Keystone STARS Certification

All Play & Learn centers are currently participating in the Keystone STARS Certification Program. Keystone STARS is a four-level program in Pennsylvania to evaluate and improve the quality of child care.  The program offers Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources and Support (STARS) to child care providers to improve and recognize achievements.  The Green Lane, Fort Washington Preschool, Fort Washington Infant/Toddler, Spring House, Ardmore and Rosemont Play & Learn centers are working towards their third star. The Collegeville, Blue Bell, Gerstadt Center, and Hatboro Play & Learn centers are working towards their second star. 

Our Staff
Caring Professionals
At the heart of each child’s learning experience is our staff of caring professionals who gently guide each child’s progress. Play & Learn's thoughtful, competent and affectionate teachers are experts in early childhood education and certified in First Aid, CPR and Fire Safety. They strive build relationships with parents in support of each child’s development and learning. Whether in a leadership role as Center Director or Director in Training, or as a classroom teacher, our staff share a common commitment to nurturing and educating young children.

Finding the Best
At Play & Learn, we know our families depend on qualified and nurturing caregivers and teachers. That’s why we place a high priority on finding, hiring and retaining qualified staff.

Potential Play & Learn staff members spend time in our classrooms where each candidate is observed interacting with children, parents and other staff members. The Center Director and Employment Coordinator jointly review each applicant’s qualifications and conduct reference checks.

In addition to a detailed internal selection process, we follow all DPW and DOE guidelines. Every Play & Learn staff member must have:

Newly hired staff are evaluated after three months and again on an annual basis. This includes a performance appraisal and an opportunity to set personal, center and organizational goals. This process guarantees that highly qualified and professional staff are caring for our children.

We Love Learning
Play & Learn Directors and staff are constantly improving their skills through on-going mentoring and one-on-one training. In addition, staff members complete a comprehensive video training program covering such topics as emergency procedures, communication with children, job stress and behavior management.

Play & Learn’s staff of over 200 child care professionals come together twice a year for a full-day, organization-wide training. This year we focused on:

TEACH (Teachers Education and Compensation Helps)
Play & Learn is proud to participate in the TEACH program in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Child Care Agencies (PACCA). TEACH offers scholarships to our staff enabling them to earn credits towards Associates Degrees in Early Childhood Education. Over the years, many Play & Learn staff members have completed their degrees, improving not only their personal skills but also contributing to the ongoing improvement of Play & Learn programs.

NAEYC Conferences
For the past twenty years, Play & Learn leadership has attended the annual NAEYC conference. At this national conference of early childhood educators, we have led sessions in “An Innovative Approach to Providing Care,” “Corporate-Sponsored Child Care” and “Establishing & Administrating a Scholarship Fund for Families.” We have also attended many training programs, learning new ideas from other child care leaders.

Safety & Cleanliness
At Play & Laern, we are sticklers for safety and cleanliness. Everything from toy selection to room layout and playground design is planned with the health and safety of your child in mind.

Safety
Play & Learn's secure facilities are equipped with electronic keypad and video-monitored entrances. Enrolled families are given a security code to enter the building. Visitors must ring the doorbell and identify themselves and the reason for their visit.

Our large, fully enclosed play areas are separated by age group. Playground surfaces are covered in crushed wood materials free of any toxic substances. Rubber mats under slides assure a soft cushioned landing. All play equipment meets the highest safety standards set by The Consumer Products Safety Commission.

We further protect children’s safety with the following procedures:

Cleanliness
All Play & Learn staff are trained in cleanliness practices designed to maintain a healthy environment. These include frequent hand washing and sanitizing toys and equipment on a regular basis. Our staff always wear gloves when changing diapers and we even ask everyone who enters our infant rooms to wear “booties” so the floors stay clean for crawling babies. All Play & Learn centers have daily janitorial services to ensure cleanliness, and all centers are equipped with special air filtration units, which help eliminate germs from the environment.