Brightside Academy partners with state and national organizations to offer children from low- and mid-income families opportunities to enroll in quality early education programs. Quality programs are focused on providing the early educational experiences children need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

As participants of Head Start, Pre-K Counts, and EarlyLearn NYC among others, we pride ourselves in providing excellent early educational experiences for children regardless of their family’s economic situation. Learn more about the quality programs in which we participate and the initiatives working to improve early education:

Quality Early Childhood Education Programs 

Head Start is a federal program which promotes school readiness of children from low-income families ages birth to five by supporting their development in a comprehensive way. The program supports children’s growth and development through supportive services in the areas of early learning, health and family well-being. Visit the Head Start program website to learn more.

EarlyLearn NYC programs offer quality child care programming in safe, clean and high quality settings that provide social and intellectual development, preparing your child for kindergarten today and a successful future tomorrow. Visit the NY Administration for Children’s Services website to learn more about EarlyLearn NYC.

The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts pre-kindergarten program, established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, makes quality pre-kindergarten opportunities available to children and families across the commonwealth. Quality pre-kindergarten benefits children and families today and tomorrow and greatly benefits Pennsylvania in the future. Visit the PA Keys website to learn more about the Pre-K Counts program.

Early Childhood Quality Improvement Initiatives

New York

QUALITYstarsNY is a project of NY’s Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) whose mission is to provide strategic direction and advice to the State of New York on early childhood issues. By monitoring and guiding the implementation of a range of strategies including QUALITYstarsNY, the ECAC supports New York in building a comprehensive and sustainable early childhood system that will ensure success for all New York’s youngest citizens. Visit the QualityStarsNY website to learn more.

Ohio

Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is a five-star quality rating and improvement system administered by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. SUTQ recognizes and promotes learning and development programs that meet quality program standards that exceed licensing health and safety regulations. Visit the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website to learn more.

Pennsylvania

Keystone STARS is an initiative of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to improve, support, and recognize the continuous quality improvement efforts of early learning programs in Pennsylvania. The Keystone STARS Performance Standards provide the foundation for the program. Visit the PA Keys to Quality website to learn more. 

National

The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation was established in 1991 to encourage quality and recognize excellence in early childhood programs throughout the United States and other countries. They are focused on the interests of children by promoting benchmarks for high quality standards throughout the early care and education profession. Visit the NECPA website to learn more.