MONTVILLE, NJ–Kids Connect Early Learning Center, located at 2 Changebridge Road in our East Building, has proudly announced its achievement of a 4-star rating from Grow NJ Kids, a state-sponsored initiative aimed at raising the quality of child care and early learning across New Jersey. A four-star rating is the highest rating in Morris County, which positions Kids Connect among the top 2% of the over 4,000 licensed preschools in NJ.
Kids Connect went through a rigorous evaluation process that considered documentation related to the center, classroom environment, interactions between faculty and students, health and safety guidelines, diversity, community outreach and other factors in order to achieve its stellar rating of 5 out of 5 stars for the classrooms and 4 out of 5 stars overall.
“Their four-star rating is a very impressive accomplishment,” Grow NJ Kids Technical Assistance Specialist Nicole Hartmann said. “I’m so glad the independent rater agreed that Kids Connect is a high-quality program that’s ‘practicing what they preach’ by going above and beyond on all levels for its staff and children.”
Owner Marisa Schaefer, who has dedicated 25 years to the early childhood education field, has overseen the center since 2019. “This achievement reflects our commitment to providing high-quality early learning experiences,” Schaefer said. “Our curriculum is designed to engage children and support their growth in all areas, ensuring they are well-prepared for their future educational journeys.”
Kids Connect uses Creative Curriculum, which is based on 38 objectives that align with state early learning guidelines and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. This Framework enables the teachers at Kids Connect to see the children’s development and learning along a progression across the whole of the early childhood years focusing on important skills in math, literacy, science, social studies, the arts and technology.
“Research shows that children who use this curriculum enter kindergarten at a higher readiness level than children who do not,” Schaefer said. “They’ve studied these children well into their teen years and have noticed that children who use this curriculum were higher ranked in their classrooms.”
As a result of its 4-star rating, Kids Connect has recently been awarded a $200,000 grant that will be used for improvements to its playground and classroom facilities. These enhancements aim to create an even more enriching environment for the children to explore and learn.
Read the full article on TAPinto Montville and learn more about Kids Connect here!