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News

November 19, 2018

2019 Changes to the PA One Book Program

In 2019, the Pennsylvania One Book Program will adapt to meet the increasing need to support early literacy to Pennsylvania’s youngest learners. These changes include a shift in focus to get more books into the hands and homes of more children.

Available Books

There will be two books available for purchase:

  • “Barnyard Banter” by Denise Fleming
    For infants and toddlers (available in English).
  • “Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis
    For children ages three to five (available in English and Spanish).

There are no minimum or fixed quantities required. Early learning providers, library staff, and community partners can purchase the exact number of books needed. To keep costs more affordable, paperback options are the only available option.

Purchasing Details

Purchasing of the two titles are through Scholastic Publishing Family and Community Engagement (FACE) program. If your organization already participates in the FACE or Scholastic Literacy Partners Program, you will just need to complete the order form available from Scholastic Publishing. Click here for the order form.

A two-page Family Fun Guide for both titles will be available on the PA One Book website (www.paonebook.org) by January 2019. Other guides aligned with the Pennsylvania Standards for Early Childhood will also be available with activities for use by early childhood educators and families.

With this change, copies of the One Book titles will no longer be mailed to early learning programs, however, anyone may purchase and donate copies to child care homes and centers, as well as families.

*Information provided by NAEYC*

News

November 13, 2018

PA Submits Plan for Child Care and Development Block Grant

On August 31, 2018, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) submitted Pennsylvania’s plan for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) for the next plan cycle which spans Federal Fiscal Year 2019 through 2021. At present, the plan is under review by the Administration for Children and Families, the Office of Child Care. The plan is now posted and available for review at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) website.

Plan Summary

In the plan, OCDEL certifies that Pennsylvania is in full compliance with all CCDBG requirements except for those associated with criminal history background checks. For the background check requirements, Pennsylvania has met all mandated, preliminary milestones – in-state child abuse registry, Pennsylvania State Police, fingerprint background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in-state sex offender registry.

Checks for inter-state criminal histories, child abuse registries, and sex offender registries as well as a check of the National Sex Offender Registry have yet to be incorporated. OCDEL has requested a one-year waiver to come into full compliance with those requirements by September 30, 2019, and is on target to meet that deadline.

Questions

Questions about the plan may be directed to OCDEL at 717-346-9320.

*Information provided by PA Early Ed News*

News

The State of Maker Learning in Southwest PA and Beyond

Join education practitioners in a discussion of the State of Maker Learning in SW PA and Beyond on November 15th at CoLab18. This event, through lightning talks and group discussion, will serve as a catalyst to better understand the maker space landscape in Pittsburgh, obtain ideas from national makers, and generate new ideas for all. Click here to learn more and to register.

Speakers Include:

Light breakfast and lunch provided.

*Event information provided by APOST*

News

November 1, 2018

Deadline Extended for RFP: Child Care Funding and Finance in PA

The deadline has been extended to November 9, 2018 for the Request for Proposal, Child Care Funding and Finance in Pennsylvania: The True Cost of Quality Part II.

The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU), in coordination with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission (PAELIC), released the RFP for submission of proposals to investigate the cost of providing high-quality early care and education across Pennsylvania.

Part I Conclusions

Part I of this project, CHILD CARE FUNDING & FINANCE IN PENNSYLVANIA: Budgeting for Survival or Paying for the True Cost of Quality? conducted by Research for Action found that:

  • Infant and toddler care is more expensive than pre-K or school-age care.
  • Current revenue streams and reimbursement rates are inadequate to cover the cost of infant and toddler care and, as a result, child care providers opt to serve more preschoolers and fewer infants and toddlers.
  • Low compensation in child care programs leads to significant staff turnover and hiring of less-qualified staff.

Part II Overview

Knowing that the cost of infant and toddler child care is high, and the current public financing system is inadequate to cover the costs of quality in Pennsylvania, particularly teachers’ wages, leading to turnover and a less qualified workforce, Part II of this study aims to answer the question ‘What does it cost to support high-quality child care across Pennsylvania?’

Part II will build upon the previous work conducted in Part I, using a more robust data set to estimate the true cost of high-quality child care, as compared to child care that meets only regulatory standards, and how those costs vary across regions in the commonwealth.

The findings from Part II will inform the evolution of Pennsylvania’s child care financing and quality systems to enable the greatest access to high-quality child care for the most at-risk children.

Deadline

The Request for Proposal represents the requirements for an open and competitive process. Proposals will be accepted until 5 pm EST, Friday, November 9, 2018.

See the RFP for more information, including proposal guidelines, project description, project timeline and more.

Information provided by PA Early Ed News.

News

October 30, 2018

PennAEYC and PACCA Host Start Strong PA Webinar

On November 1st, Pennsylvania Child Care Association and Pennsylvania Association for The Education of Young Children are hosting afternoon and evening webinars to discuss the priorities of the Start Strong PA campaign, the work that has been done so far, and how interested parties can become involved.

Take this opportunity to learn more about Start Strong PA and how this advocacy campaign works to expand access, increase quality, and support early care and educational professionals by seeking increased investments in child care. Register now to save your spot before the October 31 deadline.

These webinars will be facilitated by Jodi Askins, Executive Director of PennAEYC, and Diane Barber, Executive Director of PACCA. Both webinars will be recorded and posted to the PACCA and PennAEYC websites afterward.

See our event page.

News

October 29, 2018

Start Strong PA Webinar

Join sponsors Pennsylvania Child Care Association and Pennsylvania Association for The Education of Young Children for an afternoon or evening webinar to hear about priorities for the campaign, the work done so far, and how you can become involved. Register now.

FACILITATORS:

  • Jodi Askins, Executive Director, PennAEYC
  • Diane Barber, Executive Director, PACCA

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

Wednesday, October 31.

Both webinars will be recorded and posted to the PACCA and PennAEYC websites afterward.

News

June 25, 2018

$25MIL Increase for Pre-K Classes

Leaders in Harrisburg recently aproved a $25 million investment in pre-k programs in the 2018-19 Pennsylvania state budget.

As part of the budget agreement, Governor Wolf, along with Republican and Democrat legislators made a wise investment in Pennsylvania’s early education system and prioritized the state’s youngest learners. While the 2018-19 Pennsylvania state budget grew by just 1.7%, leaders in Harrisburg grew high-quality pre-k funding by 11%, high-quality child care services grew by 4%, and home visiting by an impressive, and much needed, 33%.

The 2018-19 spending plan included the following expanded investments in early learning:

  • Increases in Pre-K Counts investment: $20 million
  • Increases investment in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program: $5 million
  • Increases investment in Child Care Services: $6.8 million
  • New investment in home visiting programs: $6.735 million

Still more than 106,000 eligible children do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k due to limited state funding. This budget increase will allow access to thousands of 3- and 4-year-old students in the upcoming school year. It is a step in the right direction, but we still have much work to be done as Pennsylvania lags far behind neighboring states. Today, Pennsylvania ranks 18th of the 30 states investing in high-quality, publicly funded pre-k. New Jersey is spending five times more per capita than PA, and West Virginia has had universal access for pre-k aged kids since 2012.

This year’s budget is testament to the fact that Governor Wolf, along with Republican and Democrat legislators, understand their constituents’ priorities.

News

June 11, 2018

ELRC Transition Community Meetings Scheduled

Pennsylvania families, early care and education professionals, and communities will soon have one point of access for information to support them and the young children they interact with beginning July 2018.

To provide more information regarding the transition to the Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) model, several community meetings have been scheduled in surrounding counties between June 18 – 28, 2018.

Interested parties may visit pakeys.org/elrcs to learn more.