October 27, 2025 Rapid Response Team to Continue Offering Services in Allegheny County Trying Together and ELRC Region 5’s Rapid Response Team will continue to offer services for Allegheny County families and providers, despite the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announcing earlier this month that it would no longer be able to support the initiative in the same capacity due to changes in federal funding. Learn More Deysi Keegan, the Rapid Response Team’s assistant director, said that the changes at the state and federal level would not prevent the team from performing its work. “The Rapid Response Team is dedicated to continuing this vital work – supporting children, families, and educators through timely, compassionate, and collaborative interventions,” she said. “Our goal is to build understanding, strengthen relationships, and promote environments where every child feels seen, supported, and capable of success.” The Rapid Response Team is a short-term service that provides hands-on coaching for educators and resources for families and caregivers to prevent the expulsion or suspension of children in early childhood education. It serves children from birth to age 5 as well as their teachers and families or caregivers. The team utilizes principles of early relational health and social-emotional development of young children as well as building the capacities of adults to utilize positive approaches to address behavioral challenges and family engagement and relationships. The team contacts the provider or family within 48 hours once a referral is made. If a child is in immediate danger or suspension or expulsion, the team will take part in a meeting or virtual observation. If a child has already been suspended, the team will provide the child’s family and child care with resources. “When children are experiencing big behaviors, they are communicating important needs, emotions, or challenges that they may not yet have the words to express,” Keegan said. “It is essential that the adults in their lives take the time to listen, observe, and understand what those behaviors are telling us. By responding with empathy and curiosity instead of judgment, we can create the safety and connection children need to thrive.” In a statement, OCDEL said that it was “deeply grateful for the impactful work and success of the Rapid Response Teams.” “Unfortunately, due to changes in federal funding, OCDEL will no longer be able to support the RRT initiative in the same capacity,” the statement read. “OCDEL knows this has been a great support to the early childhood education field, and is considering opportunities to continue this sort of work in new and meaningful ways.” Caregivers of children whom the Rapid Response Team has assisted praised its approach. “My family and I worked with the Rapid Response Team to support my son and his preschool program,” said the mother of a student whom the team helped. “I really appreciated the approach that the Rapid Response Team had with the situation and the way they partnered well with the child care center. I liked that we worked together as a team to create a plan that stayed consistent between home and my son’s classroom. This type of resource is invaluable for families and early learning programs to support the growth and development of children.”
October 17, 2025 Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA Surveys Find Devastating Impacts from Budget Impasse Recent surveys conducted by the Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA campaigns and the Pennsylvania Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of early childhood providers found widespread, devastating impacts resulting from the state’s budget impasse. Learn More The surveys found that 95 Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program providers in 32 counties have collectively taken on nearly $20 million in loans to continue serving working families while state funding has been frozen. Many of the loans were business lines of credit taken out at an average interest rate of 7.5%, while others have been personal loans with higher interest rates. Many providers indicated that loans will only sustain operations for a short period of time and the accumulated interest liability may have severe consequences for future operations. “This survey represents just a small portion of early learning providers, but it is clear that the continued state budget impasse is further destabilizing a sector that was already in the midst of a crisis with financial and staffing challenges,” said Kara McFalls, executive director of the Pennsylvania Head Start Association. “Early learning providers cannot withstand additional insecurity.” While numerous providers have taken on debt to keep classrooms open, others have been forced to take more dramatic measures, such as layoffs and closing classrooms completely. Through outreach across 21 grantees operating Pre-K Counts or Head Start programs in 16 state counties, OCDEL documented closures, planned closures, or delayed openings of classrooms that affect more than 4,000 slots in Pennsylvania. As a result, working families across the state are struggling to arrange and pay for alternate care for their children during working hours. Both Pre-K Counts and Head Start are free programs for qualifying families. “Shutting our youngest learners out of classrooms will certainly have negative impacts on school readiness for this cohort of three- and four-year-olds in years to come,” said Robert S. Carl, Jr., president of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. “It’s time to compromise and pass a budget that invests in the early learning workforce.” Previous surveys have documented thousands of unfilled early learning teaching positions due to low pay. Providers fear that closures and layoffs resulting from the state budget impasse will exacerbate these staffing challenges and further destabilize programs. Polling from March 2025 shows that Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support increased state funding for early learning programs – including 83% support to allocate state funding to increase child care worker wages, 73% support to increase funding to serve more eligible children in pre-k programs, 73% support to increase funding to help more low-income families afford high-quality child care, and 72% to allocate funding to increase compensation for pre-k teachers. Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA urge state lawmakers to pass a final budget that includes: A $55 million investment in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to grant licensed child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program with $1,000 per educator $17 million in additional funding for Pre-K Counts $9.5 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program A $16.2 million increase for infant/toddler Early Intervention and a $38.1 million increase for preschool Early Intervention
October 8, 2025 Trying Together to Host Office Hours on 2025 Child Care Market Rate Survey Trying Together’s Policy Team will host four upcoming office hours to discuss the importance of completing the 2025 Child Care Market Rate Survey and to offer support and answer questions. Learn More Every three years, the Market Rate Survey helps the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to set child care subsidy payment rates that are reflective of the private pay market. The survey’s purpose is also about understanding the private pay tuition rates that programs charge to operate and that families are willing to pay. Even if a survey respondent doesn’t serve children on subsidy, their participation helps the field and may increase the payments to providers. More programs completing the survey means that Pennsylvania has more information about program needs and what families are paying. This can help to make the case for greater investment in early care and education that will affect all programs. The survey is open through Monday, December 8. Trying Together’s office hours to discuss the survey include: Thursday, October 23 from 6 p.m. to 7p.m. Thursday, October 30 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 12 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Office hour attendees who confirm that they completed the survey will be entered into a raffle to receive a gift card. Those interested in attending should register to attend one of the office hours sessions. Those interested in attending Trying Together’s office hours can sign up online.
September 16, 2025 OCDEL’s Latest Confluence Podcast Tackles Market Rate Survey The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released a new Confluence podcast that focuses on the Market Rate Survey. Learn More In the podcast, Phil Sirinides, Penn State’s director of the Institute of State and Regional Affairs, and Luisa Oliva-Wolf, director of OCDEL’s Bureau of Policy and Professional Development, discuss the importance of the survey and how its data benefits child care providers across the state. Results from the state’s Child Care Market Rate Survey are used by OCDEL to evaluate future child care programming and policy decisions. All licensed child care providers in Pennsylvania that charge private pay tuition rates are encouraged to participate in the survey by Dec. 8. More information about the survey is available on The Pennsylvania Key website. For assistance with the survey, email ChildCareResearch@psu.edu or call 814-865-1775. To listen to the episode, visit the Confluence podcast’s website.
September 8, 2025 OCDEL Asks Licensed Child Care Providers Charging Private Pay Rates to Take Survey The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is requesting that licensed child care providers who charge private pay tuition rates complete a survey between Sept. 8 and Dec. 8. Learn More OCDEL is required to collect up-to-date tuition information from all licensed providers every three years. The 2025 Child Care Market Rate Survey helps OCDEL set child care subsidy payment rates that are reflective of the private pay market. Even programs that don’t accept subsidies should fill out the survey. When all providers complete the survey, the date gives a more accurate picture of child care tuition rates across Pennsylvania. Benefits of filling out the survey include: The results help to set payment rates for child care subsidies over the next few years. When more providers respond, rates are more fair and reflect real tuition rates. It supports policies that better reflect the real structure and value of child care services statewide. It strengthens the case for public investment in child care for everyone. If you don’t respond, decisions may be based on other programs that don’t reflect your rates. Participants who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle and could win a gift card. A total of 100 winners will each get a $100 e-gift card. Surveys can be filled out online or on paper. A paper copy of the survey will be sent in mid-September to all programs that have not yet completed the survey online. Surveys should be returned in the pre-paid return envelopes that are provided. Or, those taking the survey can scan or take photos of it and submit it to ChildCareResearch@psu.edu. It is being conducted by the Institute of State and Regional Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg, in partnership with OCDEL and the Pennsylvania Key. The survey should be filled out between Sept. 8 and Dec. 8.
August 29, 2025 OCDEL Announces Update on Children Being Picked Up and Dropped Off at School The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement to update certified child care providers on rules regarding care and supervision when children are picked up and dropped off at school. Learn More Under state law, children on facility premises are to be supervised by a staff person at all times. Supervision during pick-up and drop-off times for children must be clearly defined to ensure the safety and accountability of children and child care providers. OCDEL’s announcement includes updates on transfers from child care to school and school to child care: Child care to school: Unless otherwise stated in a written agreement signed by a caregiver, care and supervision are the responsibility of the child care facility until the child gets on a school bus or enters the school building. The transfer of child care processes or policy must be documented in the child care agreement or handbook. School to child care: Supervision by the child care facility begins when the child exits the school bus, once the child enters the child care bus or van, or when a staff member arrives to walk the child to the child care facility. To avoid gaps in supervision, all transportation arrangements that allow for unsupervised travel must be clearly stated, approved, and signed off by the caregiver. If, for example, a child is permitted to walk independently to school or the bus stop, this must be clearly stated in the child care agreement or handbook. Transfer of care processes or policy must be accompanied by a signed receipt from the caregiver documenting that they have received and read the handbook. For more information, read OCDEL’s announcement.
August 26, 2025 Early Childhood Educators Should Ensure Clearances, Mandated Reporter Training Updated for New School Year With the 2025-26 school year beginning, it’s time for educators to ensure that they are up-to-date on mandated reporter training and clearances. Some resources to help with this include Pennsylvania’s page for clearances and background checks, the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) announcement earlier this year on the Child Protective Services Law, and iLookOut, where they can find new online courses. Clearances Mandated reporter training is required every five years and is based on the date of an individual’s last certification. Under state law, public school employees are required to provide updated clearances every 60 months – or, five years. The three clearances include: Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check Federal Criminal History Record Information Clearances must be obtained for employees of child care facilities, any individual with ownership interest in a certified child care facility and those who participate in the organization, any legal entity applying to open a new certified child care facility, or any individual residing in a certified child care facility. More information on the background checks can be found on the state’s website. OCDEL Announcement Earlier this year, OCDEL Deputy Secretary Shante A. Brown sent out an announcement to inform certified child care providers of the requirements for child care facilities in the state and to clarify provision hiring requirements for those hired on or after Feb. 1. Aside from clearances, the announcement covered the following mandated reporter training topics: the minimum number of hours, providing evidence of completion, and the timeframes for obtaining or renewing the training. iLookOut Lastly, early educators looking to update mandated reporter training should visit the iLookOut for Child Abuse Project, which provides online courses about protecting and supporting children and their families free of charge. Visitors to the site will learn how to support at-risk children and meet required training with interactive, video-based storyline training. The site includes eight- to 12-minute micro-learning exercises and is available to all Pennsylvania-mandated reporters. iLookOut is a multimedia, online learning program that prepares mandated reporters to meet their professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities for identifying and reporting suspected child abuse. It engages learners through real-life scenarios incorporating video and narrative that raise concerns about possible child abuse.
August 6, 2025 Pennsylvania Selected to Participate in Action Research Partnership Initiative The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced that Pennsylvania has been chosen as one of three states to participate in the National ECE Workforce Center’s Action Research Partnership, a yearlong initiative to drive meaningful systems change for the early childhood education workforce. Learn More Through this initiative, OCDEL will reimagine Pennsylvania’s ECE Career Pathway in collaboration with providers and in direct response to feedback from the field. The initiative is a direct response to what has been heard from early childhood education professionals across the state. Providers, educators, and community stakeholders have voiced the importance of honoring experience, reducing barriers to advancement, and recognizing the full scope of skills and roles within the field. The goal is to create a more comprehensive, flexible, and supportive system that recognizes the true value and complexity of the early childhood education profession. The effort builds on work already underway, including human-centered design workshops, extensive community engagement, and insights from OCDEL’s recent workforce study. As part of the Action Research Partnership, OCDEL will receive targeted support, collaborate with national peers, and work closely with a dedicated change team of state leaders, educators, and partners across sectors. The aim is to build a system that centers the voices of early educators, supporting recruitment, retention, and long-term growth in early childhood education across the state.
July 16, 2025 OCDEL Invests in Early Care and Education Professional Development Initiative The Office of Child Development and Early Learning announced its Early Care and Education Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) initiative that is aimed at building capacity within the state’s early childhood education workforce. Learn More OCDEL will invest $13 million in federal funding to support a comprehensive system of credit-bearing coursework, credential, and degree attainment for early childhood education professionals throughout the state. Following a recompete process, three professional development organizations have been chosen to support six regions across Pennsylvania: Philadelphia and Southeast Region: Public Health Management Corporation Central Region, Northeast Region, and Southwest Region: Shippensburg University Northwest Region: Northwest Institute of Research Early Care and Education Professional Development Organizations facilitate access to credit-bearing, stackable, and portable coursework and credentials, including CDSs, associate and bachelor’s degrees. They work to provide access to learning opportunities and coordinate regionally tailored supports that meet the diverse needs of early childhood education professionals. Programs offered through the ECE PDOs align with the state’s Early Childhood Educator Career and Educational Pathway. For more information or to connect with a regional PDO, visit The Pennsylvania Key’s Professional Development Organizations page.
July 1, 2025 OCDEL Releases Announcement on NAEYC Accreditation Standards, Keystone STARS Alternate Pathways The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement regarding changes to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation standards and system and implications for Keystone STARS Alternate Pathways. Learn More The announcement shares information on how changes to NAEYC will affect early care and education providers using NAEYC accreditation as a Keystone STARS, OCDEL-approved, Alternate Pathway to a STAR 4 designation. As of March 3, NAEYC began using a new tiered system of accreditation. The three tiers included: Recognition: NAEYC defined this as the first step to high quality. It requires a documentation review, and a one-year term is renewed annually. Accreditation: Requires a documentation review and there is potential for a random site visit. It has a five-year term with annual reporting required. Accreditation +: This requires a documentation review and site visit, and there’s potential for a random site visit. This has a five-year term with annual reporting required. Impact of Accreditation Changes on STARTS Designation Following an internal review of NAEYC’s new accreditation standards and tiers, OCDEL established that the Accreditation + tier will be acknowledged as an approved Alternate Pathway to a STAR 4 designation. The NAEYC tiers of Recognition or Accreditation will not serve as OCDEL-approved Alternate Pathways to higher STARS designations. Programs that are currently NAEYC accredited will transition to the Accreditation + tier and will not see any impact on their STAR 4 Alternate Pathway designation. If these programs experienced a drop in their NAEYC accreditation status to one of the lower tiers, they would also be designated as a STAR 1. Programs that want to move up in STAR levels can do so by using the Keystone STARS Performance Standards or achieving the highest NAEYC accreditation tier of Accreditation +. Programs using an OCDEL-approved Alternate Pathway to a higher STAR level must complete all requirements for Keystone STARS as explained in the ELRC Policy Announcement 21 #08. Next Steps All programs currently using or planning to use NAEYC as an Alternate Pathway to a STAR 4 designation should: Review the information contained in the OCDEL announcement. Complete any upcoming Keystone STARS designation renewals as required. Review their current Accreditation VUD to determine their NAEYC renewal status. For questions regarding NAEYC standards, assessments or processes, email accreditation.information@naeyc.org or call 1-800-424-2460. Programs are encouraged to discuss their Keystone STARS designation with their quality coach. ELRCs should review the information in the OCDEL announcement and direct any questions to their program representative.
