Child care centers earn star rating

Two Kootenai County child care centers are the first in the five northern counties to earn a star rating through a statewide project.

The Learning Garden in Post Falls and Christ the King Child Development Center in Coeur d’Alene were rated through the collaborative project launched to improve child care quality, a Panhandle Health District news release said.

Some 14 other centers from Bonners Ferry to Kellogg are participating in the free and voluntary process, said Jennifer Ross, the Child Care Resource Center manager at the health district.

The system is a collaborative effort by the University of Idaho, the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children and the state Department of Health and Welfare, which supplies the funding through a federal grant.

Child care facilities are rated based on factors including environment, education of the director and staff, ongoing professional development, ratios and group sizes. For more information, visit www.idahostars.org.