November 21, 2025 Providers Charging Private Pay Rates Urged to Complete Market Rate Survey by Dec. 8 The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is reminding licensed child care providers who charge private pay tuition rates to complete the annual Market Rate Survey by Monday, December 8. Learn More OCDEL is required to collect up-to-date information from all licensed providers every three years. The 2025 Child Care Market Rate Survey helps OCDEL to 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 in Pennsylvania. Filling out the survey helps to set payment rates for child care subsidies over the next four years and supports policies that better reflect the real structure and value of child care services statewide. When more providers respond, rates are fairer and reflect real tuition rates. It also strengthens the case for public investment in child care for everyone. The survey 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 no later than December 8. Below, watch a video in which Shante Brown, deputy secretary at OCDEL, calls on providers to take part in the survey.
November 20, 2025 PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women Hosts Discussion on Child Care Crisis The Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women hosted a virtual discussion earlier this week between business and government leaders and child care advocates about the state’s child care crisis. Learn More The discussion – which took place on Monday – focused on the ongoing child care crisis, which has forced many parents to leave the workforce due to the lack of access to affordable child care. “Ensuring affordable, high-quality child care depends on bold, ongoing investment in the educators who power our commonwealth,” said Cara Ciminillo, Trying Together’s executive director. “Early educators are the workforce behind every thriving community. By continuing to invest in them, Pennsylvania can strengthen its economy, support families, and build a child care system that positions our state for long-term prosperity.” The topics focused on during the discussion – which included Trying Together and various other organizations – will inform the commission’s future recommendations to the Shapiro Administration. Gov. Josh Shapiro recently signed the state budget, which secured the following investments in child care: $25 million for a new Child Care Staff Retention and Recruitment Program, providing about $450 per employee annually to licensed Child Care Works providers A $7.5 million increase in Pre-K Counts rates, enabling providers to raise wages and stabilize the early educator workforce Continued support for the Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit, which encourages businesses to help employees cover child care costs, and the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit for working families A $10 million increase for Early Intervention to provide coaching support and services to families and children with developmental delays and disabilities “Child care and the early learning professionals who make this work possible play an important role in supporting child development and fueling our economy,” said Shante Brown, deputy secretary of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). “Our child care workforce makes it possible for parents to go to work knowing their children are learning and growing in an enriching, caring environment.”
November 18, 2025 OCDEL Announces Scholarships for Infant Mental Health Professional Development Course Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will again offer the opportunity for early childhood education professionals in the state to participate in the University of Pittsburgh’s Infant Mental Health professional development certificate for free. Learn More OCDEL will enable licensed child care providers, Head Start/Early Head Start and PA Pre-K Counts programs to take part in the certificate with no-cost scholarships to professionals serving children and families in prenatal, infant, toddler, and preschool programs. Traditionally, the certificate has been provided to infant/toddler early intervention, OCDEL-funded home visitors, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health, and Rapid Response team members. The extension of the course to providers is a result of ongoing discussions and evaluation of requests for professional development from the field. In an announcement, OCDEL said it recognized the challenges faced by state providers in supporting the mental health and well-being of children and families in their early years. The organization believes that the early childhood system is most effective when collaborative work is relationship-based, culturally sensitive, grounded in an understanding of developmental theory, research, and supported by reflective practice. The extension of the course to providers aims to continue building the capacity of early learning professionals to partner with others and better support families in Pennsylvania. Those interested in taking the course should apply for sponsorship through The Pennsylvania Key. The application for the 2026 Infant Mental Health (IMH) Certificate and Learning Circle Scholarship will be open through Tuesday, November 25. Criteria and Other Considerations Criteria for applicants includes: Demonstrate, at minimum, one year of experience working with young children and their families. Have the ability to complete the IMH Foundations course within the timeframe of January through December 2026. Participate in virtual Learning Circles; applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Introduction to IMH Course Webinar on January 21 and attend a minimum of two additional Learning Circles, which occur monthly for 1.5 hours at two different times with a cohort of fellow professionals to discuss course content. During the candidate approval and evaluation process, these other considerations will be taken into account: Provider type and area of service Number of children served by the provider Number of children with IFSPs and IEPs served by the provider Number of children who are dual-language learners served by the provider The applicant’s experience, education, and role The applicant’s ability to provide services in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner Supervisor approval and support for completion of the course For more information, visit The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
November 17, 2025 OCDEL Confluence Podcast Focuses on Transfers Between Child Care Facilities and Schools Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released a new Confluence podcast that covers policies for transferring between child care facilities and school. Learn More During the podcast, host Ruby Martin – director of OCDEL’s Bureau of Certification Services – discusses the most recent announcement regarding the transfers with Chris Loos, the bureau’s division chief. In August, OCDEL announced updates to certified child care providers on rules regarding care and supervision when children are picked up and dropped off from school. 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. Recent updates on transfers from child care to school and school to child care include: 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. The latest Confluence podcast, Episode 8: Announcement C-25-03: Policy for Transferring Care Between Child Care Facility and School, is available on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
November 12, 2025 Pennsylvania One Book Initiative Makes Its 2026 Selection The Pennsylvania One Book initiative has announced that its 2026 PA One Book selection is “The Great Cookie Kerfuffle.” Learn More The Pennsylvania One Book initiative is a program that highlights the importance of early literacy development in preschoolers and the significance of reading early and often to children. It also stresses the importance of engaging them in conversation and other activities around books. This year’s selection, “The Great Cookie Kerfuffle,” was written by Jessica Shaw and illustrated by Pauline Gregory. In the book, a farm breaks into chaos as increasing numbers of farm animals fight over a dropped cookie until they realize they have bigger troubles overhead. Uniting against a common enemy, the animals learn that friendship and taking care of each other is more important than winning a fight. Activities to accompany the book will be released in the near future. Representatives from numerous organizations make up the PA One Book Committee – including the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key, and others. Each year, the committee chooses a children’s picture book to be highlighted. For more information on this year’s selection, visit the PA One Book website.
November 3, 2025 From Cradle to Career: How Child Care Shapes Pennsylvania’s Economy The state Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women will host a virtual discussion on Monday, November 17 on how child care helps to shape Pennsylvania’s economy. Learn More The event will be a candid conversation featuring participants from business and economic development, state government, and child care advocacy. It will explore the workforce, policy, and cultural shifts needed to strengthen child care in Pennsylvania. Panelists include Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo and Shante Brown, the deputy secretary of the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), among others. The discussion will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Those interested can RSVP online.
October 30, 2025 OCDEL Warns of SPAM Emails Targeting Child Care Providers Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has received multiple reports across regions regarding providers being contacted with inquiries that appear to be SPAM. Learn More The sender of the emails is not affiliated with Lancaster REC – as it purports to be – and appears to be a SPAM effort directed at child care providers. OCDEL asked providers not to click on any links in the emails. Tips to avoid being compromised by phishing emails that have become more sophisticated through the use of generative AI include: Be suspicious of emails that impart a sense of urgency and read them through thoroughly before opening any attachments or links. Phishing emails often use alarming language such as “Act now” or “Warning.” Double check URLs because attackers often use email addresses and links that closely resemble a trusted source. When in doubt, contact the sender – for example, if you receive a communication from a normally trustworthy source that seems to be suspicious, reach out to that person by looking up the organization’s phone number and calling them. The following is an example of how SPAM emails might appear:
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.
