State honors quality of local preschool

POLAND — New Life Christian Preschool, 2250 E. Western Reserve Road, has received the state’s One-Star Step Up to Quality Award in recognition of its child care program and commitment to children.

The award was presented by the Bureau of Child Care and Development of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which licenses child care programs in the state.

“New Life Christian Preschool provides a higher standard of care that exceeds Ohio’s licensing standards,” said Terriei Hare, chief of the Bureau of Child Care and Development. “This translates to more teachers, a greater commitment to in-service training and a more nurturing environment for children to grow and develop.”

Step UP to Quality is a voluntary rating system for early care and education programs, and participating program can earn a one-, two- or three-star rating by meeting an extensive list of quality benchmarks that include a high ratio of teachers to children and additional annual teacher training.