VGCC Day Care Continues Tradition of Excellence

The state of North Carolina has once again awarded a five-star rating — the highest possible rating — to the Day Care Center at Vance-Granville Community College’s Main Campus.“This state evaluation measures quality in child care programs and is done only once every three years,” Day Care Center Manager Denise Gill explained. “On a scale of one to seven, our program standards scored higher than a six, and we have again been awarded the highest rated license available to child care facilities.”Gill expressed her pleasure at earning the high rating and said she was especially pleased for what it means to the children. “There is a direct link between the number of stars earned and the quality of care at a center,” Gill said. “The five-star rating shows everyone that we give the best quality of child care available.”The Division of Child Development of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services began rating child care centers from one to five stars in 2000. Since then, the VGCC Day Care Center has earned the five-star rating in both previous evaluations (in 2001 and in 2004).Since 2004, Day Care Center staff evaluated themselves to concentrate on the few areas that could use improvement, based on the previous state evaluation. Some equipment and materials were added to bring VGCC up to the highest standard, slight changes to daily activity schedules were made, and some health and sanitation practices were enhanced. After visits by fire and sanitarian inspectors and a state licensing consultant, two state-appointed evaluators spent a half day at the Day Care Center. They rated the VGCC center in two categories – staff education and program standards. The Day Care Center received a perfect score of seven points in the area of education.Program standards were measured using Classroom Rating Scales, on which VGCC scored an average of 6.3 out of a possible 7. “I am especially proud this year of the high score our staff received on the Classroom Rating Scale,” Gill said. “Our state consultant indicated that our scores were some of the highest she had seen since the inception of the star-rated licensure program.”Finally, the center was eligible for one bonus point because all of its teaching staff have associate’s degrees in Early Childhood Education, for a total of 14 out of a possible 15 points. Besides several Vance County Schools pre-school facilities, the VGCC Day Care Center is the only five-star child day care in Vance County.Gill pointed out that not only does the center provide outstanding child care, but it also affords an excellent learning environment for students in Vance-Granville’s Early Childhood Associate program. This program is offered at both the Main and Franklin County campuses, and enrolled students get practical training at day care centers on each campus.The VGCC Day Care Center is licensed to accommodate 40 children, toddler to 4 years old. Parents may put their children on a waiting list. For more information or to enroll children at the center, call Denise Gill at (252) 738-3220.Above: VGCC President Randy Parker (standing, left) visits the VGCC Day Care Center classroom of specialist Deborah Harris (seated) to present the certificate indicating the center’s renewed five-star license to day care center manager Denise Gill. (VGCC Photo)