BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Parents whose children attend Baumholder School Age Services on Wetzel can be assured their children are receiving quality care. That care meets and exceeds standards of the National Council on Accreditation. Baumholder's SAS recently received accreditation from the council as a facility that exceeds standards in providing the highest level of care nationally.
"Parents should know and feel very confident that they're bringing their kids to a place that they know is going to provide the best level of care and have the best interest of their children in mind at all times," said Nichlas Moise, SAS director.
Accreditation by the National Council on Accreditation is a rigorous undertaking that most facilities start preparing for almost a year in advance. The inspectors meticulously scrutinize everything from programs for the children, personnel and the facility.
The Army recently switched to this new form of accreditation, which is more stringent than accreditation from previous agencies.
Moise explained what the facility and personnel go through during an accreditation.
"They look at all aspects of the program -- from staff training to their interactions with the children, to the physical building, environment, the equipment and supplies that we have. All of our safety standards, which are pretty high and set by the Army, are also reviewed. There is an enormous amount of criteria. Every single thing that you can think of and more that comprises the whole program and facility is reviewed. They also look at the staff's education level. It's very comprehensive," said Moise.
Children attending SAS usually have parents who both work and need before and after school care for their children. Moise points out that accreditation is something the Army does to assure parents their children are receiving quality care so that they can get their jobs done.
"I think it's a good thing that the Army does. For our clientele, they should have peace of mind knowing that while they're at work, or their husbands or wives are deployed, that they're children are well taken care of. It's definitely money well spent in a good place that shows the Army's commitment to families to provide the highest level of care and facilities for their kids," said Moise.
The Army puts a lot of resources into SAS, and it managed to get all 19 of its school age facilities in Europe accredited to the new standard. "It's a big accomplishment for the staff because they have to put in a lot of extra time to keep up their level of training as well as keeping up the actual building and the program itself. They should take a lot of pride in what they accomplished. It's a lot of work," said Moise.
SAS is not just about child care. It's also about developing the child.
To this end SAS incorporates an array of programs and activities for the children before and after school.
The SAS has affiliations with the Boys and Girls Club of America and the 4-H club so many of the activities these organizations offer are rolled into in the SAS program. Programs offered by SAS encompass everything from homework, tutoring help, a technology lab, technology clubs and more. "We have the art center and art clubs. We have any kind of club that you can imagine," said Moise. Much of the accreditation takes into consideration what the children's interests are.
"If the kids express interest in something, we try and provide a way to make that happen. We have a gardening club, a photography club, a cooking club, a drama club. In the past we've had outdoor sports clubs. We also have a sewing club going on right now so pretty much anything that we can do, we find a way to do it if the kids are interested in it. We also do field trips and summer camp. We do quite a bit," said Moise.
"I think the accreditation is definitely something for everyone to be proud. The kids are definitely happy. They like this place, and it shows," said Moise.
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