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

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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.