PROVIDENCE, RI, December 7, 2011 – More than 100 child care centers, family child care and school-age programs were honored for showing a commitment to quality by joining BrightStars. Community leaders gathered to celebrate these programs at the annual Starry Starry Night event at the Providence Marriott on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Congratulatory remarks were provided to the programs by Anthony Maione, United Way of Rhode Island; Representative Grace Diaz; DCYF Director Janice DeFrances, Department of Health Director Dr. Michael Fine and Jennifer Veilleux, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.
Tammy Camillo, Director of BrightStars, provided the attendees with the opening remarks and welcomed more than 350 community leaders. “BrightStars makes it possible for families to have high quality options to meet their child care and after-school needs. BrightStars programs have been tested against the rigorous BrightStars standards, and have a BrightStars quality rating. Families looking for child care should make sure it’s BrightStars” said Camillo.
BrightStars is Rhode Island’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Quality rating and improvement systems have been a proven strategy to systematically improve the quality of child care and after-school programs. BrightStars statistics:
• 14% of all licensed early care programs in the city of Providence are part of BrightStars.
• There are 114 programs enrolled in BrightStars across Rhode Island. Of these programs, 40 joined BrightStars in 2011.
• More than one-third of eligible BrightStars programs have increased their star rating by making significant improvements in their program quality.
• BrightStars participating child care programs serve more than 3,000 children in Rhode Island. More than 1,000 of these children are low-income and receive subsidies for their care.
BrightStars honored CVS Caremark Charitable Trust with their 6th Star Award, presented to Jennifer Veilleux, Director of Community Relations for CVS Caremark. The 6th Star Award recognizes the organization’s dedication and contribution to high-quality child care and early learning in Rhode Island and their long-term support of the BrightStars program.
“Children enrolled in high-quality early learning programs score higher on tests of language and cognitive skills and demonstrate stronger social and emotional development,” stated Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and Co-Chair of the Rhode Island Early Learning Council. “BrightStars helps ensure that our state’s early learning programs create the best learning environments possible for our young children, setting them on the path to success in school and in life.”
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About BrightStars
BrightStars is managed by the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children (RIAEYC). BrightStars, Rhode Island’s Quality Rating and Improvement System for child care and early learning programs, helps improve the quality of child care in Rhode Island and helps families find quality child care. BrightStars funders and partners include United Way of Rhode Island, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, RI Department of Human Services, RI Department of Children, Youth & Families, RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, RI Department of Health, and Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Visit www.BrightStars.org for more information.
