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.
OCDEL Announces Child Care Reimbursement Changes The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced the Child Care Works (CCW) program will both lift the base rate freeze for STAR 1 and STAR 2 providers, as well as, apply a general Maximum Child Care Allowance (MCCA) base rate increase of 2.5% across all counties, provider types, STAR levels, and care levels effective August 1, 2018. Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) will contact providers in July or August to both gather their program’s current private pay rates and to sign updated provider agreements. If a program serves children in Philadelphia or Allegheny County, they will receive this information through their Child Care Information Service Office. OCDEL is requesting that early learning providers be responsive to the ELRCs when they reachout around the provider agreements. Shared via The PA Key.
June 12, 2018 Free Child Care Approved for City Employees Mayor William Peduto will sign legislation approved June 12, 2018 by Pittsburgh City Council to provide free, on-site child care for city employees and those attending designated community events. The legislation will cover the costs of child care at up 15 days per year that the Pittsburgh Public Schools have scheduled closure days but are City of Pittsburgh work days: such days could include in-service days, certain holidays and parent-teacher conference days. Child care on such days would be provided at the City-County Building. Child care will also be provided at up to 20 citywide community events, such as Capital Budget hearings, as designated by the Mayor’s Office. The services will be provided under a contract with Flexable LLC, a pop-up child care company, at a cost not to exceed $43,875. All Flexable caregivers have pediatric safety training and state-mandated clearances. The Mayor submitted the child care legislation to Council on May 21. (shared via the Office of the Mayor)
