News

January 13, 2026

PCCD Announces State Violence Intervention and Prevention Funding Through OST BOOST Grants

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) has announced the availability of $11.5 million in state Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) funding. 

Out-of-school-time programs interested in obtaining the funding must apply for it by the end of the day on Monday, January 26.

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The goal of the FY 2025-26 Violence Intervention and Prevention and Building Opportunities Through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) grants is to support a variety of local community violence prevention and intervention strategies, including upstream prevention for at-risk school-age youth.

For the current fiscal year, a total of approximately $60 million in state funding for VIP has been directed to the PCCD for providing grants and technical assistance to address community violence. 

Community violence is defined as intentional interpersonal violence – such as gun violence, group-related violence, or domestic or intimate partner violence – in areas of the state with high rates of firearm-related violent crime or injury.

VIP funding is intended to support community violence intervention strategies designed to address violence that is already occurring in communities.

Additionally, Act 45 of 2025 (Fiscal Code) directs PCCD to reserve at least $11.5 million of appropriated VIP funds for BOOST grants, which support statewide and local out-of-school time programming for at-risk school-age youth.

The maximum award amount under the FY 2025-26 VIP and BOOST solicitation will be $500,000 or no more than 50% of an organization’s annual operating expenditures, whichever is less. The maximum award amount is the total grant amount an applicant can request over the entire 36-month project period, and is not a per-year amount for each year of the project period.

For more information, read the PCCD announcement on the funding.

News

DHS Online Screening Tool Helps SNAP Recipients Navigate New Rules

Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has launched a new online screening tool to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and applicants navigate new requirements to access benefits.

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New federal rules may require some SNAP recipients and applicants to meet and report work requirements – such as working, volunteering, or participating in education or training for at least 20 hours per week.

To help determine if these requirements apply, the DHS has created a quick online screening tool. By answering a few “yes” or “no” questions, users can see whether they need to meet the requirements, may qualify for an exemption, or should report current activities to their caseworker.

The tool is informational and not a final eligibility decision, but it can help SNAP recipients understand next steps and prepare for conversations with their caseworker.

For any questions about reporting work or activities, SNAP recipients should contact their County Assistance Office or call 877-395-8930.

News

January 12, 2026

PA Promise for Children Releases January Booklist for Preschoolers

PA Promise for Children has released its list of January books for preschoolers in its Kindergarten Here I Come newsletter. The list includes eight books across four categories.

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PA Promise for Children’s booklist includes four categories – Language and Literacy Skills, Social and Emotional Development, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression.

The list includes:

Language and Literacy Skills

  • There’s a Nightmare in My Closet (Mercer Mayer)
  • Dreams (Ezra Jack Keats)

Social and Emotional Development

  • Corduroy (Don Freeman)
  • Bears (Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak)

Science Thinking and Technology

  • Rainbows (David Whitfield)
  • The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)

Mathematical Thinking and Expression

  • Art Lesson (Tomie dePaola)
  • The Doorman (Edward Grimm)

News

Providers Must Submit Application for Recruitment and Retention Award by January 29

Providers interested in the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Award must submit an application to their local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) by Thursday, January 29.

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The award is a new program available to eligible providers and qualifying staff as part of the Governor’s Office General Fund initiative. The program’s focus is to provide payments to qualified child care providers to assist them in addressing the ongoing child care staff retention and recruitment crisis.

To qualify, a provider must be serving children, hold a current Certificate of Compliance, and hold a current Child Care Works Certified Subsidy Provider Agreement, among other criteria, to be considered a qualified child care provider.

A staff member is considered qualified if they are employed by a qualified child care provider that is responsible for the direct supervision of children at a minimum of 15 hours per week and is included on the work schedule, not only at the time of application but also when the provider receives payments from the ELRC.

Current qualified child care staff are eligible for a $450 retention bonus per staff member. Recruitment bonuses in the amount of $450 per new staff can be paid to a newly employed, qualified staff member hired after the date of the application submission.

Eligible DHS certified child care providers will apply on behalf of current, eligible staff and for staff recruitment bonuses.

Providers must submit a completed application to their local ELRC by January 29, and can reach out to their ELRC for more information.

News

January 7, 2026

OCDEL Seeking Nominations for ECE Professionals to Be Recognized

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will recognize those in the early childhood education field who have made accomplishments in 2025.

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OCDEL is planning on recognizing early childhood education professionals in the following areas:

  • Academic
  • Years of service
  • Retirement

The recognitions apply to all staffing positions within an early learning program, including, but not limited to:

  • Directors
  • Classroom staff (teachers, aides, etc.)
  • Support staff (receptionists, janitors, kitchen staff, etc.)

Submissions can be nominations (submitted by someone else) or self-submitted (submitted by the individual to be recognized). Eligible submissions will receive a letter of recognition from OCDEL Deputy Shante’ Brown.

The deadline to submit a recognition is Wednesday, February 4. 

News

OCDEL Extends Rapid Response Team Grants for a Year

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced that the Rapid Response Team Grants funded through the Preschool Development Birth to Five initiative have been extended.

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The one-year extension will enable Rapid Response Team current grantees to maintain their regional coordination efforts aimed at enhancing the capacity of the early childhood education workforce.

Rapid Response Teams are critical in supporting young children in care settings and reducing suspension and expulsion rates through timely, collaborative classroom support. 

Originally scheduled to conclude on December 31, many organizations had already begun closeout activities in anticipation of the deadline. 

For more information on the Rapid Response Team grant and other Preschool Development Birth to Five initiatives, visit the PDG website.

News

January 6, 2026

Deadline for Pennie Marketplace Open Enrollment is January 15

The final deadline for the state’s Pennie health insurance marketplace annual open enrollment is Thursday, January 15.

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Coverage for those who signed up for Pennie by the December 15 deadline began on January 1, but it will start on Sunday, February 1 for those who enroll between December 16 and January 15.

Open enrollment healthcare can help those who use it to find affordable health insurance plans and offers:

  • A simple process of finding suitable insurance plans
  • Guidance from licensed agents
  • Ability to compare different options in a single place
  • Superb customer support

Those who visit the website or call can receive a quote for individual or family coverage.

Those interested in enrolling or changing plans can get free help on Pennie’s website or by calling 1-844-844-8040.

News

Afterschool Alliance Survey Aims to Gather Information on Program Needs

The Afterschool Alliance is asking those who operate afterschool or summer learning programs to take a survey to provide information on the needs that their programs face.

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The intention of the survey is for the alliance to better understand the support that afterschool and summer learning programs are currently providing as well as the challenges they face. It is also meant to gain insight into what the needs are for programs to be able to better help the children and families they serve.

Answers in the survey will provide information that the alliance will share with funders, policymakers, education leaders, and the public on the importance of increasing investments to afterschool and summer programs that foster learning, connection, and belonging.

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. All responses will be anonymous. 

Those who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing in which 50 respondents will receive a $50 gift card. Those interested in taking the survey can do so online.

News

January 5, 2026

Thriving Kids Podcast Episode Focuses on Building Kindness and Resilience

In today’s complex world, it is more difficult than ever to raise children who are kind, resilient, and prepared to handle life’s challenges.

From navigating big feelings and social stress to constantly evolving technology and the growing need for independence, helping children to build coping skills, stay connected, and develop confidence requires patience, practice, and repeated conversations from caregivers.

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In the latest Thriving Kids podcast, Dave Anderson, PhD – the Child Mind Institute’s senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education – joins Melinda Wenner Moyer, an award-winning journalist and the author of “Hello Cruel World: Science-Backed Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.”

The podcast’s discussion focuses on how to support children in building the core skills needed to thrive in realistic and sustainable ways without falling into fear-based or perfection-driven parenting.

Some of the topics discussed include:

  • How listening – not lecturing – can strengthen the parent-child connection
  • Why caregivers should have ongoing conversations with children about tech, media, and money
  • What it looks like to be an “autonomy-supportive” caregiver and why it matters

The Child Mind Institute has recommended other strategies for raising confident and independent children:

  • Shift away from fix-it mode: When children are young, the job is to be fixers and protectors, but somewhere along the way, caregivers’ job changes to become consultants, rather than fix all of a child’s problems for them.
  • Embrace scaffolding: This term describes the consultant role, in which caregivers offer support and encourage children to decide how they want to tackle challenges on their own. While caregivers cannot protect children from life’s trials, they can give them tools to self-advocate and solve problems for themselves, helping them to develop the grit they need to survive and succeed.
  • Teach children that it’s OK to fail: Children will make poor choices, and that’s OK. When they make the wrong decision, guide them to think about what went wrong and why, so they can make a different choice next time. Caregivers who swoop in and solve their problems for them prevent children from growing.

For more information, listen to the latest Thriving Kids podcast episode.

News

December Recalls on Children’s Products

Below is a list of December recalls from the following federal agencies: the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Willy Pete’s Chocolate Company recalled its chocolate bars due to almonds not being declared in the ingredients statement. The statement incorrectly identified macadamia nuts as present in the product.

HydroJug recalled its 14-ounce children’s sport tumblers due to the choking risk posed. The rivets on the handle can come loose, causing it to detach and pose a choking hazard for children.

Casaottima recalled its 13-drawer dressers due to the serious risk of injury or death they pose from tipping over. The dressers are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in a child’s injury or death.

The Little Pea Shop recalled its crib bumpers, which violate a federal crib bumper ban because they can obstruct an infant’s breathing, posing a risk of serious injury or death due to suffocation.

Cubimana recalled its building toy sets due to the risk they pose of serious injury or death from battery ingestion. The battery compartment within the LED light piece contains button cell batteries that can be easily accessed by children. When swallowed, the batteries can cause serious injuries, internal chemical burns, or death.

KTEBO recalled its writing tablet toys due to the risk posed of battery ingestion by children. The screw used to secure the battery compartment on the toys does not remain attached as required. If a child accesses the button cell batteries, they can cause serious injuries, internal chemical burns, or death if ingested.

Primark recalled its Little Bear 2-pack soother clips due to the risks posed of choking or laceration. The wooden button on the soother clips can come off, exposing a sharp screw, which can lead to choking or lacerations.

SKCAIHT recalled its children’s costumes, which pose a risk of exposure to Phthalate. The costumes contain a prohibited phthalate, which is toxic if ingested by children and can cause adverse health effects.

Uuoeebb recalled its infant walkers due to the risks posed to children of serious injury or death from falling or entrapment. The walkers can fit through a standard doorway and fail to stop at the edge of a step, posing a deadly fall hazard. They also have leg openings that can allow the child to slip down until its head can become entrapped.

YCXXKJ recalled its baby bath seats due to the drowning risk posed to children. The seats are unstable and can tip over while in use, posing a risk of serious injury or death due to drowning.

Luyuan recalled its youth ATVs because their mechanical suspension does not comply with safety requirements, posing a crash hazard. Additionally, the handlebars pose a laceration hazard if the child rider’s body or head strikes the handlebars at high speed.

Pacific Cycle recalled its Schwinn Ovation Bicycle Child Carriers because the buckles securing the restraints around a child can release during use, posing a fall hazard.

Furnulem recalled its 8-drawer dressers due to the risk of serious injury or death to children if the dressers tip over. The dressers are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injury or death to children.

17 Stories Furniture recalled its 18-drawer dressers due to the risk of serious injury or death posed to children from tip-over and entrapment hazards. The dressers are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing in tip-over and entrapment hazards.

Plantimex recalled its Mamisan Lidocaine Ointment containers due to risks posed to children of child poisoning. The ointment contains lidocaine, but is not in child-resistant packaging, posing a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if swallowed by young children.

Feel the Beard recalled its Minoxidil beard growth serum bottles due to the risk of child poisoning. The serum contains minoxidil, but it is not in child-resistant packaging. This poses a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if young children swallow the contents.

KKL Fabric recalled its 9-drawer dressers because they are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injuries or death to children.

SereneLife Home recalled its above-ground pools, 48 inches and taller, due to drowning hazards posed to children. The compression strap that surrounds the outside of the pool legs may create a foothold, allowing a child access to the pool and posing a drowning hazard.

Blue Wave recalled its above-ground pools, 48 inches and taller, due to drowning hazards posed to children. The compression strap that surrounds the outside of the pool legs may create a foothold, allowing a child access to the pool and posing a drowning hazard.

Meaicezli recalled its play purse sets due to the risk of serious injury death posed to children by battery ingestion. The toy cell phone contains button cell batteries and the toy tablet contains a lithium coin battery that can be easily accessed by children. When swallowed, the batteries can cause serious injuries, internal chemical burns, and death.