News

April 19, 2022

Updated Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning Regulations and Requirements

Due to updated guidance on the federal requirements for Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), changes have been made to Department of Human Services (DHS) Pennsylvania Statewide Child Care Emergency Plan.

About

The plan identifies and communicates the processes and supports for child care providers in the event an individual, local, regional, or statewide emergency or disaster occurs. It outlines recommendations for planning preparedness, response, and recovery from a disaster, and the role the office will play in providing supports. Details are available at Announcement C-22-04 Updated Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning Regulations and Requirements for Child Care Facilities.

News

March 15, 2022

Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR Survey

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is seeking to identify community-based and educational entities statewide currently delivering Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training for potential partnership opportunities.

Learn More

OCDEL has created a brief survey to capture information from interested community-based and educational entities. The intent is to, at a minimum, develop and promulgate county specific entities child care providers can connect with to enroll in the approved training.

In January, OCDEL announced that due to updated guidance on the federal requirements for Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), all staff at child care programs must complete in-person pediatric first aid and pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training within 90 days of hire or renew their certification before expiration. Until they do so, they can’t care for children unsupervised.

interested community-based and educational entities must complete the survey by March 31, 2022.

News

February 4, 2020

2020 Census | Count All Kids to Reinforce Early Education

Did you know that in 2010, five percent of children under the age of five weren’t counted in the 2010 Census? That’s roughly one million young children, the highest of any age group. To ensure all young children have access to high-quality, affordable early learning experiences, we must #CountAllKids in the upcoming 2020 Census.

About

The United States Census informs funding decisions for critical services and infrastructure in our communities, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Toddlers (WIC); and the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to name a few. However, in the 2010 U.S. Census, there was an undercount of 25,197 children in Pennsylvania, resulting in the loss of nearly $44 million in federal funding. That’s roughly $1,746 lost for every child who wasn’t counted. Undercounts like this negatively impact Pennsylvania’s children and families, as social service programs are unable to provide services to all eligible families due to limited funding.

Why It Matters

In their report “The Road to Success Includes High-Quality Pre-K,” Pre-K for PA states that “high-quality, publicly funded pre-k programs prepare students for kindergarten and beyond by supporting the development of the whole child.” When a child is 3- or 4-years-old, they’re developing critical skills like problem-solving, emotional self-regulation, collaboration, and more. These social-emotional skills are what the Harvard Education Magazine calls an “on-ramp” to later academic success. In fact, Pre-K for PA states that “studies of children who were enrolled in high-quality social-emotional learning programs have shown that ‘[enrolled children] score, on average, 11 percentage points higher on academic tests than children who do not receive such instruction.'”

However, due to limited funding, “in nearly two out of three state Senate districts, less than half of eligible preschoolers attend a high-quality pre-k program. In half of the state House districts, less than 40 percent of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds are currently attending one.” Limited access to such programs is negatively impacting the lives of young children, as “children from low-income families are a year or more behind their more advantaged peers.”

One partial solution to these issues is to ensure that all kids are counted in the upcoming 2020 Census. While an accurate count may not entirely eliminate issues of access, quality, and affordability, it will ensure that Pennsylvania receives federal dollars needed to provide health and social services to eligible families in the Commonwealth. Will you help us raise awareness about the need to #CountAllKids!

Click here to view Pre-K for PA’s full report.

Available Tools

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

To help increase awareness about the 2020 Census, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children developed a toolkit that features factsheets, posters, social media images, and social media post templates. In addition to the toolkit, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children highlighted a list of resources for advocates, stakeholders, businesses, elected officials, military members, parents, caregivers, families, and people with disabilities. To access the full list, visit the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children website.

2020 Census: Be Counted

2020 Census: Be Counted provides information and resources to Pittsburgh and Allegheny County residents about the upcoming U.S. Census. The website highlights important dates, census submission options, an example of the questionnaire, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and more. For organizations, the website offers a toolkit, email newsletter, mini-grants, and more.

Request a Mail-In Ballot

Pennsylvania is now offering two options community members can choose from to submit their vote if they are unable to get to the polls on election day, including a mail-in ballot and absentee ballot. Registered voters can submit either ballot via mail or in person at their county election office. To request a mail-in ballot, please complete the online application by clicking here.

Both mail-in and absentee voters will receive a ballot in the mail to complete and return to their county election office by 8 p.m. on election day.

More Information

If you’re interested in learning more about the 2020 Census, read our “Count All Kids in the 2020 Census” news post. The post features additional resources and information about who counts, submitting your data, safety, confidentiality, and more.

*Information provided by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, Pre-K for PA, and the United States Census Bureau

News

July 9, 2019

New Clearance Required for Child Care Providers

Due to a federal requirement under the reauthorization of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), child care providers are required to complete a new clearance—the National Crime Information Center/National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR).

About

The NSOR clearance will verify that a check of the National Sex Offenders Registry was conducted and if the individual can or cannot work for a regulated child care provider. This clearance is required in addition to a Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check for Employment or Volunteers, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Fingerprinting.

There is no fee for the NSOR clearance.

Requirements

The following individuals must complete the NSOR verification certificate by July 1, 2020:

    • any individual 18 years or older residing in the child care facility;
    • all individuals working for Regulated Child Care Providers;
    • any individual with an ownership interest (corporate or non-corporate) in a Regulated Child Care Provider and who participates in the organization and management of the operation.

Application Process

By late summer/early fall 2019, there will be a paper application process for the NSOR clearance, and in late fall there will be an electronic process in place at keepkidssafe.pa.gov.

Learn More

For more information on required clearances, visit the Keep Kids Safe website.

Share this handout with your network.

*Information provided by the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning

News

May 9, 2019

Historic Increases for Early Learning & Development Programs

The House Appropriations Committee recently approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill for FY2020, which outlines funding for early care and learning programs critical to babies’ development. The first three years are a time in development unmatched by any other later point in life. But the recently released State of Babies Yearbook: 2019 reveals troubling early warning signs that too many young children face conditions that place their development – and our future – at risk.

About the Bill

The bill includes historic increases to key early learning and development programs that can help to reverse this path we have set for our future, including:

    • An increase of $2.4 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant;
    • $525 million increase in the set-aside for the expansion of Early Head Start, including through EHS-Child Care Partnerships;
    • Doubling of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Grant Program, to a total of $10 million; and
    • An increase of $21.3 million for Part C Early Intervention.

By laying the foundation today for 12 million infants and toddlers living in the U.S., we are investing in our society’s future.

Learn More

To learn more, see Zero to Three’s full statement.

*Information provided by Zero to Three

News

February 4, 2019

Ask Congress to Increase Federal Child Care Funding

Trying Together and our partners are advocating for greater investments in federal child care funding, and we need your organization to join us.

What is happening?

Your voices helped achieve historic increases in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds in federal fiscal years 2018 and 2019. We need to build off that success and advocate for increased discretionary CCDBG funding in the federal fiscal year 2020 so that we can continue to address unmet needs. Advocates across the country are asking Congress to increase CCDBG funding by $5 billion.

To accomplish this goal, the Budget Control Act caps on non-defense discretionary spending would need to be lifted to provide for such an increase in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education appropriations bill.

Why does it matter?

The additional funding would help Pennsylvania children and families access and afford high-quality child care and further support child care programs and teachers. Trying Together, along with our partner early care and education advocacy organizations in Pennsylvania, is gathering signatures for a letter to our congressional delegation.

Sign-On Your Support

To support an increase in federal child care funding, sign your organization on to the letter by Wednesday, February 20th!

News

November 13, 2018

PA Submits Plan for Child Care and Development Block Grant

On August 31, 2018, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) submitted Pennsylvania’s plan for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) for the next plan cycle which spans Federal Fiscal Year 2019 through 2021. At present, the plan is under review by the Administration for Children and Families, the Office of Child Care. The plan is now posted and available for review at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) website.

Plan Summary

In the plan, OCDEL certifies that Pennsylvania is in full compliance with all CCDBG requirements except for those associated with criminal history background checks. For the background check requirements, Pennsylvania has met all mandated, preliminary milestones – in-state child abuse registry, Pennsylvania State Police, fingerprint background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in-state sex offender registry.

Checks for inter-state criminal histories, child abuse registries, and sex offender registries as well as a check of the National Sex Offender Registry have yet to be incorporated. OCDEL has requested a one-year waiver to come into full compliance with those requirements by September 30, 2019, and is on target to meet that deadline.

Questions

Questions about the plan may be directed to OCDEL at 717-346-9320.

*Information provided by PA Early Ed News*

News

October 2, 2018

Thank Congress for Increased CCDBG Funding

The U.S Senate and House of Representatives voted in favor of a Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Defense 2019 spending bill. This measure not only maintains the historic increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) in 2018 but includes a $50 million increase! The legislation also includes support for other critical early care and education programs. On September 28, the President signed the bill into law.

Why Does It Matter?

With increased funding for the 2018 federal fiscal year, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning is able to lift the rate freeze for STAR 1 and 2 providers and increase base rates for all providers by two percent. In addition, the funding will support a pilot to contract for quality slots for infants and toddlers participating in the subsidy program and will further support professional development for child care teachers. The continued support and increase of this line item is critical for Pennsylvania to improve access to high-quality care for children.

Take Action

Please join us in thanking our members of Congress for understanding the importance of early care and education investments for our youngest children!

News

July 18, 2018

Pilot Launches This Fall for Infant/Toddler Child Care

Beginning September 2018, OCDEL will use $2 million of the increased Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding to pilot contracting for slots for infants and toddlers participating in Child Care Works (CCW).

OCDEL will leverage the PA Pre-K Counts model to pilot contracting with STAR 3 and STAR 4 programs to serve infants and toddlers in high-quality settings.

This pilot will improve access to, and continued enrollment of, children 0-36 months in high-quality early care and education programs and is supported by the results of Pennsylvania’s Infant/Toddler policy scan (a tool developed by Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Child Care).

Shared via The PA Key.