News

June 6, 2023

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania Graduate Recognition Event

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA), in partnership with Start Strong PA, is hosting the third annual virtual Graduate Recognition Event of T.E.A.C.H. Scholars!

This year’s event will honor graduates from the Summer 2022, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023 semesters. Join to help celebrate these scholars!

Event Details

Thursday, June 8 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Virtual

Register

Learn More

To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Child Care Association website.

News

March 3, 2023

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships – Supports for ECE Professionals to Earn a Degree Debt Free!

Are you an early childhood education professional interested in furthering your education? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) for this information session, and learn more about the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Program.

T.E.A.C.H. is a unique opportunity that provides financial and other supports to help ECE professionals enroll in college, earn their degree debt free, and earn more money.

Session Details

Tuesday, March 14 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Virtual

Register

Learn More

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania is supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE).

Join us for this information session to hear from T.E.A.C.H. Director Laurie Litz and learn more about:

  • Higher education options and selecting a degree program,
  • Next steps to enrolling in college,
  • Timelines for enrolling in Summer or Fall 2023 semesters,
  • How to access a variety of financial supports, including the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Program, and
  • Time for Q&A to help attendees develop a personalized plan for next steps.

To learn more, visit the PACCA website.

News

August 22, 2022

Recording of 2022 Market Rate Survey Available

A recording of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association’s (PACCA) 2022 Market Rate Survey and YOU webinar is now available for child care providers.

Webinar Recording

The webinar, which was held on August 17, 2022, includes information about the importance of the Market Rate Survey, the elements of the survey, and how the information may be used.

The team from Penn State Harrisburg, Institute of State and Regional Affairs, coordinators of the survey collection and evaluation, shared the new complementary study in progress to assess the Cost of Care.

Watch the recording.

About the Market Rate Survey

Every two years, the federal government requires that states conduct a Market Rate Survey of child care. Information from the Market Rate Survey provides the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) with important data to compare private pay prices with the Child Care Works (CCW) base rate reimbursements.

Rather than pulling information from Provider Self-Service as conducted in 2016 and 2019, this year the Market Rate Survey requires child care providers to fill out a survey form. The final deadline to complete the survey is October 11, 2022.

News

March 7, 2022

Summer 2022 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Application

Are you interested in attending college in Summer 2022? The Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) Scholarship application period is now open for summer semesters beginning in May or June!

About T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in center and home-based settings. The scholarship:

  • Pays for a percentage of the cost of tuition and books.

  • Provides a travel stipend each semester.

  • Reimburses child care centers for a percentage of the release time given.

  • Provides counseling and administrative support for the child care program.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

  • work a minimum of 25 – 30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program,

  • make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors), and

  • be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood.

Apply

T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/ information by Friday, April 8, 2022, to be considered for the Summer 2022 semester. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration.

To be considered for the Summer 2022 semester, completed applications must be submitted to PACCA through one of the following methods:

  • Email: teachinfo@pacca.org

  • Fax: 717.657.0959

  • Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302, Lemoyne, PA 17043

For questions about scholarship eligibility or requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000.

Watch the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships: Financial & Other Supports to Help ECE Professionals Earn a Degree Debt Free! webinar for more information.

News

January 26, 2022

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships for STAR 1 and 2 Providers Available

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) has provided Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) with additional funds to support approximately 100 more T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship Program scholarships in this fiscal year. These scholarships are specifically for staff employed in STAR 1 and STAR 2 programs.

About T.E.A.C.H.

The program works with early childhood providers, colleges and child care staff to offer scholarship programs and support systems that improve the education and compensation of child care workers. The scholarships will provide additional supports including:

  • A $200 completion stipend to scholarship recipients upon successful completion of their first semester

  • Increased release time reimbursement rates to employers ($15 per hour)

  • Training and technical assistance for employers (see webinar information below)

  • Enhanced counseling sessions (day and evening) for staff related to the college application/admissions processes and T.E.A.C.H. application

Many colleges have late start spring semesters in which staff can still enroll. This additional funding is available for this fiscal year only (through June 30, 2022).

Apply

T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/information. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration.

Completed applications for late start Spring or Summer 2022 semesters must be submitted to PACCA through one of the following methods:

  • Email: teachinfo@pacca.org

  • Fax: 717.657.0959

  • Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302, Lemoyne, PA 17043

For questions about scholarship eligibility or requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000 or teachinfo@pacca.org.

News

November 8, 2021

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Spring 2022 Deadline

Are you interested in attending college in Spring 2022? The Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) Scholarship application period is now open!

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship

    • Pays for a percentage of the cost of tuition and books.
    • Provides a travel stipend each semester.
    • Reimburses child care centers for a percentage of the release time given.
    • Provides counseling and administrative support for the child care program.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

    • work a minimum of 25 – 30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program,
    • make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors), and
    • be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood.

More Information

T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/ information by Friday, November 14, 2021, to be considered for the spring 2022 semester. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. For a full list of eligibility requirements, visit the PACCA website.

News

August 20, 2020

Facts about COVID-19 and Quality Child Care

Are you looking to access child care services during the COVID-19 health crisis? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association on September 2 for their webinar, “Facts about COVID-19 and High-Quality Child Care.”

About

Child care is highly regulated in Pennsylvania and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has responded to COVID-19 with updated regulations and guidelines to keep children and providers safe. However, some of these are suggestions, not requirements; some clash with best practices for child development; and some are difficult to implement with very young children.

In this webinar, participants will learn about the pros and cons of different child care settings, what to expect from child care providers, and which questions to ask if you’re still searching for one that’s right for you and your child. The session will feature Susan Coffin, MD, MPH, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s leading expert of COVID-19 and a great resource in creating CHOP’s FAQ for centers and families; a parent; and child care providers from both center-based and home-based settings.

Register

This webinar is best suited for parents and caretakers of children birth to age five. To register, visit the event webpage.

Submit A Question

You may ask questions in advance (anonymously if you prefer) by emailing shawn.towey@pacca.org, or you can enter them in the chatbox during the session.

Share this flyer with your network.

News

August 19, 2020

Why Care about Child Care?

Are you a parent who needs child care? Are you interested in learning how to get help paying for child care? Are you worried about your child’s kindergarten readiness? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association on August 26 to explore these topics and more in their webinar, “Why Care about Child Care?

Register

This webinar will act as an introduction for parents and other caregivers (grandparents, guardians, foster families, etc.) to the child care landscape in Pennsylvania. To register, visit the event webpage.

Submit A Question

You may ask questions in advance (anonymously if you prefer) by emailing shawn.towey@pacca.org, or you can enter them in the chatbox during the session.

Share this flyer with your network.

News

July 15, 2020

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Fall 2020 Deadline

Early childhood education professionals interested in attending college for the fall semester can submit applications to receive a T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) Scholarship.

Eligibility

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in center and home-based settings. Eligible applicants must:

    • work a minimum of 25-30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program;
    • make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors); and
    • be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood.

Scholarship awards are dependent upon the availability of funds and priorities of funders. Other eligibility criteria may apply are subject to change without notice. See the brochure.

Application Details

To be considered for the Fall 2020 semester, T.E.A.C.H. applications must be completed and submitted with all required documentation by Friday, August 7, 2020. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. New scholarship awards for the Fall 2020 semester will be dependent upon funding availability at that time.

Interested applicants should also begin the college admissions process now and contact an early childhood education (ECE) advisor at their intended college/university. This helps to ensure that scholarship applicants are admitted to their college/university and can register for courses if/when they receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. can provide contact information for early childhood education advisors at partnering institutions if needed.

Submit an Application

To download a scholarship application, visit the PACCA website. Completed applications must be submitted to PACCA by Friday, August 7 through one of the following methods:

    • Fax: 717.657.0959
    • Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302
      Lemoyne, PA 17043

More Information

For questions about scholarship eligibility and requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000.

News

July 1, 2020

PACCA Zoom Series: Racial Equity in Early Learning

Are you interested in learning how to embed racial equity into your early learning program? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) on Fridays from July 10 – 24 for their Zoom Series, “Racial Equity in Early Learning.”

About

This three-part professional development series is designed to help early learning and school-age programs embed racial equity from recruiting, hiring, and on-going training offerings for staff to interactions with children of color. After defining key racial justice terminology such as implicit bias, cultural competency, race, racism, antiracist ally, etc., participants are encouraged to identify concrete ways to embrace racial equity personally and professionally.

These Zoom meetings will be informative and interactive, and will provide participants with real resources and supports for classroom situations. Individuals who participate in all three meetings will receive 4.5 hours of PQAS credits and/or 4.5 Act 48 hours.

Cost

    • PACCA Members: $20 for all three meetings
    • Non-Members: $45 for all three meetings

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.

Zoom links will be sent in a confirmation email when your registration is received. If you do not receive confirmation, please check your Junk inbox or contact maureen.murphy@pacca.org.