July 25, 2022 OCDEL Announces Obsolete Certification Announcements The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development and Bureau of Certification Services have issued that several Announcements for certified child care providers have been rendered obsolete. Learn More OCDEL regularly uses policy announcements to reflect requirements for methods of child care and the facilities it is provided in. This message provides details as to which announcements that will no longer be in effect and what they will be replaced with. Bureau of Certification Services staff have been instructed to delete copies of the obsolete Announcements. The following announcements are included: C-11-01: Emergency Temporary Relocation of a Child Care Facility, issued May 12, 2011. Replaced by Announcement C-17-05: Emergency Temporary Relocation of a Child Care Facility, issued September 29, 2017. C-12-01: Proof of Identification Required for Child Care Center Directors and Group Child Care Home Primary Staff Person, issued September 18, 2012. C-14-03: Clarification Regarding Degrees Earned from Business, Technical, and Trade Schools, issued April 22, 2014. Replaced by Announcement PDO 22-01: Career Pathway Level A-Plus Verification Change and Clarifying Procedures for Verifying Credits and Degrees from Nationally Accredited (Non-Regionally Accredited) Institutions, issued February 7, 2022 and went into effect July 1, 2022. C-16-01: Meeting New Health and Safety Training Requirements as Required by the Federal Government, issued July 1, 2016. C-17-01: Child Protective Service Law (CPSL) for Child Care Facilities, issued February 23, 2017. Replaced by Announcement C-19-02, Meeting the Requirements of the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) for Child Care Facilities, issued August 30, 2019. Updated Important News from the Bureau of Certification Regarding the Provisional Hire Waiver, issued January 2, 2020. Released Important Information from the Bureau of Certification Services Regarding the Effect of Act 12 of 2022 on Provisional Hiring Practices, issued May 27, 2022. To learn more, see: Announcement C-22-05, Obsolete Bureau of Certification Services Policy Announcements.
September 12, 2019 First-Aid & CPR Training | Homewood Attention, providers! Trying Together is partnering to offer a First Aid and CPR training session. For $14 per person, each attendee receives training, lunch, and certification cards. Space is limited to 20 people and registration is required by Friday, September 20. More Information For more information, contact Sarah Byrne-Houser at 412.467.3598 or sarah@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network. Registration To register, complete the form below!
February 18, 2019 PA Board of Education Hosting Public Hearing in Homestead The Pennsylvania State Board of Education will conduct a public hearing in Homestead on April 23, 2019 to receive input from interested parties on draft proposed amendments to Chapter 49 (Certification of Professional Personnel). Current Chapter 49 Regulations. Testimony Limitations Testimony is limited to no more than 5 minutes, and participants will be assigned a time slot on a first come, first served basis when they register. If a hearing site reaches capacity, the Board will place interested participants on a waiting list and will notify members of the waiting list if space becomes available. Each hearing will conclude after the last scheduled witness testifies. Those registered to testify must provide 25 copies of their written testimony at the hearing. Registration and Questions Persons interested in presenting testimony must register with the Board office at ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov or (717) 787-3787, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Registrations must be submitted no later than April 18 at noon. Registrations submitted via email must include your name, affiliation, phone number, email address, and the date and location of the hearing in which you would like to participate. Accessibility Individuals with disabilities who wish to attend a hearing and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to participate should contact Jenna DeNoyelles, ADA Coordinator, at (717) 783-9338 to discuss how the Board may best accommodate their needs. Persons with disabilities are invited to submit public comments in alternative formats such as Braille or taped testimony and by means of the telephone. Written and alternative formats of public comment will be afforded the same thoughtful consideration as oral remarks. Not Able to Attend? Individuals unable to attend the hearing may submit written testimony directly to the Board on or before April 24, 2019. Written comments should be sent to: State Board of Education 333 Market Street, 1st Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126 ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov Read the full notice.
February 15, 2019 Public Hearing on Chapter 49: Certification of Professional Personnel The Pennsylvania State Board of Education will conduct a public hearing in Homestead to receive input from interested parties on draft proposed amendments to Chapter 49 (Certification of Professional Personnel). Registrations must be submitted by noon on June 11, 2019. Testimony Limitations Testimony is limited to no more than 5 minutes, and participants will be assigned a time slot on a first come, first served basis when they register. If a hearing site reaches capacity, the Board will place interested participants on a waiting list and will notify members of the waiting list if space becomes available. Each hearing will conclude after the last scheduled witness testifies. In order to accommodate as many perspectives as possible, individuals representing an organization are limited to a one-time slot and that organization may only present testimony at one hearing location. However, the hearings are public meetings of the Board and, therefore, members of the public are free to attend and observe the proceedings. Those registered to testify must provide 25 copies of their written testimony at the hearing. Registration and Questions Persons interested in presenting testimony must register with the Board office at ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov or (717) 787-3787, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Registrations must be submitted by noon on June 11, 2019. Registrations submitted via email must include your name, affiliation, phone number, email address, and the date and location of the hearing in which you would like to participate. Accessibility Individuals with disabilities who wish to attend a hearing and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to participate should contact Jenna DeNoyelles, ADA Coordinator, at (717) 783-9338 to discuss how the Board may best accommodate their needs. Persons with disabilities are invited to submit public comments in alternative formats such as Braille or taped testimony and by means of the telephone. Written and alternative formats of public comment will be afforded the same thoughtful consideration as oral remarks. Read the full notice.
December 12, 2018 Child Development Associate Courses Available In partnership with the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) is offering a series of courses that fulfill the educational training requirements for the infant-toddler, preschool, or renewal Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials. Additionally, a series of professional development courses are available that can be taken individually for required DHS training hours or as a full 3-hour college credit course. Available Courses Child Development Associate Based on the CDA pursued, students may choose from the following courses, which will be offered at the Youngwood campus and by Web Conferencing (video conference) to all WCCC education centers: Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – ECE 190-CDA May 13 – July 29, 2019, Web Conference Observation & Assessment – ECE 191-CDA January 15 —April 30, 2019 Choose one: Infant & Toddler Development – ECE 179-CDA April 15—July 29, 2019 Child Growth & Development – ECE 180-CDA April 4—July 25, 2019 For more information, see this flyer. Early Childhood Professional Development Child Health, Safety & Nutrition – ECE 190-KU January 16 – May 1, 2019, Westmoreland-New Kensington For a listing of all available courses, see this flyer. Certification and Costs Each course is three college credits and can be applied towards an Associate degree at Westmoreland County Community College. The initial certifications require three courses, while renewal requires one course. The additional work experience, portfolio, and professional requirements required by the CDA Council must be completed independently by the candidates. Tuition is $210 per course (or $14 per class) and $100 for the textbook. Rising STARS Tuition Assistance and the TEACH Scholarship are both accepted. Registration To register, call 1.800.262.2103, ext. 4204. Questions Questions should be directed to: Dr. Brandi Weekley at 724.925.6715 or weekleyb@westmoreland.edu. Vicki Hricik at 724.925.4013 or hricikv@westmoreland.edu.
August 1, 2018 Certified Child Care Provider Renewals Certified child care providers in Pennsylvania are subject to an annual inspection of their facility. Upon completion of the inspection, the provider will be notified of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s findings on an inspection summary report. For more information on what to expect during the renewal inspection process, watch this video. Families can use the Online Child Care Provider Search to review certification information about a provider, including the provider’s certificate status, verified complaints and inspection results.
