June 14, 2022 Survey: Marketing Needs for Child Care Providers The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is asking child care providers for input on their marketing needs. About OCDEL is conducting a survey to understand the marketing needs and challenges of licensed child care providers in Pennsylvania. Survey responses will help OCDEL inform future decisions and programs. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, June 24, 2022. Take the survey.
June 13, 2022 The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center Receives 2022 Best of Pittsburgh Award The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center has been selected for the 2022 Best of Pittsburgh Award in the Family Service Center category by the Pittsburgh Award Program. About the Pittsburgh Award Program The Pittsburgh Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Pittsburgh area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value. Each year, the Pittsburgh Award Program identifies companies or organizations that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Pittsburgh area a great place to live, work and play. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category of the 2022 Pittsburgh Award Program. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Pittsburgh Award Program and data provided by third parties. About the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center is a community resource of Trying Together and supports the early learning needs of young children, families, and early educators in the Homewood communities. The Hub & Family Center offers: developmentally appropriate activities for children from birth to age nine; individual and group support for parents to set and meet goals for their family; and professional growth opportunities for center-, family-, and home-based early learning programs, and relative-providers. Read more on the Hub & Family Center webpage.
June 12, 2022 Tip for ARPA Stabilization Grant Reporting On Monday, June 6, 2022, The Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) released a tip for how to manage American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Grant reporting within the PA PD Registry. Learn More Before submitting ARPA reports in the PA PD Registry, OCDEL asks that administrators make sure they are entering all of their accurate reporting amounts and care level capacity. Additionally, administrators are instructed not to click “Yes” until they are sure that they have entered all of the required details as mentioned previously. Once reports are submitted, they cannot be edited. For additional information, visit the ARPA Stabilization Grant page.
June 9, 2022 New Report: Elevating the Early Childhood Workforce The Start Strong PA campaign in partnership with Trying Together released Elevating the Early Childhood Workforce, a report that highlights the historical and current context for the underinvestment and undervaluing of the early childhood field. About On June 9, Trying Together and Start Strong PA virtually hosted child care providers, families, advocates, policymakers, and community members to discuss the struggles early childhood educators are facing and pathways toward a more equitable, high-quality early learning system. “Communities could not thrive without the work of the early childhood professional, but unfortunately the support of the field is not reflective of all the crucial work they deliver,” said Cara Ciminillo, executive director, Trying Together. “The ongoing fight to elevate the voice and value of the profession is challenged by the public’s perception of caregiving and historical biases attached to this notion.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 566,000 Pennsylvania children younger than age six (71%) had all of the adults in their household in the labor force. In order for parents to return to work and help rebuild the economy after the impact of the pandemic, they rely on early childhood educators to provide a caring and nurturing environment for their children. Without these professionals, parents are unable to work, and children will not be able to reap the benefits of high-quality child care. “Despite the previous infusion of federal monies used to stabilize child care programs during the pandemic, the early childhood sector remains underfunded at the federal and state levels,” said Emily Neff, director of policy and practice, Trying Together. “The workforce is subsidizing the sector and the low wages paid to these teachers is a primary cause of the current staffing crisis.” Staffing Crisis In March of 2022, the Start Strong PA Campaign conducted a survey of 994 child care programs across Pennsylvania which revealed the following: Nearly 32,500 children currently sit on waiting lists. More than 30,000 additional children could be served at respondents’ sites if they were fully staffed. 91% of respondents reported staffing shortages. Programs need to fill nearly 7,000 open child care positions. “You need child care workers in order for other businesses and sectors to thrive and achieve their goals, and you can’t do that unless you put equity into child care,” said Lesely Crawford, owner and director, ABK Learning and Development Center in Pittsburgh. “That investment is critical. It’s a need.” Pathways to Success According to the report, the undervaluing and underfunding of child care will continue with great risk to both families’ and communities’ economic future, unless there are systemic solutions. Pathways to success outlined in the report include prioritizing the stabilization of the early childhood workforce through increased compensation, and elevating the value of the profession. For details, read the Elevating the Early Childhood Workforce report.
June 8, 2022 Join the Virtual Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is going on a virtual Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip from June to August 2022. About Children, families, and caregivers are invited to follow along and discover highlighted Pennsylvania libraries and the resources available to support early literacy and learning. Along the way, get information about Pennsylvania State Parks with resources and activities to do with children. All activities align with the PA Early Learning Standards and can be done within the featured state park or at home. To get started, print the Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip resources, like the Map or the Travel Journal. Visit the PA’s Promise for Children website to see what the weekly library has to offer, and check out the activities and book recommendations.
June 7, 2022 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards Recorded Webinar Available A recorded webinar on the 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards has been developed and is now available for early childhood education professionals. About The 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards take effect on July 1, 2022. The webinar, which is on the Pennsylvania Keys YouTube page, provides information on the updates and edits that have been made to the 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards. The Standards and accompanying resource documents can be found on the PA Keys’ Keystone STARS webpage.
Register: Live Demonstration of New Keystone STARS Designation System The Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry will be holding a live demonstration of the new Keystone STARS Designation System for directors, administrators, and owners of child care programs in Pennsylvania. About On July 1, 2022, the new process for Keystone STARS pre-designation and designation applications launches into Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry. Moving more functionality into the PD Registry streamlines multiple processes into one system and designation for providers. Child care providers can register for one of the following live demonstrations: Thursday, June, 23 | 6-7 p.m. Friday, June 24 | 1-2 p.m. The demonstration will be recorded and posted to the Pennsylvania Key (www.pakeys.org) website. Other Ways to Prepare Other ways directors, administrators, and owners can prepare for this transition include: Completing an individual or personal PD Registry profile. Applying for placement on Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathway. Claiming your organization profile for your program. Assisting staff members in completing their PD Registry profile and applying for Career Pathway placement. Verifying your staff and complete classroom information in your program profile. The Pennsylvania Key website has PD Registry tip sheets and video tutorials to complete these steps and more.
June 2, 2022 Updated COVID-19 Operation Guidance for ECE Programs On May 27, 2022, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) release updated information on COVID-19 operational guidance for Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs. About The updated Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning contains information on: Strategies for Everyday Operations; COVID-19 Community Levels and Associated Prevention Strategies; and Considerations for Prioritizing Strategies. This guidance can help ECE program administrators support safe, in-person learning and keep programs open, while managing the spread of COVID-19. Based on the COVID-19 Community Levels, this guidance provides flexibility so schools and ECE programs can adapt to changing local situations, including periods of increased community health impacts from COVID-19. The quick guide, Isolation and Quarantine in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs, also was updated on May 20, 2022.
June 1, 2022 Behavioral Help for Early Childhood Programs to Prevent Suspension & Expulsion The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released two resources to support the efforts of Pennsylvania early childhood program leaders to eliminate suspension and expulsion for young children. Learn More Within the document, Preventing Suspension & Expulsion in Pennsylvania Early Childhood Programs, An Early Childhood Program Leader’s Guide, child care providers can find resources addressing program policies, procedures, and practices that promote the positive social emotional development of young children, and create a climate of support for early childhood personnel and stronger partnerships with families. The document, Behavioral Help for Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania to Prevent Suspension & Expulsion, provides definitions and program descriptions, as well as information for families and more. Allegheny County Rapid Response Team Trying Together’s quality partner ELRC Region 5 has joined forces with 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. 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. Learn more.
