picture of masked children playing blocks

 

Fort Worth, Texas (December 18, 2020) Camp Fire First Texas was notified on December 17 the after school program located at IDEA Achieve Public School was certified as a Two-Star quality program from Texas Rising Star (TRS). The TRS certification system offers three levels of certification (Two-Star, Three-Star, and Four-Star) to encourage providers to attain progressively higher certification requirements leading to a Four-Star level. Under current restrictions due to COVID-19, the highest certification a new program can attain is the Two-Star certification. To be eligible, a program must have been licensed for one year.

The TRS program is a voluntary, quality-based child care rating system of child care providers who participate in the Texas Workforce Commission’s subsidized child care program.

“The certification process is extremely thorough and requires that programs and their staff not only meet state licensing requirements but exceed them. This is a challenge in a typical year. I am extremely impressed with the dedication of the staff at our Idea Achieve After School Program to accomplish this in a year that has been far from typical,” explained Cathy Halliday, vice president of youth development at Camp Fire First Texas.

Programs that voluntarily achieve TRS certification offer quality care that exceeds the State’s Minimum Child Care Licensing Standards for director and staff qualifications, caregiver-child interactions, age-appropriate curricula and activities, nutrition and indoor/outdoor activities, and parent involvement and education. Certified programs are in a better position to contribute to the early development of children.

“We know that as our staff progress through the levels of TRS certification, they contribute progressively more to the development of the children they serve on a daily basis,” added Halliday, “and knowing the positive influence this has on the children is what makes this achievement meaningful to all of us at Camp Fire.”

This is the third Camp Fire First Texas After School program to receive a TRS certification and the organization has additional programs working through the stringent quality certification process. Camp Fire’s current TRS certified programs include:

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About Camp Fire First Texas
Camp Fire First Texas is one of the largest Camp Fire councils in the country. Programs are for boys, girls and their families and include camping, after school programs, teen services, environmental education, and school readiness, in addition to professional development for early childhood educators. In Camp Fire, children and youth find a safe, fun and inclusive place – a place where they form lasting relationships, develop a sense of belonging and make positive contributions to the lives of their families and their community. Camp Fire youth have life-enhancing experiences and develop assets essential to their futures. Camp Fire changes young lives for the better in our community. Inside and out.