TOP Star stands for Teaching Obesity Prevention in Early Child Care Settings.
Top Star is a free Utah-based program that helps early childcare facilities improve their nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding policies. TOP Star also offers free technical assistance and resources to participants.
Facilities that choose to be part of the TOP Star program know the changes they make within their facilities will have a lifelong impact on the children and persons they care for. Facilities can promote and market their TOP Star endorsement to parents and the community to increase marketability. They are also able to earn continuing education hours to fulfill credit towards the Child Development Associate, Career Ladder Credit, Child Care Licensing, or Child Care Quality System. Facilities also receive fun incentives upon completion of the program such as gift cards, toys, access to special events, monthly newsletters, and more!
Parents benefit from TOP Star by knowing their child is in a healthy environment. These healthy behaviors may transfer to the home, making the healthy choice the easy choice. The early years are the best time for children to develop lifelong habits that reduce the risk of obesity and chronic diseases.
Facilities can become TOP Star endorsed in four steps:
Becoming TOP Star endorsed is not an easy task.
The Salt Lake County early childhood education centers listed below have put forth time and effort to improve their nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding environments for the children and adults in their care.
Facility Name |
Level |
| ABC Great Beginnings Murray | 5 |
| ABC Great Beginnings Redwood | 5 |
| ABC Great Beginnings Riverton | 5 |
| ABC Great Beginnings South Jordan | 3 |
| ABC Great Beginnings West Valley | 5 |
| Allison Cannon Daycare | 4 |
| Alta Children's Center | 5 |
| Ameris Academy Inc. | 4 |
| Amy's Home Daycare | 5 |
| Andrea's Daycare | 5 |
| Ann's Daycare | 5 |
| Annie's Childcare | 5 |
| Bear Essentials Academy | 5 |
| Bear Essentials Next Generation Kids | 5 |
| Bennion Learning Center | 5 |
| Boys & Girls Club Greater Salt Lake Sugar House | 4 |
| Boys & Girls Club of South Valley | 3 |
| Brighter Steps #1 | 5 |
| Brighter Steps #2 | 5 |
| Bright Start | 4 |
| Building Blocks Childcare Center | 5 |
| Buttons 'n Bows Preschool & Childcare | 5 |
| Cheryl Nelson's Daycare | 3 |
| Cocoon Daycare | 5 |
| Compass Preschool Midvale | 5 |
| Compass Preschool Murray | 5 |
| Compass Preschool and Childcare Sandy | 5 |
| Concordia Lutheran Elementary and Learning Center | 5 |
| Country Kids Academy | 3 |
| Creative Learning Academy (Murray) | 5 |
| Creative Learning Academy of Utah (SSL) | 5 |
| Creative Learning Academy of Utah (WV) | 5 |
| D & K Daycare/Preschool | 5 |
| First Steps Childcare and Preschool | 5 |
| The Fun Learning Daycare | 5 |
| Helena Taylor | 4 |
| Here We Grow Child Development Center | 5 |
| Holly's Family Child Care | 5 |
| Intermountain Child Development Center | 5 |
| Jessica Mecham DBA Preschool Playhouse | 4 |
| Josephine's Daycare | 4 |
| Katydid Cove Early Learning | 5 |
| Kelli Collins | 5 |
| Kid's Life Child Care | 3 |
| Kidz Academy Preschool and Childcare | 5 |
| KOPFC Childcare | 4 |
| Learning Land Childcare | 5 |
| Learning Tree East | 5 |
| Learning Tree Southwest | 5 |
| Learning Tree West | 5 |
| Leary Family Childcare | 3 |
| Lesly's Friends Child Care | 5 |
| Lina's Child Care | 5 |
| Little Angels Child Care | 5 |
| Little Campers Childcare | 5 |
| Little Clovers Academy | 5 |
| Little Critters Learning Center | 5 |
| Little Geniuses Learning Center Midvale | 5 |
| Little Geniuses Learning Center Riverton | 5 |
| Little Geniuses Learning Center Sugar House | 5 |
| Little Minds Academy | 5 |
| Little Orchard Taylorsville | 5 |
| Little Rascals Childcare-Preschool | 5 |
| Lola's Playhouse | 5 |
| Lolie Eccles Early Education Center | 5 |
| Lollipops of Riverton | 5 |
| Lollipops of West Jordan | 5 |
| Luna Academy Preschool & Childcare | 5 |
| Martha's Day Care | 3 |
| Marycarmen's Daycare | 5 |
| Marycarmen's II Learning Center | 5 |
| Milena's Childcare | 5 |
| Miss Norma's Childcare | 5 |
| Ms. Stephanie's | 5 |
| My Childcare Academy | 5 |
| Nataleen Johnson Family Daycare | 5 |
| Neighborhood House Association | 4 |
| Panda Child Care | 5 |
| Panda Child Care #2 | 4 |
| Peggy Harris | 5 |
| Peggy J. Dipo | 5 |
| Petit Explorer Preschool | 5 |
| Pratt's Little Ol' School House | 4 |
| Rock-A-Bye Infant and Child Care Center | 5 |
| Salt Lake County Childcare-EHS Central City #3634 | 5 |
| Salt Lake County Childcare-EHS Copperview Community #5966 | 5 |
| Salt Lake County Childcare-EHS South Salt Lake #44515 | 5 |
| Samantha Wyatt | 3 |
| Small World Child Care | 4 |
| Smart Kids 3 | 5 |
| Smart Kids I | 5 |
| Smart Kids II | 4 |
| Smart Kids Kearns | 5 |
| Smart Kids Redwood | 4 |
| Smart Start Learning Center | 5 |
| Sproutlets Academy | 5 |
| Star Brite Kids | 5 |
| Sunshine Academy Magna | 5 |
| Sunshine Academy West Valley City | 5 |
| Superior Child Care | 5 |
| Susan's Lullaby Nursery | 5 |
| Sweet Heart Home Daycare | 5 |
| Teddy Bear Daycare | 5 |
| Tiny Humans Childcare | 5 |
| Twenty-Four/Seven Daycare | 2 |
| Wasatch Presbyterian Preschool | 5 |
| Winner School | 4 |
The Salt Lake County Health Department recognizes outstanding work providers do for our community.
| Year | Child Care Director of the Year | Child Care Educator of the Year | Special Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Johnny Saccomanno, The Winner School |
Laisha Hugie, Buttons 'n Bows |
TOP Star Facility of the Year: Here We Grow Early Learning Center |
| 2023 | Astrid Arias, Bright Beginnings Child Care |
Rochelle Ericson, Explore Preschool |
|
| 2022 | Joni Record, Boys & Girls Club of South Valley |
Rachael Mananu, Little Minds Academy |
TOP Star of the Year: Sylvia Abalos, Lesly's Friends Child Care |
| 2021 | Solkenia Otero, Little Minds Academy |
Claudia Montoya, Infinite Academy & Life Skill Center |
|
| 2020 | Debra Wells, Jordan High School Kinderbeets |
Michelle Kiesewetter, The Christmas Box House |
|
| 2019 | Jessica Lloyd, Creative Learning Academy of Utah |
Amy Burns, Amy's Home Daycare |