December 29, 2021 CCW Enhancements to Lower Family Copays and Increase Provider Base Rates On October 18, 2021, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced changes to Child Care Works (CCW), Pennsylvania’s subsidized child care program, that will decrease costs to families who qualify for subsidized care and add incentives for child care providers to participate in the program. This article was updated on December 29, 2021, to reflect a new effective date for copays. CCW Enhancements Pennsylvania received more than $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support the commonwealth’s child care industry, child care providers, and the children and families that rely on this system. $352 million in Child Care Development Fund federal ARPA funding will also support: Lower maximum copayments for families eligible for CCW, effective January 17, 2022: $121.9 million will be used to reduce the maximum family copayment for families participating in subsidized child care through CCW. Current copayments range from 3-11% of a family’s overall income. This change will lower the copayment to 3-7%, in line with federal recommendations for family obligations for subsidized child care. No family will see an increased copay through the adjustment, and providers will still receive the difference as a part of the CCW base rate. Increased base rates for providers participating in CCW, effective January 1, 2022: $213.7 million will support increasing base rates paid to subsidized child care to the 60th percentile compared to the private pay market rate. This change brings Pennsylvania closer to the federally-recommended 75th percentile. Nearly two-thirds of children whose families are eligible for CCW are enrolled in a STAR 1 or 2 rated facility. By investing in base rates to providers participating in CCW, Pennsylvania is investing in quality across the child care industry for the children and families served by this program. In March 2021, the Wolf Administration raised base rates from the 25th percentile to the 40th percentile. Rate incentives for providers that offer child care during non-traditional hours, effective January 1, 2022: $16.8 million will support add-on incentives to CCW base rates for child care providers that offer at least two hours of care during non-traditional hours. Prior to the pandemic, the Keystone Command Center for Economic Development and Workforce recommended expanding availability of licensed child care before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m. – what is normally considered “traditional” child care hours – in order to give flexibility and security for working parents. These rate incentives will support providers that offer care outside of traditional hours, giving parents a safe place for their children and the security necessary to help parents return to work. More Information For more information on child care providers operating in Pennsylvania, visit www.findchildcare.pa.gov. Providers seeking to apply for Child Care Stabilization Grants can learn more and apply online. For details, read Gov. Wolf’s full press release.
Behavioral Health at The Children’s Institute The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh offers families a choice of outpatient, on-site evaluations and treatment in Squirrel Hill or virtual behavioral health services for children and young adults ages 5-21. In addition, Virtual Social Skills Groups for individual with autism, ADHD, anxiety, communication impairments, or other unique needs are offered. Classes will be scheduled soon for the new year. The behavioral health team of licensed therapists, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP), and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist work closely with each client and their family to develop skills to manage mood, thinking, and behaviors – making the move towards resiliency, healing, and becoming happier and healthier at home, school, and in the community. Additional details on any services are available on The Children’s Institute website.
December 28, 2021 Free Tax Return Preparation in Allegheny County The Free Tax Preparation Coalition (sponsored by United Way of Southwestern PA), which provides free income tax return preparation throughout the region, will begin taking appointments in January 2022. About the Free Tax Preparation Coalition Every year, Free Tax Preparation Coalition helps low-income households file their income tax return and maximize their tax refund. Many low-income people are eligible for tax credits and other refunds when they file their yearly tax return. For example, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty programs, and can increase a family’s annual income by as much as 45 percent. Virtual tax preparation and hybrid tax preparation options will be available to help families safely file their taxes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schedule an Appointment Appointments can be scheduled by calling 2-1-1 or by self scheduling on the 211 website starting in mid January. Virtual tax prep will also be available at GetYourRefund.org in late January. More details will be available soon on the Just Harvest website. Just Harvest is a leading member of the Free Tax Preparation Coalition. Volunteer Opportunities With the expanded tax credits in 2021, more families than ever will need access to free and reliable tax preparation. Volunteer shifts start at three hours per week. In-person and remote opportunities are available, and free tax training is provided to all volunteers. There is a need Spanish/English bilingual preparers to serve the area’s growing Hispanic population. There also are opportunities for volunteers to greet taxpayers as they arrive for their appointment and help to give them a positive experience. Visit Just Harvest’s volunteer registration website to view available volunteer shifts.
December 27, 2021 Allegheny County Rapid Response Team The ELRC Region 5 has joined forces Trying Together and other early childhood community partners in Allegheny County to create a Rapid Response Team that provides immediate support in the event that a child is in danger of suspension or expulsion. About the Rapid Response Team Child care providers and families caring for children ages zero to five can submit a request for support to the Rapid Response Team’s Collaborations and Support Strategist, who will collect information to determine next steps of support. The goal of the Rapid Response Team is to provide assistance and support to a child care center’s administration and staff, and to help families with locating resources that may supplement the child’s care. The team provides: An immediate response, within 48 hours, to any child care center that requires supports for themselves or regarding a specific child A plan outlining strengths and needs evidence-based tools, along with input from parents, staff and a thorough observation Revised Inventory of Practice tool Ages and Stages Questionnaire Individualized support to the center, staff, family and/or child from a designated team member Quicker connections and referrals for easier access to external supports Get support Child care providers and families/caregivers in Allegheny County can submit a request for support by contacting Alicia Sebastian at alicia.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 570-574-7384. View this flyer for more details.
December 24, 2021 COVID-19 Added to List of Reportable Communicable Diseases The Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Health (DOH) has added COVID-19 to the list of reportable communicable diseases for child care programs. About PA DOH requires that COVID-19 be reported within 24 hours. A link to the updated list of reportable diseases is provided at: PA Dept of Health reportable diseases. After a child or facility person contracts or is showing symptoms of a communicable disease or infection, the child care provider must exclude that person from the facility and must receive notification from a physician or a nurse practitioner (CRNP) that the person is no longer considered a threat to the health of others before the child or facility person may return to the facility. Any child or facility person reporting positive test results or showing symptoms of COVID-19 can’t be in attendance at the child care facility. Upon return, the individual must provide a written note or a negative test result signed and verified by a physician or nurse practitioner (CRNP) clearing them to return to the child care facility. A home test or any other negative test results that have not been reviewed, signed and verified by a physician or CRNP will not be acceptable for a child or a facility person to return to the child care facility. More Information For details, read the Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) announcement.
December 23, 2021 Child Care Career Openings in the Pittsburgh Area Are you looking for open child care positions? Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are hiring! See this week’s featured jobs. Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh Classroom Assistant Temple Ohav Shalon Center for Early Learning is seeking a Classroom Assistant to assist educators and children in the daily activities of the classroom. Apply: To apply, please email center@templeohavshalom.org Early Childhood Teacher Lawrence County Community Action Partnership is seeking an Early Childhood Teacher to work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team to individualize comprehensive services for the children and families in their classrooms. Apply: To apply, please visit the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership website. Submit a Job Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form. All jobs submitted after Tuesday each week will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Kara Bayer at kara@tryingtogether.org. Other Jobs in Early Childhood ECE Hire Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. Submit a Job to PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
December 22, 2021 Holiday Operating Hours The Trying Together offices and The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center will be closed from December 23, 2021 to January 2, 2022. Normal business hours will resume on January 3, 2022.
December 16, 2021 Base Rates for CCW Reimbursements to Increase January 1 Effective January 1, 2022, base rates paid to child care providers participating in Child Care Works (CCW), Pennsylvania’s subsidized child care program will increase. The new base rates are now available online. About The current Maximum Child Care Allowance (MCCA) rates (effective March 1, 2021) and the new MCCA rates (effective January 1, 2022) are now available on the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) website. The MCCA is the ceiling set by the Department for payment of child care services to budget groups eligible for child care payment. Base rates per region can be found in the document Department of Human Services: Maximum Daily Child Care Allowances (MCCA)-effective 1/1/22. Updating Pay Rates OCDEL established a fee structure policy to pay all certified child care, relative, and in-home providers serving subsidy children at the lower of two rates – the rate the certified child care providers charge private-pay families or the established MCCA. Providers who want to update their private-pay rates must communicate those changes to families and provide verification of the updated private-pay rates to their ELRC. If a certified child care provider’s private-pay rate is lower than the new MCCA, they will receive the lower of the two rates. Allegheny County Providers Option 1: Certified child care providers can enter their updated rates in Provider Self Service (PSS) and return “Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” along with the verification of the certified child care provider’s published private-pay rates to the ELRC at elrc5@alleghenycounty.us (put CCW C-1 Rates in the subject line). Option 2: Certified child care providers can send “Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” along with the verification of their certified child care provider’s published private-pay rates directly to the ELRC at elrc5@alleghenycounty.us (put CCW C-1 Rates in the subject line). The ELRC will then enter the new information into PELICAN CCW. When the certified child care provider returns “Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” along with verification of the certified child care provider’s published private-pay rates, the ELRC will: Enter and/or verify the certified child care providers’ published rates into PELICAN CCW. Use January 1, 2022 as the effective date if verification is received by January 31, 2022. Convert the rates and save as “Converted Payment Rates.” Generate and send to the certified child care provider the “Appendix C-2 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Payment Rates.” Once verified, ELRC staff will then convert the payment rates in the PELICAN CCW system, and the certified child care provider will be paid based on the new private pay rates, or MCCA, whichever is the lower of the two rates. The ELRC will not modify rates for any certified child care provider who does not return Appendix (C-1) along with verification of the certified child care provider’s published rates. The ELRC will not need to enter rates for relative or in-home providers. The ELRC Region 5 will generate and send “Appendix B Subsidized Child Care Relative Provider Payment Rates” to both types of providers.
December 15, 2021 Child Care Career Openings in the Pittsburgh Area Are you looking for open child care positions? Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are hiring! See this week’s featured jobs. Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh Older Toddler Lead Teacher Heritage Community Initiatives is seeking an Older Toddler Lead Teacher to design weekly lesson plans, complete assessments, implement individual student goals, and other related duties as assigned. Apply: To apply, please email nhill@heritageserves.org Submit a Job Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form. All jobs submitted after Tuesday each week will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Kara Bayer at kara@tryingtogether.org. Other Jobs in Early Childhood ECE Hire Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. Submit a Job to PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
Upcoming PPS COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics UPMC is partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools to hold vaccine clinics this upcoming, Saturday, December 18 for PPS students, families, staff and the school community, ages 5+. The second dose clinic will be held on January 8, 2022. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. Interested families may register online. Vaccine Availability Ages 5 -11: First & second dose pediatric Pfizer Ages 12-15: First & second dose Pfizer Ages 16 – 17: First, second & booster dose Pfizer Ages 18+: First, second & booster dose Pfizer, Moderna or J&J Please note: Boosters are available for individuals 16+, at least six months from their second dose (Pfizer/Moderna) or two months from their first dose (J&J). Individuals aged 16-17 are only eligible for a Pfizer booster and individuals 18+ will have their choice of Moderna, Pfizer or J&J for their booster. Locations and Times Pittsburgh Langley, Cafeteria (2940 Sheraden Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15204): 9:00-11:00am Pittsburgh Lincoln, Cafeteria (328 Lincoln Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206): 9:00-11:00am Pittsburgh Morrow, Gym (3530 Fleming Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212): 1:00-3:00pm Pittsburgh Weil, Cafeteria (2250 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219): 1:00-3:00pm UPMC South Side (2000 Mary St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203): 10:00-2:00pm
