Quality childcare is now easier to find MARIETTA, OH (WOUB) - With the challenges of finding affordable childcare, well-meaning parents may often over look one care criteria: quality.

But one statewide initiative aims to improve childcare standards - prompting providers to "Step Up to Quality."

Bobbie Mendenhall, a childcare service manager in Marietta, says the program looks at various childcare centers and how they provide care.

"We look at lower staff to child ratios and we also look at the environment - is it safe, is it healthy?" Mendenhall says. "Another thing they're going to look at is the education of the staff and the childcare center. And are they meeting expectations, are they going above and beyond, are they really working their best to make sure that their center is up to par."

Mendenhall says the program also give advice to parents who may be having some difficulty finding the right center for their children.

"We provide training, assistance to parents to find childcare, and we just work to make sure the educational goals are out there and we can aid in any way in the early care division," Mendenhall says.

She says "step up to quality" is helpful because it provides standards to look for when you're on the hunt for a childcare facility.
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