News

March 5, 2025

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

September 9, 2024

Licensed Child Care Providers Can Apply for PA NAP SACC Wellness Grant

Licensed child care providers in Pennsylvania are encouraged to apply for the 2024-25 PA NAP SACC Wellness Grant.

To apply, providers must serve a minimum of four children, ages birth to five years. Past participants are also eligible to apply.

Learn More

The grant provides an opportunity to engage in a continuous quality improvement process focused on obesity prevention practices and policies in early care and education settings.

The program utilizes Go NAPSACC, an online, evidence-based tool, to guide self-assessment, action planning, implementation, policy development, re-self-assessment, and reflection. The process empowers program leadership and includes individualized technical assistance to increase knowledge and improve the quality of practice and policy.

Programs will be linked with a child care health consultant at no cost to the site. The consultant will review nutrition and physical activity practices and policies, assist with developing sustainable policies, and offer guidance for quality improvement.

Those who participate and complete grant requirements will receive up to $500 in grant funding. The funding can support staff time or any necessary materials and resources.

More Details

For STAR 3 and 4 programs, participation in all components of the PA NAP SACC Wellness Grant satisfies Keystone STARS performance standards for utilizing a healthcare consultant to establish and maintain health policies above those required by certification. It also satisfies bonus points area Partnerships with Families and Communities for participating in an organized effort to promote nutritional health for children.

Following the application period, applicants will be invited to participate in an Oct. 23 webinar from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. The webinar will be recorded and shared with all eligible applicants. After the webinar, program enrollment will be based on the first 50 programs to complete enrollment tasks outlined in the webinar.

How to Apply

Those interested in participating should complete and submit an online application or visit the Keystone Kids Go website. For questions or additional information, call Cindy Wilson at Tuscarora Intermediate Unit at 717-248-4942, ext. 143, or email cjwilson@tiu11.org.

The application deadline is Oct. 4.

News

July 22, 2024

Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program Covers Most Costs and Fees for Early Learning Professionals

Eligible early learning professionals can get most of their tuition costs and fees for courses covered by applying to the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program.

Learn More

The program pays 95% of tuition costs and fees for eligible college coursework taken by early learning professionals. There’s a maximum benefit of $8,000 per individual each fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30.

Tuition costs and fees obtained through other funding sources – such as scholarships, stipends, discounts, or grants, with the exception of the Pell Grant – are used to determine the amount of assistance. Those interested in applying are recommended to do so at least four weeks prior to the start of the course, or prior to the tuition due date – whichever comes first.

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must meet the following requirements:

They must be a Pennsylvania resident.
They must work a minimum of 20 hours weekly in a classroom setting or as a director, assistant director, or education coordinator.
They must work in a child care facility that holds a current Child Care License under the Department of Human Services (DHS) and demonstrate continuous employment for at least 12 months.
They must agree to continue to work in a Keystone STARS facility for two months for every credit supported by the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program with two months beginning at the conclusion of the course for which funding was received. Total time due will not exceed 24 months following the conclusion of the most recent course completed.
If they are child care center directors, assistant directors, family or group child care home owners/operators, they must earn less than $25 per hour or $52,000 annually.
If they are aides, assistant teachers, or teachers, they must earn less than $21.63 per hour or $45,000 annually.
They must be enrolled in credit-bearing courses at an in-state accredited institution toward an approved credential.
They must maintain a 3.0 GPA for the credit-bearing coursework toward a credential in which the student is enrolled.

For more information, including the required documents for applying, visit Keystone STARS’ Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program website.

News

July 1, 2024

Updated Keystone STARS Bonus Points Tip Sheets Now Available

The Keystone STARS policy team has recently worked with partner agencies to update its Bonus Points Tip Sheets.

Learn More

The updated tip sheets are now LIVE on the Pennsylvania Key’s Keystone STARS Resources webpage where there are links to the Bonus Point quality initiatives.

Significant updates were made to the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) tip sheets. PBIS is a framework for supporting social emotional development and addressing challenging behaviors in early childhood. It supports administrative teams to use implementation science and practical strategies to support staff and families.

Minor updates were made to the other tip sheets including: PA Eco Healthy Child Care; Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC Program); Farm to Early Care and Education; Child and Adult Care Food Program; and After School Quality.

Those with questions about the updates to the tip sheets should contact their ELRC quality coach.