angels opened in November of 2014 and immediately enrolled in the Rural Recruitment
Program and Keystone STARS. The NWRK Rural Recruiter first met Valerie and Kristen Schaeffer at a DHS
Orientation Training in Erie, PA in July of 2014. The NWRK Rural Recruiter spoke to them about Rural
Recruitment at the training and exchanged emails and phone calls until they received their Certificate of
Compliance.
Valerie and Kristen are mother/daughter and have wanted to open a site. Valerie first was involved in
child care when Kristen was a child, over 20 years ago. She helped her sister within a family child care
setting. Since then, Valerie completed Cosmetology and worked in that field for the past 15 years.
Upon completing High School, Kristen enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the Family
Studies program. She attended part-time and worked various jobs including Sheetz, YMCA Summer
Program and a youth half-way house. Kristen continues to take courses part-time and was able to quit
her other jobs once the facility opened.
Since being enrolled in Rural Recruitment and Keystone STARS, Our Precious Angels has grown from an
enrollment of six children, to currently having 16 enrolled (full-time, part- time and drop-in). What
makes this story even better is that they extend the day for four Head Start children (25% of enrollment)
and two part-day Kindergartners. Almost 50% of their
enrollment is extending the day for at-risk children within
the Ford City area.
Both Valerie and Kristen have taken advantage of the
Mentor Program and the Business TA Program and are
currently preparing to move to STAR 2 by the end of 2015.
Northeast Regional Key (NERK)
In the Northeast Region, Bradford County is identified as a
High Risk Rural County. Parents in Bradford have limited
access to DHS Certified programs and prior to the Rural
Expansion project, there was only one program at STAR 3 or
4 in the entire county.
If you know of rural child
care provider that is
interested in promoting a
high quality program for
children, please contact Toni
Kurzinger at
[email protected].
Darlene Burleigh, CEO of Stepping Stones Preschool locations, saw the need to expand access to quality.
During the fall of 2014, the Northeast Key Rural Recruiter supported Darlene in the process of opening a
new site in Troy. The program opened in January 2015 and continued progress towards a high quality
environment.
In April 2015, Stepping Stones designated at STAR 4 and partnered to provide PA Pre-K Counts
programming for children in the Troy Area School District.
Southwest Regional Key (SWRK)
Peggy Ocker, Owner and Director of Grammy’s Little Learners, is a family provider from Greene County.
In her own words:
“Keystone STARS has helped me provide an enriched learning environment, knowledge for
improving quality child care for my Family Day Care. I have received grant money and was
introduced to my mentor who is absolutely wonderful. My Stars Specialist keeps me informed
as to what my next steps are for moving to the next Stars level. I am excited to say, "I am a
Keystone STARS provider!!
Thank you for all your help!
Peggy”
Peggy will soon have her STAR 2 designation visit and is working diligently toward a STAR 3.
For more information
For more information about how to become a Keystone STARS participant, visit the PA Keys website or
contact Toni Kurzinger at [email protected].