June 5, 2023 OCDEL Invites Families to Participate in Free Professional Photo Session The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Team at the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites pregnant and parenting families of children birth to age six to participate in a free professional photo session. Each participating family will receive a stipend of $150 and associated travel/mileage reimbursement for completing the approximately one-hour photoshoot. Families will also receive copies of their photos. About Photo Sessions Why is OCDEL providing this opportunity? Photos of Pennsylvania children and their families play an instrumental role in conveying the importance of high-quality maternal and early childhood services in Pennsylvania. Additionally, they aid in outreach to families, professionals, legislators, business leaders, and other partners throughout the state. By capturing photos of Pennsylvania families, OCDEL can better serve and advocate for them and the care of their children. How will OCDEL use the photos? OCDEL may use the photos for: advertising (i.e. television, online, billboard, and print) social media printed displays and materials, such as annual reports, PowerPoint presentations, etc. In using the photos, OCDEL will never share the names and locations of the families included in them. Who can participate in the photo sessions? All Pennsylvania families with children age six and younger are invited to participate, including those who reflect the diversity of Pennsylvania’s population. OCDEL would like to represent differences in identity such as: race ethnicity gender gender identity sexual orientation age disability geographic location across the Commonwealth Siblings and grandparents are welcome and highly encouraged to participate, too. Why should families participate? Each participating family will receive electronic access to the professionally produced photos of their family taken during the photo session. They will be able to: download and save the photos print them share them on their social media accounts (i.e. Facebook or Instagram) email them to family and friends Additionally, each participating family will receive a stipend of $150 for completing the approximately 1-hour photoshoot. Also, mileage reimbursement will be provided at a rate of 65.5 cents per mile. ECCS is also able to reimburse other modes of transportation utilized to get to the photo session location, such as public transportation, Uber, or Lyft with receipts. ECCS will also reimburse tolls with receipts. Where will photo sessions be held? The ECCS team will host photo sessions: June 27 in King of Prussia, Montgomery County July 17 in Cranberry Township, Butler County July 19 in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County July 25 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County How can families sign-up to participate? If you would like to participate, please complete the online registration form no later than June 15. There is no cost to participate with the ECCS photo session. However, space is limited and registration is required. Learn More To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children website. For questions, please contact Sadia Batool at c-sabatool@pa.gov.
May 11, 2023 OCDEL Ends COVID-19 Reporting Requirement for Child Care Providers The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will end its requirement for child care providers to report cases of COVID-19 on May 11, 2023. About the COVID-19 Reporting Requirement Shortly after the start of the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (PHE), OCDEL issued a mandate requiring all licensed child care operators to submit information on children and staff who tested positive for COVID-19 on the Licensed Facility COVID Data Collection Tool. OCDEL will end this reporting requirement and close the portal on May 11, 2023 to align with the end of the PHE. However, OCDEL will continue to require child care operators and facility persons to share any reportable, communicable diseases present in their facilities with the Department of Health (DOH). Sharing Reportable Communicable Diseases A list of reportable diseases is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) website. Child care providers must share all cases of reportable, communicable diseases with the DOH at 1-877-PA-HEALTH or 1-877-724-3258. They may also contact their local health department: Allegheny County Health: 412-687-2243 Bucks County Department of Health: 800-383-0371 Chester County Health Department: 610-344-6225 Erie County Department of Health: 814-451-6700 Montgomery County Health Department: 610-631-3000 Philadelphia Department of Public Health: 800-722-7112 Allentown Bureau of Health: 610-437-7760 Bethlehem Health Bureau: 610-865-7000 Wilkes-Barre City Health Department: 570-821-1111 York City Health Bureau: 717-849-2221 Learn More To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. Additionally, interested individuals can attend the ELRC Region 5 Virtual Director Roundtables held each Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to get more information.
March 22, 2023 OCDEL Ends Option for Director Instructor PQAS The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) recently ended the option for individuals to apply for the Director Instructor (DI) Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS). Effective March 21, applications for DI PQAS will no longer be accepted or processed, and the DI PQAS will no longer be available as an option for individuals to provide training to child care staff. Additionally, individuals holding a DI PQAS will no longer have access to train child care staff, as trainings will be made obsolete on April 28. Learn More Directors may pursue a PQAS application and create their own content in alignment with competencies for which they are approved based on expertise and/or education. Visit PQAS Applications – The Pennsylvania Key for information on applying to become a Professional Development Instructor. For child care staff seeking professional development in material similar to the outdated modules, OCDEL is supplying course content to replace the outdated modules within the PD Registry. All content in the PD Registry is offered by approved Professional Development PQAS Instructors in order to count for various professional development requirements. To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Key website.
March 21, 2023 2023-24 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Request for Applications The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) recently announced its 2023-24 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Request for Applications (RFA). This is a full, competitive rebid opportunity to disperse all available funding to select, eligible grantees for a five-year grant period beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, and is intended to support providers in preparing to serve and enroll children by September 2023. All FY 2022-23 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees wishing to serve children in FY 2023-2024 must apply as part of this competitive rebid process. Those seeking to become new Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees may also apply. About Pre-K Counts Grants The ceiling or limit on the potential number of slots that may be awarded to any applicant will depend upon a county’s unmet need percentages and the amount of funding available. Funding is contingent upon approval by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Grants are funded via state dollars, therefore, carryover funds are not permitted. All grant dollars identified in this FY 2023-24 application must be encumbered or spent by June 30, 2024. Eligibility Eligible applicants include: existing PA PKC grantees new applicants from: school districts PDE-licensed nursery schools Head Start grantees child care centers and group child care homes designated at Keystone STAR 3 or STAR 4, and third-party entities applying for PA PKC funding to administer the lead agency responsibilities for entities that are eligible to provide the classroom services under the categories listed above Eligible applicants must: provide assurance that they operate in full compliance with Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance submit a Letter of Intent possess a: vendor number (SAP#) administrative unit number (AUN) master provider index number (MPI) federal ID number or tax ID number, and MyPDESuite login ID Eligible applicants are encouraged, but not required to: thoroughly review: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Request for Applications (RFA) Guidance view the “Getting to Know PA PKC Rebid Webinar Series,” found under “Quick Links” on the Pre-K Counts How to Apply webpage Applicants should view this series prior to submission of a Letter of Intent to ensure an understanding of the program requirements and expectations of compliance if an application is successful. The application review process will include evaluation of the extent to which the applicant demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the PA PKC statute and regulations Letter of Intent Interested applicants must submit Letters of Intent to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov by 3 p.m. on March 28, 2023. Because of the need to establish access to the eGrants procurement system, applicants must submit a completed Letter of Intent to apply for funds using the template posted at PKC How to Apply. The Letter of Intent represents the applicant’s intent to apply for PA PKC funding and must include: the legal name of the eligible entity that will apply the AUN associated with the applying legal entity’s proposed PA PKC provider type preliminary information about requested funding program model provider type, and area to be served. Except for the legal entity and AUN, information submitted in the Letter of Intent may be modified in the final eGrants application. Programs that do not submit the Letter of Intent will not be able to access or submit a funding application in eGrants. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applicants submitting a fully complete Letter of Intent to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov by 3 p.m. on March 28, 2023 will be notified when the PA PKC application is open in eGrants. Learn More To learn more, consult the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Request for Applications (RFA) Guidelines or visit the Pennsylvania Keys website. Any questions should be sent to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov.
March 10, 2023 Growing Your Strong Family: Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Cafes Families with children receiving early intervention and/or family supports: The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania, and Be Strong Families invite you to connect and share your journeys at this virtual social event series. Join for as many or as few cafés as you like. Session Details Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Cafés will be held: Monday, March 27 | 6 – 8 p.m. Monday, April 17 | 9 – 11 a.m. Monday, May 15 | 6 – 8 p.m. Register Seats are limited. Registration ends Monday, March 20. Learn More To learn more about the Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Café series, view the event flyer. Contact Shelley Chapin at schapin@pattan.net or (814) 574-6418 with questions.
Growing Your Strong Family: Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Cafes Families with children receiving early intervention and/or family supports: The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania, and Be Strong Families invite you to connect and share your journeys at this virtual social event series. Join for as many or as few cafés as you like. Session Details Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Cafés will be held: Monday, March 27 | 6 – 8 p.m. Monday, April 17 | 9 – 11 a.m. Monday, May 15 | 6 – 8 p.m. Register Seats are limited. Registration ends Monday, March 20. Learn More To learn more about the Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Café series, view the event flyer. Contact Shelley Chapin at schapin@pattan.net or (814) 574-6418 with questions.
Growing Your Strong Family: Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Cafes Families with children receiving early intervention and/or family supports: The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania, and Be Strong Families invite you to connect and share your journeys at this virtual social event series. Join for as many or as few cafés as you like. Session Details Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Cafés will be held: Monday, March 27 | 6 – 8 p.m. Monday, April 17 | 9 – 11 a.m. Monday, May 15 | 6 – 8 p.m. Register Seats are limited. Registration ends Monday, March 20. Learn More To learn more about the Spring 2023 Virtual Parent Café series, view the event flyer. Contact Shelley Chapin at schapin@pattan.net or (814) 574-6418 with questions.
March 8, 2023 Child Care Providers to Invited to Join Family and Group Child Care Home Committee Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is inviting child care providers throughout Pennsylvania to participate in the Family Child Home (FCCH) and Group Child Care Home (GCCH) Committee. Pennsylvania child care providers interested in participating with the committee will have to sign-up by Monday, March 20, 2023. About the Family Child Care Home (FCCH) and Group Child Care Home (GCCH) Committee The goal of the FCCH and GCCH Committee is to form a culturally relevant and diverse group of child care providers and educators that is representative of the state of Pennsylvania. This group will connect to celebrate and share their strengths, struggles, and uniqueness with each other, as well as collaborate to identify effective early childhood strategies, enhance leadership skills, enhance quality-of-care provided to children and families that are served in Pennsylvania. Discussions will also include updates on state and federal initiatives centered around child care, sharing of resources, opportunities, and concerns specific to child care providers, and thoughts on general workplace well-being for child care educators and professionals. Meetings will be held virtually by Zoom in the evening, on a quarterly basis, with the opportunity to meet with the FCCH Coordinator during monthly office hours. The date and time of first meeting has not been announced yet. See the flyer for more details. Interested child care providers in the state of Pennsylvania can express their interest in joining the Committee directly with OCDEL.
ECE Professionals Invited to Participate in Workplace Well-Being Research Study The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced an opportunity for for early childhood education (ECE) professionals to participate in an early access research study – Workplace Well-Being, Powered by Science! – to measure the impact of the Healthy Minds program‘s newest offering. In 2022, OCDEL partnered with Healthy Minds Innovations, a non-profit organization dedicated to the science of human flourishing, to bring the Healthy Minds@Work app to Pennsylvania ECE professionals. About ECE teams of two or more from each center or program who have not yet used the Healthy Minds app are invited to apply for the research study, which is set to begin in April 2023. Participation details include: Participation in a four-week well-being program, tailored to suit the participant’s needs with short, 3-10 min activities using the latest tools. Three 20- to 30-minute sessions of research activities (surveys and web-based mini-games). These sessions will occur: Upon enrollment Immediately following the four-week Healthy Minds program Three months later Some users will be invited for an optional interview with the Healthy Minds Innovations team. Participants will also have the chance to receive an Amazon.com gift card. The Workplace Well-Being, Powered by Science research program is designed to improve the sense of belonging and inclusion; decrease stress and burnout; and reconnect with the individual’s sense of purpose at work. Healthy Minds Innovations will keep all responses private and share only aggregated findings to improve the program and support other organizations. Participation in the Workplace Well-Being, Powered by Science research program is optional. A live kick-off event will be announced soon. For more information on how to participate in the program as an ECE program or center team, visit the PA Keys website or contact Marnie at healthyminds@pakeys.org.
February 24, 2023 Request for Applications: PA Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is requesting applications for Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships (EHSCCP). Partnerships are made possible by an EHSCCP grant, and forty partnership opportunities are available. Applications are due by March 20. About EHSCCP and the EHSCCP Grant Pennsylvania’s EHSCCP grant enables partnerships between high-quality child care providers and OCDEL, which provide funded child care to infants and toddlers. All providers who meet eligibility standards are encouraged to complete an application for consideration. Eligibility To apply for an EHSCCP opportunity, child care providers must: have and maintain a STAR 3 or 4 rating provide full day (10 hours or more) and full year care to infants and toddlers (ages 6 weeks – 3 years) of income-eligible, working or student families or caregivers adhere to all Head Start Program Performance Standards and OCDEL Early Head Start (EHS) policies including: meeting a staff to child ratio of 1:4 maintaining a maximum group size of eight children providing two qualified, in-room staff members at all times assigning children to primary care groups retain or hire qualified staff to work in EHS classrooms EHS classroom staff must have an Infant Toddler CDA and/or a degree in Early Childhood Education. facilitate ongoing staff coaching with an OCDEL EHS coach maintain full enrollment and fill vacant slots within 30 days participate in Child Care Works (CCW) continue to provide care to children who lose their CCW until they transition from the program never unenroll children due to loss of subsidy utilize GoEngage data system (previously known as MyHeadStart) work collaboratively with the comprehensive service provider holding their contract, if applicable waive any fees typically charged to enrolled families, except for subsidy co-pays How to Apply To apply, complete the application below: EHSCCP Application Applicants must submit their applications via email. Send completed applications to ehsteam@pakeys.org by Monday, March 20. Learn More The OCDEL EHS Team will host a Q&A via Zoom to address questions about the requirements of the grants and the application process, and to provide general information about EHSCCP on Thursday, March 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pre-registration is not required. To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Key website.
