November 29, 2021 CCW Non-Traditional Care Add-On Rates Beginning January 2022 Beginning January 1, 2022, PA Department of Human Services certified child care providers who provide care to children receiving Child Care Works (CCW) during non-traditional hours will be eligible for a non-traditional care add-on rate. About DHS certified child care providers that provide care to children receiving CCW for at least two hours between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays or any amount of time on weekends will receive a non-traditional care add-on rate. These rate incentives will support providers that offer care outside of traditional hours, giving parents a safe place for their children and the security necessary to help parents return to work. The non-traditional care add-on only applies to the days that the non-traditional care takes place and not to any days the child only receives care during typical hours. The add-on rate will be 25% above the established subsidy base rate for each CCW child served during non-traditional hours. Keystone STAR designation does not impact this add-on. For details, read the full announcement by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).
April 28, 2021 Format Change for FBI Clearance Result Letter As of April 17, 2021, ChildLine has changed the format of the FBI Clearance Result letter. The major change observed in the new format is the consolidation of result boxes. Instead of the four checkboxes previously used on the letter, all result letters now display only two boxes and either “ELIGIBLE” or “INELIGIBLE” will be checked. Any agency that receives these result letters and wishes to verify the validity may contact ChildLine at 717-783-6211 or 1-877-371-5422. Childline cannot discuss the specific outcome for the applicant(s) with third parties, but can verify receipt of the new letter template. Information regarding clearances and fingerprinting can be found on the Department of Human Services website.
August 6, 2020 School-Age Funding Opportunity in Allegheny County If your Out-of-School-Time program needs funding support, check out this new school-age funding opportunity in Allegheny County. About With many Allegheny County schools starting the year full or partially remote, families with school-age children will face several challenges this fall. The critical work of Out-of-School-Time programs in supporting children and families is more important now than ever. The Allegheny Department of Human Services (DHS), Trying Together, and United Way’s Allegheny County Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST) joined forces to support your work. Funding is available for both in-person Community Learning Hubs, as well as Virtual Pods and Programming. Interested applicants should review the information below and apply by Friday, August 14. Funding Details Funding can be requested from Community Hub programming through December 31, 2020 for staffing, learning materials, personal protective equipment (masks), cleaning supplies, technology for staff only, building upgrades (wifi), transportation, and additional partners to provide enrichment activities and/or tutoring support. For Virtual Pods and Programming, funding will not exceed $50,000 per program for programming through December 31, 2020. This funding may be used for staffing, learning materials, online learning platforms, technology for staff and/or students, and additional partners to provide enrichment activities and/or tutoring support. Eligibility To receive funding, programs must meet a list of requirements, including requirements related to, but not limited to, staffing, enrollment, health, safety, and reporting. Before submitting an application, please review the full list of requirements carefully. Only apply if this is something you are committed to pursuing. If this is not the right fit for your program, there are many other ways to support children and families this year. Apply for Funding If your program is interested in providing this expanded service, please complete this online application form and submit a budget by Friday, August 14. Submit your budget to Amy Malen via email at amy.malen@alleghenycounty.us. Please note that there is no guarantee that funding will be available for all agencies that are interested in providing this service. DHS, Trying Together, and the United Way will review all applications submitted and assess how to best match interested agencies with specific needs and available funds. Funding will be available for both in-person and virtual offerings, however, priority will be given to in-person requests given child care needs. More Information For more information, please review this document.
December 7, 2019 PA DHS Releases 2019-2022 Strategic Plan The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) released its 2019-2022 Strategic Plan outlining methods to assist Pennsylvanians in achieving “safe, healthy, and productive lives while being an accountable steward of commonwealth resources.” About In an opening message from PA DHS Secretary Teresa Miller, Miller highlights the core values and mission of PA DHS, stating: “We strive every day to make sure…that every Pennsylvanian can be secure in the knowledge that they have somewhere to turn on that nearly inevitable day when they find themselves or a friend or family member struggling, perhaps with a physical or intellectual disability, addiction, cancer, abuse, mental illness, or any number of circumstances. DHS exists to protect and advocate for some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and we are steadfastly committed to that work.” With this, the plan highlights DHS’ Strategic Priorities to continue improving and streamlining its programs to fulfill its mission to “assist Pennsylvanians in achieving safe, healthy, and productive lives” and protect Pennsylvanians under the care of licensed providers. DHS Strategic Priorities The PA DHS Strategic Plan priorities include: providing every child with a strong foundation for physical and behavioral well-being; bending the health cost curve; enhancing access to health care and services that help Pennsylvanians lead healthy, productive lives; promoting accountable and transparent government. More Information For more information on DHS’ 2019-2022 Priorities, read the full Strategic Plan. To learn more about Trying Together, visit our Home page.
