Childcare Quality Rating System Awards Announced

ChildServe Childcare Centers in Johnston and Ames once again celebrate successful results after rigorous testing and observation by the State of Iowa’s Quality Rating System (QRS). QRS is a voluntary program that gives childcare settings guidelines on improving their quality of childcare. The Johnston center received a 4-star rating, while the Ames center received a 5-star rating, which is the highest possible award.

LuAnn Murgatroyd, Service Manager of Day Health and Childcare, sees participation in QRS as a demonstration of ChildServe’s commitment to quality care and early childhood education for young children in our community.

“The guidelines we meet for QRS help us to ensure that key quality indicators are in place,” said LuAnn. “This includes many areas like health and safety practices, space and furnishings, personal care routines, developmentally appropriate classroom activities, caregiver skills and child interactions which encourage language development and reasoning, program structure and staff/family satisfaction.”

However, for LuAnn and the Childcare team members, participating in QRS is not simply about passing tests and meeting benchmarks – it’s about setting kids up to live a great life.

“Research strongly indicates that children who attend higher quality childcare settings display better cognitive, language and social competencies,” said LuAnn. “We offer the children all of the important components necessary for success in their early years, in kindergarten and beyond. Parents and guardians have the peace of mind that their children are being nurtured in a safe environment by professionals.”