Editorial: Child care centers now will get grades

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001 | 10:19 a.m.

It is promising that the Clark County Commission has given the green light to the creation of a grading system for child care facilities. Commissioner Erin Kenny's proposal would grade child care centers in the county's unincorporated areas on a variety of factors, enabling parents to have a better idea of how well these facilities stack up against others.

The grading will be more than just the number of substantiated complaints that have been lodged against a center. The measurement also will include how well the child care facility scores in a number of areas, including the quality of its staff, curriculum and activities. Shannon West, who is in charge of child care licensing for the county, notes that not only will this offer parents valuable information, but she also is hopeful that the program will raise the entire quality of the child care system. West is confident she has enough funds for this project, but this program should be closely monitored to ensure that it has enough money to do a thorough assessment.

A parent's selection of a child care center can be a difficult and sometimes agonizing responsibility. Parents will appreciate an independent, reliable guide that can be one more important tool in helping them make an informed decision on this important choice.