Recognition of Excellence · Youngstown, OH · 2026

Alta Head Start Ymca

17 N. Champion St., Youngstown, OH 44503
https://altacaregroup.org/head-start/
🏆 Ranked #6 in Youngstown · 6.7 / 10 overall
Awards Earned
Top 10 in Youngstown
Top 10 in Youngstown
Ranked among the top 10 childcare centers in Youngstown. Fewer than half of all centers in the city reach this level across our full 11-dimension scoring.
Best Infant Care
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Youngstown. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Full Ranking Detail
childcare

Alta Head Start YMCA, located at 17 N. Champion St. in Youngstown, is Ohio's highest-rated five-star Gold Step Up to Quality facility, serving income-eligible families in Mahoning County with free comprehensive services including meals and health screenings. The program is co-located with the established YMCA of Youngstown and staffed primarily by Bachelor's-degreed lead teachers and CDA-certified assistants, many holding Ohio resident educator licenses. Each family receives ongoing support from a dedicated Family Advocate, beginning with an in-home visit. Employee reviews cite some organizational-level concerns about management consistency, and the center lacks independent public parent reviews for verification.

Safety6.0
Curriculum8.0
Art / Music6.0
Infant care6.0
Kindergarten readiness7.0
Teacher quality8.0
Compassion7.0
Management7.0
Culture5.0
Extracurriculars7.0
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
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Top 10 in Youngstown
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Best Infant Care
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This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.

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