Childcare Center Recognized for Excellence

Little Sprouts Early Learning Center is recognized for high quality care by Grow NJ Kids.Photo byProject Self-Sufficiency

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center was recently awarded a four-star rating from Grow NJ Kids, the state-sponsored initiative to raise the quality of child care and early learning throughout New Jersey. The rating is based on a rigorous process which considers documentation, classroom environment, in-person observations, and other factors. The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center is an expansive childcare and preschool facility which offers space for 83 youngsters, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, and is operated by Project Self-Sufficiency at 127 Mill Street in Newton.

Jennifer Blohm is a Technical Assistance Specialist from the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, one of three agencies assigned to provide technical assistance and support to programs participating in Grow NJ Kids. Blohm was so impressed by the quality of the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center environment, that she decided to enroll her own child in the preschool. “The goal of Grow NJ Kids is to have quality care across the state of New Jersey in all programs. The classrooms at Little Sprouts achieved very high scores in the observation tool which resulted in a 4-star rating for the program. It’s an amazing achievement and it really speaks to the high quality of the environment.”

Participating Grow NJ Kids facilities are monitored every three years. During the evaluation, specialists review an array of documentation related to the center, including handbooks, professional development records and curriculum as well as equipment and facility logs. In addition, raters assess teaching strategies, interactions between faculty and students, and adherence to guidelines for health and safety, literacy, classroom displays, diversity, and community outreach. Between assessments, specialists are available for in-class support and assistance.

“We are acutely aware that high-quality childcare and preschool are needed to prepare students for a lifetime of success, both in the classroom and in the community,” remarked Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon. “We are extremely proud of the faculty at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center for their dedication to their students, their creativity, and their commitment to offering the highest quality care to each and every child who comes through our doors.”

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center features separate classrooms for each age group, from infancy through preschool. Free preschool is available to Newton students, ages 3 and 4. The center uses Creative Curriculum, a curriculum approved by the State of New Jersey and endorsed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, in all classrooms to help children learn important skills in math, literacy, science, social studies, the arts, and technology. Fully qualified teachers are available in each school room and the child-teacher ratio adheres to or exceeds state standards.

The availability of an on-site vegetable garden and weekly visits by Master Gardeners provides interactive instruction about nutrition, the origin of food, cooking, and other topics. The curriculum is enhanced by frequent special guests who read to the students and offer simple lessons in the arts.

Each classroom has new equipment and classroom learning materials to support dramatic play, science and technology, sand and water play, reading, and music. The center also contains an all-purpose room for active indoor play and parent presentations, as well as a sick room for those children who may fall ill during the day. The center is equipped with two separate playgrounds, one for younger tots and one for older children. All types of state-sponsored child care benefits are accepted, including New Jersey Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and child care offered through the state’s Work First New Jersey cash assistance program. For more information visit the center’s website, www.littlesproutsearlylearningcenter.org or call 973-940-3540.