News

November 17, 2020

Provide Your Feedback: Subsidized Child Care Eligibility

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) are accepting public comments through December 14, 2020 for proposed changes to the current subsidized child care eligibility regulations.

About

Proposed changes to the subsidized child care eligibility regulations at 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3041 might impact families, children, and early childhood education providers. The proposed changes include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • expanded eligibility period of 12 months;
    • expanded eligibility to cover hours the parent or caretaker requires sleep following completion of overnight work shift;
    • no changes to the amounts of subsidy and co-payment for the duration of the eligibility period, unless to the family’s benefit;
    • abolished the requirement for the parent or caretaker to pay an advanced co-pay prior to enrollment;
    • children who turn 13 during the eligibility period will continue to receive the subsidy until the eligibility period ends;
    • codifying payment practices permitting tiered reimbursement for providers who voluntarily exceed the basic health and safety requirements;
    • codifying payment practices based on enrollment and not attendance, to include increasing the number of permitted absences from 25 to 50 per fiscal year;
    • after five consecutive days absent, the child maintains eligibility, but the enrollment is suspended until the child returns to care; and
    • establishment of waiver provisions and periods of presumptive eligibility for particular populations, including victims of domestic violence and families experiencing homelessness.

How To Submit A Comment

All public comments must be submitted in writing by December 14, 2020. All comments, suggestions, or objections should reference the regulation number, section, and subsection. Comments can be submitted using the following methods:

    • fax your comments to 717.214.6575; or
    • mail your comments to:Michael Ordonez
      Office of Child Development and Early Learning
      333 Market Street, 6th Floor
      Harrisburg, PA 17126

If you would like to receive a response, please include your contact information when submitting.

More Information

For information about the current regulations, visit the Pennsylvania Code website. To view the latest issue, read Volume 50 Number 46.

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News

November 16, 2020

DHS Warns of Potential Pandemic EBT Benefit Scam

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is warning of a possible scam concerning Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits and reminding Pennsylvanians to be skeptical of unsolicited or random calls or text messages about public-assistance programs – especially when the calls or text messages solicit personal information, such as Social Security numbers.

About

DHS is investigating a report of individuals receiving calls with pre-recorded messages advising them to expedite their P-EBT benefits issuance by providing their Social Security number and case record number. In the message, the speaker claims to be from a County Assistance Office (CAO).

DHS and other government agencies do not ask for information about P-EBT, SNAP, or any other public-assistance programs via unsolicited or random calls or texts, and Pennsylvanians should not reply to such a call or text or share any personal information if they are contacted in this way. If you or anyone you work with receive unsolicited or random calls or text messages telling you that you qualify for assistance and then asking for personal information, it is most likely a scam. Do not respond. Delete the message so you do not get caught in an identity theft scam.

Pennsylvanians who have questions about whether a call, text, letter, or other communication is legitimate should contact DHS’ Office of Income Maintenance. Clients in Philadelphia should call the Philadelphia Customer Service Center at 215.560.7226. Clients in all other counties can call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1.877.395.8930.

Apply for Benefits

Applications for the SNAP and other public assistance programs can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us. All Pennsylvanians experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic, a lost job, or a change in income are strongly encouraged to apply and see if they qualify for assistance with food, health care, and other essential needs.

More Information

For more information, read the full press release. To learn about food assistance resources for people around Pennsylvania impacted by COVID-19 and the accompanying economic insecurity, visit the Department of Agriculture’s food security guide.

*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

News

September 17, 2020

Allegheny County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Plan

In September 2020, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health released a plan and guidance on in-person Early Intervention (EI) services for infants and toddlers in the county. These documents were developed to inform EI program providers and participants of the strategies that will be implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as in-person services resume.

About

Because in-person Early Intervention services are provided in people’s homes and communities, the successful implementation of in-person services relies heavily on the team effort or EI professionals and participating families to follow the health and safety guidelines detailed in the Allegheny County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Health and Safety Plan for Resuming In-Person Services. Program staff will work with families to offer quality Early Intervention services in the safest manner feasible.

In addition to this plan, Allegheny County EI Providers and the EI SC Entity are expected to follow the Allegheny County Guidance for Conducting In-Person Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services which outlines how and when EI in-person service provision will be carried out in Allegheny County during the Red, Yellow, and Green phases of reopening in Pennsylvania.

These plans and guidelines were informed by existing best practice guidance from numerous sources, including the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of Governor Tom Wolf, and local Allegheny County government officials.

Featured Topics

The Allegheny County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Health and Safety Plan for Resuming In-Person Services features information on numerous topics, including the following:

    • required training and education;
    • health screenings and responses;
    • conducting in-person visits; and
    • EI Intervention Therapist and Provider caseload and staffing reviews.

More Information

For more information, read the full plan and guidance. Early Intervention providers are encouraged to share this document and its content on their websites and social media platforms.

News

June 19, 2020

Public Discussion: Services for Families in Allegheny County

What does your community need? How can the Allegheny County Department of Human Services help meet those needs? You are invited to share your ideas and suggestions at a virtual Human Services Block Grant Public Meeting. All input will inform the 2020-21 Human Services Block Grant Plan.

Available Sessions

Join a Session

There are three ways to participate in a virtual meeting:

  1. To hear the live audio, see the live video, and participate in the Q&A, join on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. You may be instructed to download an app called Microsoft Teams. If prompted to sign in, you may choose whether to do so or join anonymously.
  2. To hear the live audio only, call 267.368.7515. The access code for Monday’s meeting is 172 596 105# and the access code for Tuesday’s meeting is 746 312 327#.
  3. To watch the recordings at your convenience, visit the Allegheny County website. The recordings will be posted within 24 to 48 hours after the meetings.

More Information

Allegheny County DHS makes reasonable efforts to accommodate people with disabilities or limited-English-proficiency. Closed captioning in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic will be available when joining the meeting on a PC or Mac.

For questions, comments, or ideas, contact DHS-Ideas@AlleghenyCounty.US.

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

April 17, 2020

CHIP Will Maintain Enrollment During COVID-19 Crisis

On April 15, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that it is “making temporary changes to Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to keep families enrolled in CHIP for the duration of the public health emergency and to ease access to medical services for children being screened or receiving treatment for COVID-19.

What is CHIP?

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is Pennsylvania’s program to provide health insurance to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance. For most families, the program is free. Families with incomes above the free CHIP limits pay low monthly premiums and copays for some services.

CHIP covers any uninsured child or teen up to the age of 19 and guarantees 12 months of coverage unless the family no longer meets basic eligibility requirements. There is not a waiting list to enroll in the program. Caregivers must renew their coverage every year to continue receiving services. To learn more and apply, visit the CHIP webpage.

Included Changes

The following changes to CHIP will be in effect until the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency:

    • Families will not be denied or disenrolled from coverage for administrative or financial reasons. An example of an administrative reason would be not being able to provide proof of income.
    • Families will not pay a copay for services that are for COVID-19 screenings, testing, or treatment.
    • Families who cannot provide paperwork to verify information on an application or renewal can provide self-attestation of information by signing the application or renewal.
    • Families will be given more time to pay premiums, if needed.

These changes were made due to the economic and financial hardship that many families across the Commonwealth are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, families must still provide verification of information provided on an application and are still responsible for copays for services not related to COVID-19.

Families will still be required to pay premiums, if applicable. However, if a family is unable to pay due to a decrease in or loss of income, that family must contact their managed care organization immediately and can request a reassessment because of an income change at any time.

More Information

For more information, read the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ full press release.

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

October 2, 2019

Governor Wolf Releases Report on Infant Toddler Support

Governor Tom Wolf released a report detailing seven Ready to Start Task Force priorities that were developed to better support the long-term success of infants, toddlers, and families in Pennsylvania.

Ready to Start Task Force

The Governor’s Ready to Start Task Force was created in September 2018 to “develop a framework of strategies to address health, human services, and education policy for infants and toddlers ages birth to three in Pennsylvania.” Led by six Governor-appointed co-chairs, the Task Force facilitated “six regional roundtable listening sessions with members of the Administration and approximately 150 stakeholders who represent early care and education providers, health care practitioners, research organizations, workforce development, state and local government, foundations, employers, postsecondary educators, and community-based organizations.”

At these sessions, stakeholders responded to three key questions on family and child health, home environments, and future school success. The Governor also provided an online feedback form to receive ideas and thoughts from the community. Through these methods, the Task Force identified a list of key themes and findings, from which the four-year framework report was created.

Priorities

Governor’s Ready to Start Task Force: A Four-Year Framework to Support Pennsylvania’s Infants and Toddlers” lists seven key priorities, all of which include specific goals that guide Pennsylvania “to a stronger future for the Commonwealth’s infants, toddlers, and their families.”

    • Increase the Availability of High-Quality Child Care and Home Visiting Service Slots
    • Improve Early Intervention Quality and Streamlining to Enhance Availablity, Alignment, Integration, and Coordination of Services
    • Increase Recruitment, Retention, Development, Support, and Training of Early Childhood Education Professionals
    • Better Utilize Medicaid, CHIP, and State Regulatory Powers to Address the Risks to Infants and Toddlers Posed by Harmful Environmental Contaminants
    • Promote Education, Engagement, and Support of Parents and Families as Children’s First Teachers
    • Improve Information, Outreach, and Access to Services
    • Promote Sustainable Systems of Care to Support the Health and Wellbeing of All Children and Women of Child-Bearing Age

Next Steps

Moving forward, Governor Wolf will “establish a cross-sector ‘Ready to Start’ Workgroup comprised of agency and external stakeholders that will be responsible for establishing measurable goals and ensuring progress on the framework priorities and recommendations.” Meeting monthly, the Workgroup will engage with other state groups in fields that intersect with the priorities.

Learn More

To learn more, read the full report.

*Information provided by the Office of Governor Tom Wolf

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