The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is providing opportunities to participate in informational webinars and regional meetings to learn about the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA PKC) program prior to the rebid process.

About Pre-K Counts

FY 2022-2023 is the last program year for the current five-year grant cycle of the PA PKC program. In the Spring of 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will announce a full, competitive rebid. During the rebid, all eligible providers interested in receiving a grant must apply.

It is important during the application process that eligible applicants fully understand the program regulations and expectations so that informed decisions can be made regarding whether to apply. Informational webinar sessions will be offered November 2022 through January 2023.

All eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the full series of offered webinars to fully understand the PA PKC program regulations and expectations:

• Program Requirements and Grant Basics: November 3, 2022 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Community Needs Assessment & Partnerships: November 10, 2022 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Eligibility, Enrollment, and Attendance: `November 17, 2022 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Personnel Qualifications and Professional Development: December 1, 2022 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Health and Safety: December 8, 2022 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Classroom Instructional Support: December 15, 2022 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Family Engagement: January 5, 2023 | 12 – 1 p.m.

• Fiscal Responsibilities: January 12, 2023 | 12 – 1 p.m.

Regional opportunities will occur in February 2023 before the official Request for Applications (RFA) is released.

Eligible Applicants

Pennsylvania is committed to a mixed delivery system. As such, eligible applicants include existing Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees and new applicants from these five eligible entity categories:

• School districts;

• PDE licensed nursery schools;

• Head Start grantees;

• Child care centers and group child care homes designated at Keystone STAR 3 or STAR 4; and

• A third-party entity applying for Pennsylvania Pre‐K Counts funding to administer the lead agency responsibilities for entities that are eligible to provide the classroom services under the categories listed above.

Eligible applicants must provide assurance that they operate in full compliance with Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance.

Parents and caregivers should be aware of several child-related product recalls.

About

Here is a list of October recalls collected from the major federal agencies: the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• Juvo Plus recalled Children’s Butterfly Net Sets and Army Action Figure Playsets due to violations of Federal phthalates and lead content Bans.
• Gel Blaster recalled Gel Blaster SURGE Model 1.0 Toy Guns due to fire hazard.
• TJX recalled Baby Blankets due to choking, entrapment and strangulation hazards.
• Children’s sleepwear recalled due to violation of federal flammability standards and burn hazard.
• U.P. Fashion recalled children’s rings due to violation of federal lead content ban.
• Early Learning Centre Little Senses Lights & Sounds Shape Sorter Toys were recalled due to choking hazard.
• Children’s sleepwear recalled due to violation of Federal flammability standards and burn hazard.
• Abbott voluntarily recalled certain lots of 2 Fl. Oz./59 mL bottles of Ready-to-Feed Liquid products; the recall is not expected to impact U.S. infant formula supply.

More Information

For recall details, visit the links above or review the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration websites.

To continue to assist DHS-certified child care providers in addressing the ongoing workforce crisis, the Work Force Support Grant 2.0 is now available.

About Work Force Support Grant 2.0

While the Work Force Support Grant 2.0 is similar to the previous Work Force Support Grant released in May 2022, there are some areas that are significantly different.

Funds through the Work Force Support Grants are being provided to support the work of ongoing staff in centers, as well as assisting providers with staff recruitment.

Applications for the Work Force Support Grant 2.0 are now open and will be accepted through December 6, 2022. Funding is limited. Funds will be made available on a first come-first serve basis to providers who submit complete and accurate applications.

Apply

Attached are both the Application in English (PDF) and the Application in Spanish (PDF). Please email your completed application to grants.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us; drop it off or mail it to 304 Wood Street Commons, Suite 400 Pittsburgh, PA 15222; or fax it to 412.350.3575.

Information, eligibility, and requirements are available on the PA Keys website.

The Alliance for Infants and Toddlers, the Allegheny County Office of Behavioral Health, and the University of Pittsburgh are seeking caregivers of young children to help create a new version of The Still Face Experiment.

About the Still Face Experiment

The Still Face Experiment illustrates the power of emotion coaching and the importance of turning toward a child’s bids for connection.

For the project, caregivers will be asked to play and interact with their child in different ways, then momentarily discontinue play at one point to see how they react when they don’t receive a response.

The play and interactions will be recorded to create informational videos that will help early childhood providers, teachers, and other families understand how important caregiver-child relationships are to child development.

All caregivers and children between six months and two years of age are welcome to participate. Participants should expect to devote up two hours for instruction, filming, etc. and also will receive a $50 gift card and children’s books for their time and participation.

Questions?

For more information or to express an interest in participating, contact Stacey Trocheck at strocheck@afit.org or Tara Korn at Tara.Korn@alleghenycounty.us. For details, see this flyer.

The Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Program, a state-level child care tax credit program modeled after the federal child care tax credit program, can be claimed by families when filing state taxes beginning in 2023.

About the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Program

Modeled after the federal child care tax credit program, this state-level child care tax credit program benefits working families with children in child care who already qualify for the federal program.

Pennsylvanians paying for child care services will be able to claim the credit when filing state taxes starting in 2023. Families could be eligible for:

• $180 (one child) or $360 (two or more children) for households earning more than $43,000, or

• $315 (one child) or $630 (two or more children) for households earning less than $43,000.

According to a Department of Human Services news release, it’s estimated that more than 220,000 Pennsylvania families will benefit from this refundable tax credit. The state child care tax credit is for 30% of the federally approved expense.

Update added as of 10/24/22: There are no longer winter coats available as supplies have been exhausted. 

The Center for Community Resources, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, is providing free winter coats for children.

About

Beginning Tuesday, October 18, families can visit the ELRC Region 5 main office and some Allegheny County Family Centers to receive winter coats for their family while supplies last. Participating locations are:

• ELRC Region 5 | 304 Wood Street, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 | 412.350.3577

• South Hills Family Center | 41 Macek Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15227 | 412.892.4673, ext. 300

• Highlands Family Center | 415 East 4th Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084 | 724.224.9006

• McKeesport Family Center | 339 5th Avenue, McKeesport, PA 15132 | 412.672.6970

• Wilkinsburg Family Support Center (Hosanna House) | 807 Wallace Avenue, Suite 205, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221 | 412.871.7948

• McKees Rocks Family Center (Focus on Renewal) | 420 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 | 412.331.1685

For details, view this flyer (PDF).

On October 1, 2022 the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased to reflect changes in the cost of living due to inflation to help households better meet their food needs.

Learn More

For several months, food stamps recipients have been experiencing increased financial strain due to the rapid rise in food and grocery prices. Beginning October 1, Pennsylvania increased the income threshold for all applicants to 200% of the Federal Poverty Income. Households can expect an average of 12.5% increase in their benefits.

Household Size/Maximum Gross Monthly Income

• 1/$2,266

• 2/$3,052

• 3/$3,840

• 4/$4,626

• 5/$5,412

• 6/$6,200

• 7/$6,986

• 8/$7,772

• 9/$8,560

• 10/$9,348

• Each additional member/+$788

Questions?

Allegheny County residents who have questions about their SNAP benefits, want to check eligibility, or need help applying, can reach out to Just Harvest for assistance. Call 412-431-8960 (option 3) and leave a name, contact information, and the best time to reach out Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or fill out the form on the Just Harvest website.

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement clarifying the role of Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) in ensuring regulation compliance with immunization recommendations.

About

OCDEL and DOH work together to ensure the health of children who receive care in a child care setting.

When conducting a renewal inspection, OCDEL’s Bureau of Certification Services (BCS) is responsible for reviewing a random sample of the children’s files, which include the health records. The certification representative will review the immunization documents and compare against the schedule recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to determine if the health record is up to date or on a makeup schedule. If a child is missing an immunization(s), the certification representative will discuss this with the provider, issue a citation, and request a plan of correction.

Department of Health (DOH) is also responsible for ensuring that children in child care group settings have the recommended immunizations as per ACIP. Current DOH procedure is to have representatives of DOH contact a random selection of Department of Human Services (DHS) certified child care providers to conduct an annual review of immunization records.

Due to confusion in completing and submitting the documents in the past – and specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic – by DHS certified child care providers, the on-site visit from DOH will support providers in meeting the requirements outlined in 28 Pa. Code Chapter §27.77(a)(4).

For full details, read the Announcement C-22-07 Role of Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) in Ensuring Compliance with Immunization Regulations.

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has issued an announcement updating health and safety training requirements for child care providers.

Learn More

Due to updated guidance on the federal requirements for Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), all staff in certified child care programs must have pre-service or orientation training (to be completed within three months) and an annual minimum of 12 hours in health and safety professional development.

On October 4, 2022, Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 was released and provides updated information on the missing elements of the required health and safety training topics identified as a result of the OCC federal non-compliance review, including:

• Preventing exposure to infectious bodily fluids

• Emergency preparedness and response planning

• Prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma (SBS/AHT)

The training meets the on-going annual professional development requirement and is the only module accepted by OCDEL for compliance.

All current child care staff who completed the previous health and safety pre-service training modules prior to October 4, 2022, are required to complete the Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 by December 30, 2022.

Beginning December 30, 2022, citations for non-compliance with any requirements to obtain health and safety professional development training updates required by OCDEL within the prescribed timeframe will be issued.

Questions

Also included in the full announcement is the list of previous versions of the health and safety pre-service training expiring October 31, 2022.

Read the full announcement for more information and details. Child care providers can direct comments and questions regarding this announcement to their Regional Office of Child Development and Early Learning. The Western Region office number is 800-222-2149.

Are you interested in attending college in Spring 2023? The Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) Scholarship application period is now open!

Learn More

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in center and home-based settings. The scholarship:

• Pays for a percentage of the cost of tuition and books.

• Provides a travel stipend each semester.

• Reimburses child care centers for a percentage of the release time given.

• Provides counseling and administrative support for the child care program.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

• work a minimum of 25 – 30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program,

• make $21.63 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors), and

• be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood.

Apply

T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/ information by Friday, November 4, 2022, to be considered for the spring 2023 semester. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration.

To be considered for the Spring 2022 semester, completed applications must be submitted to PACCA through one of the following methods:

• Email: teachinfo@pacca.org

• Fax: 717.657.0959

• Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302, Lemoyne, PA 17043

For questions about scholarship eligibility or requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000.