March 18, 2025 OCDEL: Working Together — Certification and Providers The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will host two upcoming virtual training sessions on certification. Working Together Early childhood providers looking to strengthen their partnership with certification can attend the virtual Working Together – Certification and Providers. The session will enable them to enhance collaboration, build new connections, and move forward with shared goals. The free session will dive into key aspects of working with certification representatives, from inspection preparation tips to resources that support compliance and quality improvement. Participants will be able to gain insight into OCDEL’s Quality Assurance initiative, the announcement development process, and the role providers play in shaping policies that affect one’s work. The session will explore how positivity and partnership create stronger programs that benefit providers and children. A total of 2.5 professional development hours will be available upon completion. Registration is now open for the following sessions: Wednesday, April 23 from 1 – 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
OCDEL: Working Together — Certification and Providers The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will host two upcoming virtual training sessions on certification. Working Together Early childhood providers looking to strengthen their partnership with certification can attend the virtual Working Together – Certification and Providers. The session will enable them to enhance collaboration, build new connections, and move forward with shared goals. The free session will dive into key aspects of working with certification representatives, from inspection preparation tips to resources that support compliance and quality improvement. Participants will be able to gain insight into OCDEL’s Quality Assurance initiative, the announcement development process, and the role providers play in shaping policies that affect one’s work. The session will explore how positivity and partnership create stronger programs that benefit providers and children. A total of 2.5 professional development hours will be available upon completion. Registration is now open for the following sessions: Wednesday, April 23 from 1 – 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
February 26, 2025 OCDEL’s New Confluence Podcast on CPSL Requirements Now Available Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released a new Confluence podcast titled “Clarifying the Child Protective Service Law (CPSL) Requirements for Child Care.” Learn More In the podcast, hosts Ruby Martin, director of the Bureau of Certification Services, and Chris Loos, the bureau’s division chief, discuss and clarify Announcement C-25-01. The announcement involves CPSL requirements for provisional hiring in all child care program types. The podcast hosts also answer some frequently asked questions about the field. The monthly Confluence podcasts enable listeners to understand the complexities of OCDEL’s Bureau of Certification Services. The first two episodes – Introduction & What is Federal Monitoring and Exploring the Revised Health and Safety Training – are also available. The latest episode of the podcast is available on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
February 18, 2025 Presenters and Proposals Sought for Early Childhood Conferences Presenters and proposals are being sought for several upcoming conferences relating to early childhood education in Pennsylvania. OCDEL Conference The state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is seeking experienced presenters to share expertise during the upcoming 2024-25 PA Pre-K Counts & Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program Grantee Meeting on April 30 and May 1. Each session at the conference – which will take place at Kalahari Resorts in Pocono Summit – will be an hour-and-a-half and focus on data-informed practices, strategies, and lessons learned. OCDEL is also seeking Pre-K Counts and Head Start program leaders who have demonstrated success in administrative areas to lead or co-present on program-based content. Those interested in leading a session should complete an online form. Breaking Barriers: Empowering Voices for the Future Another upcoming conference, Early Childhood Education: Breaking Barriers, Empowering Voices for the Future, is seeking presenters. Participants can share their knowledge and skills with educators and community leaders at the conference. Presentations should address challenges in early childhood education, how to amplify diverse voices, and how to shape the future of education. The event will take place June 14 in Philadelphia. It will include speakers, workshops, networking, and a vendor marketplace. Seminars will run from one to two hours. Each session should include at least 10 to 15 minutes of interactive or discussion-based activities to engage participants. To learn how to submit to be a presenter at the conference, visit its website. Division for Early Childhood The Division for Early Childhood is accepting proposals for the 41st Annual International Conference on Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families. The conference will take place on October 7 in Portland, Oregon. Proposals are due by Tuesday, February 18. Information on how to submit to the conference is available online.
February 12, 2025 Free Training Available: Strengthening Business Practices for Child Care Programs The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assistance is collaborating with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to offer Strengthening Business Practices for Child Care Programs from February through April. Learn More The content and activities in the four offered modules are designed to strengthen child care providers’ foundational knowledge of sound fiscal management and business operations. The four modules of business practices content in the series include: Budgets, Projections, and Planning Financial Reports and Internal Controls Marketing for Child Care Programs Staff Recruitment and Retention for Center-Based Child Care Programs There are two versions of the series – one for center-based providers and another for family child care providers. More information on the course can be found in this flier. Business Practices for Child Care Programs Topics During the fiscal management portion of the series – which focuses on budgets, projections, and planning – attendees will: Learn a process for building a budget and how to use it for decision-making throughout the year Understand how to project business costs, generate additional income, and plan strategically for future goals On the topics of financial reports and internal controls, the series will teach attendees how to: Introduce financial reports that can help to better manage a program’s finances Understand the concept of internal controls and how they can strengthen a program’s fiscal health For the child care program marketing section of the series, attendees will learn to: Be able to articulate the features and benefits of the program and understand how to use them as marketing tools Appreciate how data can inform marketing efforts to achieve greater success, become more cost-effective, and use time more efficiently On the topics of staff recruitment and retention, participants will learn best practices related to recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new employees. It will also cover: Having a framework for building and effective orientation plan for new employees and being familiar with the components of a staff handbook Identifying strategies for providing feedback to employees Modules PQAS hours are available for those taking the course. Courses are offered in English and Spanish. Center-based modules include: Budgets, Projections, and Planning; Saturday, February 22 from 9 a.m. t0 11 a.m.; Wednesday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. Financial Reports and Internal Controls; Saturday, March 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Wednesday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to noon Marketing Your Program; Saturday, February 8 from 9 a.m. to noon; Wednesday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Recruiting and Retaining Staff; Saturday, February 15 from 9 a.m. to noon.; Wednesday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Family-based modules include: Budgets, Projections, and Planning; Tuesday, April 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Financial Reports and Internal Controls; Tuesday, May 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Marketing Your Program; Tuesday, May 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information on the individual modules, check out this flier.
February 10, 2025 Registration Open for OCDEL’s 2025 Early Childhood Education Conference Registration is open for the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)’s 2025 Early Childhood Education Conference. Learn More The two-day conference, Stable and Secure: Supporting Children Through Trauma Sensitive Approaches, will run from April 22 to 23 at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown. The event is free for attendees. The conference focuses on deepening the understanding of child and adult well-being through trauma-sensitive approaches. It will bring together experts, practitioners, and educators who are committed to creating stable and secure environments for young children and their families. Conference Highlights The OCDEL conference’s highlights will include: Networking opportunities Well-being workshops Social and emotional supports Trauma-informed care sessions Answers to a variety of questions regarding hotel accommodations and reservations, vendors, and registration can be found in the FAQ section on the OCDEL conference’s website. Please note: This conference is only for directors and teachers of Pennsylvanian licensed child care centers, group child care, family child care homes, and after school care. It is not open to EI, home visiting/family support, PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start, or School Districts unless they directly operate an OCDEL licensed child care.
January 28, 2025 DHS Western Regional Office Has Moved Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Western Region – Bureau of Certification Services has moved. Learn More The following address should be used when reaching out to the Western Regional Office: DHS – Office of Child Development and Early Learning Western Region – Bureau of Certification Services 301 Fifth Avenue Suite 370 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Up-to-date Regional Office contact information can be found at the Regional Child Development Offices website.
January 20, 2025 OCDEL: There’s Still Time to Complete Early Childhood Education Survey Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is reminding early child care facility workers that they still have time to complete a survey for early childhood professionals. Learn More The deadline to fill out the survey for Pennsylvania early childhood professionals is Friday, January 31. Those who can take the survey include any childhood education professional at a state child care facility, including Head Start and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. The survey is being conducted on behalf of OCDEL, The Pennsylvania Key, and the Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) at Penn State Harrisburg. The aim is to learn about and identify solutions related to staffing, retention, and professional development resources throughout the state. The survey is open to teachers, assistant teachers, classroom aids, directors, owner-operators, administrative staff, and other staff at all state child care facilities. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Those who take it can enter a drawing for the chance to win one of 50 Amazon e-gift cards for $50. The survey is offered in English and Spanish. It is now available on Penn State Harrisburg’s site.
PA Child Care Facilities Can Apply for Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Pennsylvania child care facilities are invited to apply for the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) said. Who Should Apply Pennsylvania childcare facilities with lead in drinking water sample results within 36 months of the application date showing water fixtures exceeding the remediation trigger level of 5 ppb (parts per billion) are invited to apply for the grant. The WIIN 2107: Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant is offered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Reduction activities may include purchasing and installing hydration stations, point-of-use devices designed to remove lead, or replacement of faucets. The primary goal of the grant program is to reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water. Funding under the grant has been appropriated under 1464(d) of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Funding provided will be up to $3,000 per hydration station per 100 students in one building. Up to $30,000 may be awarded per building/child care facility or $100,000 per school district. Applicants are encouraged to schedule a pre-application meeting to discuss their lead reduction plans to ensure they meet applicable program criteria. Meetings can be scheduled by emailing RA-EPWIINLEAD@pa.gov.
December 20, 2024 OCDEL Announces Update to Health and Safety Pre-Service Training and PD Requirements The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced updates to health and safety pre-service training and professional development requirements. Learn More The announcement provides a new two-part Health and Safety Training that must be completed by all child care providers hired on or after January 1, 2025 who have not previously completed an acceptable health and safety training. This announcement replaces Announcements C-22-02, relating to Updates to Health and Safety Training and Professional Development Requirements, and C-22-06, relating to Updated Health and Safety Pre-Service and One-Hour Training. Both parts of the new health and safety training will be available in Spanish. More Details The update applies to all DHS certified child care facilities, early learning resource centers, and OCDEL and Early Learning staff. All current child care staff who completed the following Health and Safety Pre-Service training modules currently meet this training requirement and will not need to take the new health and safety training: Get Started with Center-Based Care – Revised 2022/Get Started with Home-Based Care – Revised 2022 (10 hours) Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update (1 hour), and any of the following courses: Health and Safety Basics: Requirements for Certification (6 hours), Get Started with Center-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality (10 hours), Get Started with Home-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality (10 hours) The last day to enroll in Get Started with Center-Based Care – Revised 2022/ Get Started with Home-Based Care – Revised 2022 will be December 31. After this date, individuals who enrolled in the course prior to the deadline will have until March 31 to complete the course, as it will no longer be available after that date. Next Steps All DHS certified child care providers must: Develop, communicate, and implement policies and procedures to adhere to regulations regarding professional development in health and safety topics Ensure all staff have completed and documented pre-service trainings within 90 days of employment and prior to caring for children unsupervised Ensure all staff have completed and documented updated Pediatric First Aid and CPR training and Mandated Reporter training prior to expiration For all staff, appropriate documentation and verification of pre-service and ongoing professional development training of all child care staff is retained in the facility person’s file or maintained in an electronic PD Registry For information, read the announcement on the Pennsylvania Key website.
