Published: October 31, 2009 11:51 pm         

Center’s child care program achieves Five Star status

TERRE HAUTE — Hamilton Center’s Early Head Start child care program has taken voluntary actions to achieve admission into the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Five Star Environmental Recognition Program. The Five Star program ensures child care providers take steps to reduce and eliminate hazards that can cause permanent, long-term developmental problems in young children.

“We’re happy to provide high quality, Five Star care to children in our Early Head Start program,” said program manager Jill Harrison. “The Five Star program helped test our buildings and playgrounds for lead, mercury, radon and other environmental hazards. It gives parents peace of mind to know their children spend the day in a building that is safe for them to play and grow.”

Hamilton Center’s Early Head Start participation comes during Children’s Health Month, a time of year when the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the state Environmental Management discuss the factors that could potentially affect the well-being of children attending child care facilities.

“Research tells us that 90 percent of a child’s brain develops by age four,” said Karen Teliha, coordinator of Environmental Management’s Community Environmental Health & Education Program. “That is why it is essential to provide our children with a safe, nurturing environment. For many Indiana families, that environment is a child care facility.”

IDEM’s Five Star program aims to make a difference by providing parents with information to empower them to make the best choices for their children. It helps child care providers do their best for the children, and it helps children have a healthier start and a bright beginning. The first of its kind in the nation, the program uses education and recognition to address potential environmental threats to children.

“We believe children deserve a safe place to learn, play and grow,” said IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly. “Anything we can do to help motivate facilities to exceed minimum requirements creates a win-win environment.”

Additional information about the Five Star Environmental Recognition Program for Child Care Facilities can be obtained by calling Karen Teliha at 1-800-988-7901 or by visiting www.idem.in.

gov/4180.htm.