WCOM NEWS

4-16-04

Miramar child centers win Gold Seals of Excellence

MIRAMAR--The city's Gold Seal streak is intact.

Miramar's Early Childhood Program recently learned that all three of its eligible centers have been awarded Gold Seals of Excellence for surpassing Broward County standards. Each eligible early childhood center in Miramar has received a Gold Seal every year since 1996.

"To us, it's an expectation," said Joyce Donaldson, the city's early child-care superintendent.

The centers are evaluated on services, recordkeeping and accreditations. Fewer than one-third of the more than 800 child-care centers that Broward's Children's Services Administration Division critiques qualify, records show.

Donaldson said that each child-care center would have a celebration with cake and refreshments, and that the 10 full-time and 50 part-time employees in the Early Childhood Program would be receiving commemorative lapel pins. Community services director Lowell Borges and assistant director Tim Kennett are expected to be at the parties to congratulate employees.

Donaldson said having the parties at the centers is an ideal way to celebrate.

"There's no better way to celebrate than with kids. If we didn't have them, we wouldn't have the program," said Donaldson, who has been working for the city for 25 years.

The three Gold Seal sites are: Silver Shores Park, 15700 Pembroke Road; Vicki Coceano Youth Center, 2001 Douglas Road; and Miramar Civic Center, 6920 SW 35th St.

The early-childhood program at Fairway Park, 3700 Largo Drive, has won Gold Seals in the past but now offers only after-school child care.

And the early-childhood center at Sunset Lakes Community Center, 2801 SW 186th Ave., will not be eligible until 2006. Gold Seal requirements state that a child-care center must be open for an entire year, starting July 1. Sunset Lakes opened in August, making it ineligible for the awards announced this year and for 2004-05, which would be the required first full year of operation.

Donaldson said Sunset Lakes has been popular with residents in west Miramar.

"It's running great and has been pretty snag-proof," she said. "It's a real convenience, and I think the parents who have their children in our program feel like they're in a good place."

Sunset Lakes, which serves children starting at 8 weeks old, cares for a total of 100.

Silver Shores has more than 100 children, ranging from three months old through pre-kindergarten age.

The two other sites are for children age 2 to pre-K. The civic center has 55 children and the Coceano center has 35.

The four centers offer after-school care for elementary school students, as well as spring, winter and summer day camps and teacher planning days.

(source) Sun Sentinel (Nick Sortal) 4-16-04