BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Learning Tree Childcare Center at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), has earned 5 stars from Vermont's Step Ahead Recognition System (STARS).  

 

STARS participants include registered home providers, licensed children's centers, school-based pre-kindergarten programs, and school-age programs whose practices and programming exceed the requirements for becoming licensed by the State of Vermont.

 

"This achievement represents sincere effort and serious commitment from the educators at the Learning Tree," said Kevin Dailey, SVHC's vice president of Human Resources, who oversees the center. "It is a testament to the high quality child care our staff at the Learning Tree provides."

 

Created and led by the Child Development Division of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, the STARS program is Vermont's quality recognition system. It certifies childcare centers that are involved in activities that support children, families, and the professionals who work in child care.

 

"We aim to provide the best possible experiences for children and families," said Nancy Noel, the center's director. "The STARS program provides a high standard, and we are proud to meet that standard for our children and their families."  

 

Throughout COVID, the Learning Tree focused on expanding staff training, going beyond expectations in answering families' needs, and ensuring children had lots of time outdoors. Staff completed over 500 hours of professional development and over 10 college classes collectively to achieve a staff-development standard. They answered the community need by opening to school-aged children, when other centers had closed due to COVID.

 

"Staff really worked hard to train in supporting the social emotional needs of our children and in connecting with parents," Noel said. "Both of these skills were in high demand over the past year."

 

The Learning Tree Childcare Center has been participating in the program since 2010 and has held 5 stars for the past several years.  

 

"We are so proud of the Learning Tree staff for achieving 5 STARS," said Thomas A. Dee, SVHC's president and CEO.  "The designation is a direct reflection of the hard work of our staff, their commitment to children and their families, and their ongoing professional development activities."