News

May 7, 2020

Help Allegheny County Plan for the Future

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of all Allegheny County residents. While we cannot be certain what the future holds, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) is looking to prepare for different contingencies. By beginning their preparation now, ACDHS seeks to ensure its systems are ready to adapt quickly as the situation continues to progress.

With this, ACDHS is seeking community survey responses to better understand residents’ experiences and challenges during this difficult time.

Survey Opportunities

ACDHS has created several opportunities for community members to share their ideas on how to help people in Allegheny County during COVID-19 and beyond. Opportunities include the following:

More Information

To learn more, visit their survey webpage. For more information on COVID-19, please visit our regularly updated COVID-19 news-feed.

News

December 16, 2019

PDO Needs Assessment Survey: Upcoming Deadline

Early care and education professionals in southwestern Pennsylvania are being asked to take the Professional Development Organization (PDO) Needs Assessment Survey.

About

From now through December 31, 2019, PDOs are performing a needs assessment with early childhood professionals by region and will develop a strategic plan and timetable for each. The survey will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Responses will be used to finalize the work plan and timeline for the Southwest and other regions that Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania will serve. Following this period, community outreach will begin. Click here to take complete the survey.

During this transition, professionals who wish to obtain their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential can find credit-bearing coursework through Westmoreland County Community College and Harrisburg Area Community College.

PDOs

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced the selection of its six regional PDOs in October 2019. The PDOs were created to coordinate and facilitate access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for early care and education professionals in Pennsylvania. PDOs support direct access across each service region for the early childhood workforce to participate in continuing education through a mixed delivery model and coordinate with the Early Learning Resource Centers in improving the quality of early learning programs.

The regional PDO selection for the Southwest region is Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. The Shippensburg PDO also supports the Central, Northeast, and Northwest regions. See the regional PDO map here.

More Information

To learn more about PDOs, read the Pennsylvania Key’s announcement.

*Information provided by OCDEL

News

October 4, 2019

Changes to Fire Safety Inspections & Standards for Child Care Facilities

Following the fire at a child care facility that claimed the lives of five children, Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller announced efforts to enhance fire safety at all Pennsylvania child care facilities and strengthen DHS’s regulatory authority and further protect children.

Updated Standards

Effective Sept. 16, 2019, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) requires its licensing staff to include fire safety checks in every initial inspection, renewal inspection, unannounced inspection, and complaint inspection. Licensing staff will require each facility operator to demonstrate an operable fire detection and prevention system, which includes the presence of operable smoke detectors on each floor of the facility and fire extinguishers in the kitchen or other cooking areas at minimum.

If an operator is unable to demonstrate such a system, DHS licensing staff will complete a complaint and deliver it to the Department of Labor & Industry or local officials. These officials have the authority to act against the facility. DHS also recommends that licensed child care facilities work with their local fire safety officials to meet compliance with fire safety codes. DHS will also cite the provider for a health and safety violation. These changes will also be codified in DHS’ child care regulations moving forward.

In September, DHS conducted a fire safety initiative call campaign to collect information from family child care providers and alert them to the department’s fire prevention efforts. This campaign surveyed family child care providers about their fire prevention systems and emergency plans, including evacuation plans for children in overnight care. DHS will use the information gathered to inform ongoing efforts to enhance fire safety at Pennsylvania child care facilities.

More Information

For more information, read the full PA Key newsletter.

To learn more about child care in Pennsylvania and view inspection history for licensed providers, visit the COMPASS website.

*Information provided via The Pennsylvania Key

News

August 2, 2019

PA DHS Announces KinConnector Helpline

On August 1, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (PA DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Aging Secretary Robert Torres announced a helpline for families in kinship care situations, including grandparents raising their grandchildren because of the opioid crisis.

About

The KinConnector helpline was created by Act 89 of 2018, which established a kinship navigator program for Pennsylvania. KinConnector will act as a bridge that helps families identify resources, including gaining access to local, state, and federal resources. The KinConnector helpline is staffed by Kinship Navigators–compassionate, knowledgeable social service professionals prepared to help families locate, understand, and access resources that may be able to help them. This helpline, however, is just the beginning. A website of resources is set to launch in late 2019.

KinConnector Helpline

KinConnector can be reached by calling 1.866.KIN.2111 (1.866.546.2111). Assistance is available Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Services

Examples of provided services include:

- connecting caregivers to health, financial, and legal services,
- connecting caregivers to training and parenting advice,
- identifying local physical or behavioral services,
- identifying support groups,
- helping caregivers enroll a child in school,
- helping caregivers apply for federal, state, and local benefits such as CHIP and Social Security,
- and other services designed to support caregivers.

Why Kinship Matters

Kinship care is becoming more common in Pennsylvania, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings often stepping in to fill the role of parents who are seeking treatment or, in the most tragic cases, have died from the disease of addiction. Kinship care guardians often make a selfless choice to care for a young relative and ensure they receive care and support from a family member they know and trust, even when processing their own emotions around their family’s situation.

Children being cared for by relatives are less likely to end up in foster care and will experience better outcomes when they are living with a relative or someone they know. KinConnector will help ease the burden on these families and give them the tools and resources they need to be successful.

More Information

For more information on resources available for kinship families and grandparents raising grandchildren, visit dhs.pa.gov.

Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

News

July 9, 2019

DHS Licensed Providers: Plan of Correction Notice

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is offering training for all DHS licensed providers on completing a Plan of Correction (POC).

About

This free, live webinar training will focus on the elements needed for the foundation of an acceptable POC. It is strongly recommended that all facility staff involved in completing POCs attend one webinar session. Each scheduled webinar will last approximately one hour. Only one webinar should be attended, as the material covered will be the same in each session.

Webinar Dates

The dates for the webinars are as follows:

- Tuesday, July 16, 9:30 – 10: 30 a.m.
- Tuesday, July 16, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 17, 10:30 – 11: 30 a.m.
- Wednesday, July 17, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 23, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 24, 10:30 – 11: 30 a.m.
- Wednesday, July 24, 1:30 – 2: 30 p.m.
- Thursday, July 25, 9:30 – 10: 30 a.m.

Registration

To register for a training session, visit the registration web page.

Space is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. After registering, you will receive a link to connect you to the webinar training.

Unable to Attend?

If you are unable to attend one of these webinar sessions, DHS will be offering a similar training in a self-paced format in late July 2019. Additional information will be shared on how to access the self-paced training in the future.

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

News

July 5, 2019

General Assistance Program Ending August 1, 2019

As required by Act 12 of 2019, which amended 62 P.S. § 403.2(a), the General Assistance program will end on August 1, 2019. No General Assistance cash assistance will be dispersed after July 31, 2019.

Additional Benefits Information

Current General Assistance recipients were notified of this change via mail. If they are currently receiving other benefits like Medical Assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), those benefits will continue. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will notify clients before making changes to other benefits for any reason.

This change will likely result in an additional need for resources from charitable and social service organizations around the commonwealth. DHS is working closely with their partners to identify potential resources for people affected by this change.

Receiving Benefits

If you, someone you know, or someone you work with currently receives or thinks they qualify for General Assistance, they may qualify for other benefits. Individuals can contact their local County Assistance Office or apply online via COMPASS at www.compass.state.pa.us.

More Information

For more information, contact the DHS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462.

TDD Services are available at 1-800-451-5886.

*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

News

January 16, 2019

DHS Will Issue February SNAP Benefits Early

On January 8, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) notified states that February benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be fully funded.

In order to receive funding however, February benefits must be issued by January 20, 2019. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has determined that they will be able to issue February SNAP benefits by January 20 in order to meet the federally imposed deadline. Below is what you need to know about SNAP benefits in January and February.

Receiving February Benefits

All SNAP recipients who did not have a renewal due in January, or whose renewal for January was completed by January 14, will receive their February benefits on their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards on January 18, 2019.

For those (with January renewals due) who completed their renewal after January 14, February benefits will be available on their EBT card one day after their renewal is processed.

What This Means for SNAP Recipients

These benefits will be the only benefit payment SNAP recipients will receive for the month of February. Recipients will not receive a payment on their regularly scheduled February payment date. This payment is not a bonus or increase in a recipient’s monthly payment. Rather, this payment is their benefit for the month of February.

Recipients will need to make this early payment last through an undefined period of time if the government shutdown persists. DHS is awaiting further guidance from the USDA regarding the availability of benefits for March. Because of this, recipients experiencing food insecurity may have greater challenges during this period. This will likely result in a higher number of individuals seeking aid from charitable food organizations around the commonwealth.

Applications and Renewals

DHS will continue to accept SNAP applications and process renewal applications. Recipients should continue reporting any changes and should submit the semi-annual reviews or renewals that they receive. DHS will continue to issue benefits to applicants found eligible in February until they are told to stop issuing by USDA.

Questions and Concerns

All County Assistance Offices remain open and staff are available to assist applicants and recipients during this time.

For any questions about benefits, please contact the statewide customer service center at 1.877.395.8930. For residents of Philidelphia, contact 1.215.560.7226.

Resources

For any individual seeking additional food assistance, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has compiled a list of community resources and organizations.

News

December 13, 2018

DHS Releases Request for Information

The Department of Human Services (DHS) recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to explore existing individual or family needs assessments, methods of connecting individuals and families to community resources, and models for providing whole-person or whole-family case management.

Purpose

The department recognizes the frustration individuals and families may experience while trying to access much-needed services in a timely manner when receiving case management from multiple agencies. DHS wants to make it easier for individuals to obtain meaningful information and access to the services they need to achieve overall wellbeing, positive health outcomes, and financial self-sufficiency. Their goal is to build a system that addresses each family’s needs and amplifies the work of health care providers and community organizations.

Submissions and Deadlines

If your organization has experience in any of the areas outlined in this RFI, respond by January 18, 2019 by visiting the Pennsylvania eMarketplace website.

*Information provided by PA Early Ed News

News

October 18, 2018

Comment On Proposed Changes To Child Care Regulations

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced that the proposed changes to the Child Care Regulations at 55 Pa. Code, Chapters 3270, 3280 and 3290 are now available for review. The proposed changes can be viewed in the PA Bulletin.

All public comments must be submitted in writing by the closing date of the public comment period on November 13, 2018. All comments, suggestions or objections must reference the Regulation Chapter, Number, Section, and Subsection.

Submit

Via email: RA-PWCCRegChanges@pa.gov

Via fax: 717-787-1529

Via mail:

Tamula Ferguson
Bureau of Certification Services
Office of Development and Early Learning
Department of Human Services
333 Market Street, 6th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the AT&T Relay Service at 1-800-654-5984 (TDD users) or 1-800-654-5988 (voice users).

A public hearing will be held in Harrisburg at PaTTAN Harrisburg (6340 Flank Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112) on November 2, 2018. The hearing begins at 10:00 AM. Registration is required and can be completed on the PA Department of Human Services site.

Current regulations can be viewed on the PA Department of Human Services site.

News

June 11, 2018

Pilot Begins for Professional Development Verification Program

The PA Key and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Certification are partnering to pilot verifying professional development currently coordinated by the Registry and are choosing several programs to test this process beginning July 1, 2018.

To ensure one’s PD Registry profile is ready for the DHS Certification, the following steps should be taken:

Directors/Administrators: Create an organization profile. If you already have an active profile, it will appear and allow you to update any information.
Login and complete your profile. Your profile is a representation of your professional career. You can add your education and past work history.
Add your employment. To add your employment, click the “Employment” tab on the top navigation bar. Your director will verify that you are employed by your current center.
Locate your Professional Development Learning Record. Certificates are a thing of the past in the new PD Registry. Your Professional Development Learning Record will replace individual certificates and serves as one place for all your completed professional development to live.

For tip sheets, visit the PA Key website.