UCO Child Study Center gets top rating from state

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Child Study Center recently received a five-star rating from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) — Child Care Services for its highquality child care program. This is the highest rating achieved in the program’s history.

The rating was determined based on the Oklahoma Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which assesses the quality of a program’s curriculum, child outcomes, learning environments, teacher-child interactions, professional development and training. QRIS then assigns quality ratings to early childhood programs, ranging from one-to-five star, with five stars being the highest level.

UCO’s Child Study Center focus on improving children’s motor skills, problem-solving abilities, mathematics skills and communication by involving various materials and activities that increase engagement and participation. Due to the enhancement in learning areas including block play, dramatic play, creative arts, writing and communi- cation, science and nature, the program increased from a three-star rating to a five-star rating.

"The faculty and staff at the Child Study Center continue to work hard in creating a high-quality center for the families enrolled in the program and for UCO students to gain real-world experiences,” said Cristy Smith, coordinator of the UCO Child Study Center.

“We use best practices and evidence from research used in early childhood education and implement that in our classrooms.”

UCO’s Child Study Center continues to make enhancements in classroom curriculum focusing on science, technology, art, engineering and math (STEAM) activities, outdoor and nature-related activities, as well as behavioral and cognitive activities. Additionally, the center plans to strengthen its relationship with the UCO community and its participating family members.

For more information about UCO’s Child Study Center, contact Smith at 405-974-5788 or csmith1@uco.edu.