For Immediate Release s324

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Marilyn Althoff, CEO 563-556-7878 office 563-920-0262 cell [email protected]

HILLS & DALES CHILDCARE CENTER RECEIVES LEVEL 5 RATING (Dubuque, Iowa – July 27, 2016) The Hills & Dales Childcare Center is proud to announce they have once again received an Iowa Quality Rating System (QRS) Level Five. This is the top level a childcare center can receive, which means the Center is going above and beyond to provide quality care to the children with and without disabilities they serve and support. Hills & Dales is among the few childcare centers in Dubuque that has achieved the level 5 rating. This is a significant achievement for the staff, children and families as the Center has only been in existence since the summer of 2008. To achieve and maintain a QRS Level 5 it takes many months of training, environmental preparation, and hard work by staff.

Level Five on the Quality Rating System indicates 1) the state requirements for childcare center licensing, including criminal and child abuse record checks have been met; 2) work with a childcare nurse consultant was completed, staff orientation was provided, and staff skills have been assessed; 3) additional credit for education and experience, training, health and safety compliance, and working with parents was earned. All QRS programs, regardless of their level, have made a commitment to providing quality care to children. The QRS was developed to raise the quality of childcare in Iowa, to increase the number of children in high-quality childcare settings, and to educate parents about quality childcare. By participating in QRS, the inclusive Hills & Dales Childcare Center has demonstrated a desire to improve the quality of care and education the children receive.

The Hills & Dales Childcare Center, located at 3505 Stoneman Road in Dubuque, is an inclusive setting where children with and without disabilities receive services. Through the preschool, childcare, and before and after school programming, all children and adolescents (0-18 years old), have the opportunity to learn and play in the same inclusive environment, therefore benefiting both groups. If you would like more information about the Hills & Dales Childcare Center and its programs, please call 563-583-5033 or visit www.hillsdales.org.

Hills & Dales is dedicated to building meaningful lives for individuals with disabilities by offering services that support the whole person and enhance community inclusion. ###