News

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development, has announced the Keystone STARS Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Awards, a one-time financial award for eligible child care programs with a Department of Human Services (DHS) regular Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and designated as a Keystone STAR 2, 3, or 4. The Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) will handle award fund distribution on OCDEL’s behalf.

About

Beginning on December 18, 2023, eligible programs will receive a Keystone STARS CQI Award Eligibility and Acceptance Letter from their ELRC. The letter will include the maximum award amount a child care provider is eligible for and contact information for their ELRC.

Providers who believe they are eligible for the award but have not received a letter by January 15, 2024, should immediately contact the ELRC.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Keystone STARS CQI Award, a provider must meet all the following requirements both as of November 30, 2023, and at the time of the award payment:

1. The provider holds a regular DHS Certificate of Compliance.
2. The provider is designated as a Keystone STAR 2, 3, or 4 program and is not in a Keystone STARS Suspension status.
   • NOTE: OCDEL is providing a policy exception for STAR 1 programs who were actively working to move up in designation. To be granted the policy exception, a STAR 1 program must have had an open designation case in the PD Registry system as of November 30, 2023. In addition, these programs must be successful in moving up to a STAR 2, 3, or 4 designations as evidenced by a completed designation case in the PD Registry System on or before January 12, 2024.
3. If applicable, the provider must have completed the reporting requirements for the following grants:
   • ARPA Stabilization Grant
   • Workforce Support Grant 1.0
   • Workforce Support Grant 2.0
4. The provider does not owe liens/liabilities to the commonwealth and/or federal government, including tax liabilities.

Allowable Expenses

Eligible programs can use the Keystone STARS CQI Award funds for eligible expenses incurred from July 1, 2023, to May 8, 2024 in the following categories:

• Staff Qualifications and Professional Development
• Early Childhood Education Program
• Partnerships with Families and Communities
• Leadership and Management
• Accreditation Costs (toward an OCDEL-approved Alternate Pathway)

After spending funds on eligible expenses, the child care provider will be responsible for submitting a Keystone STARS CQI Award Final Expense Report to their ELRC to detail how they spent award funds.

More Information

For additional details, including eligibility requirements, policy exceptions, award amounts, allowable and ineligible expenses, award process and timelines, and FAQs, please see the Announcement ELRC 23 #05 Keystone STARS Continuous Quality Improvement Award.