News

December 7, 2019

PA DHS Releases 2019-2022 Strategic Plan

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) released its 2019-2022 Strategic Plan outlining methods to assist Pennsylvanians in achieving “safe, healthy, and productive lives while being an accountable steward of commonwealth resources.”

About

In an opening message from PA DHS Secretary Teresa Miller, Miller highlights the core values and mission of PA DHS, stating:

“We strive every day to make sure…that every Pennsylvanian can be secure in the knowledge that they have somewhere to turn on that nearly inevitable day when they find themselves or a friend or family member struggling, perhaps with a physical or intellectual disability, addiction, cancer, abuse, mental illness, or any number of circumstances. DHS exists to protect and advocate for some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and we are steadfastly committed to that work.”

With this, the plan highlights DHS’ Strategic Priorities to continue improving and streamlining its programs to fulfill its mission to “assist Pennsylvanians in achieving safe, healthy, and productive lives” and protect Pennsylvanians under the care of licensed providers.

DHS Strategic Priorities

The PA DHS Strategic Plan priorities include:

    • providing every child with a strong foundation for physical and behavioral well-being;
    • bending the health cost curve;
    • enhancing access to health care and services that help Pennsylvanians lead healthy, productive lives;
    • promoting accountable and transparent government.

More Information

For more information on DHS’ 2019-2022 Priorities, read the full Strategic Plan. To learn more about Trying Together, visit our Home page.

News

August 9, 2019

Involve Parents for Greater English Learner Success

Encouraging parents to become involved is the first step toward bringing parents and educators closer together on behalf of their English Learners. From organizing workshops for parents to developing classroom language learning assignments that include families, the process to boost involvement takes commitment—and an action plan.

About

In this edWebinar, presenters will discuss:

    • the six categories of parental involvement;
    • how educators can incorporate those categories into an effective action plan;
    • best practices and real-world examples from districts around the country;
    • common roadblocks and strategies to overcome the challenges they present
    • a break down of the action plan to help participants begin to incorporate action steps; and
    • strategies of what to do if the action plan falls off track.

This edWebinar will be of interest to preK-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders.

Register

To register for this webinar, visit the EdWeb event page.

News

July 9, 2019

DHS Licensed Providers: Plan of Correction Notice

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is offering training for all DHS licensed providers on completing a Plan of Correction (POC).

About

This free, live webinar training will focus on the elements needed for the foundation of an acceptable POC. It is strongly recommended that all facility staff involved in completing POCs attend one webinar session. Each scheduled webinar will last approximately one hour. Only one webinar should be attended, as the material covered will be the same in each session.

Webinar Dates

The dates for the webinars are as follows:

    • Tuesday, July 16, 9:30 – 10: 30 a.m.
    • Tuesday, July 16, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
    • Wednesday, July 17, 10:30 – 11: 30 a.m.
    • Wednesday, July 17, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
    • Tuesday, July 23, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    • Wednesday, July 24, 10:30 – 11: 30 a.m.
    • Wednesday, July 24, 1:30 – 2: 30 p.m.
    • Thursday, July 25, 9:30 – 10: 30 a.m.

Registration

To register for a training session, visit the registration web page.

Space is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. After registering, you will receive a link to connect you to the webinar training.

Unable to Attend?

If you are unable to attend one of these webinar sessions, DHS will be offering a similar training in a self-paced format in late July 2019. Additional information will be shared on how to access the self-paced training in the future.

*Information provided by the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning

News

July 8, 2019

10 Questions to Ask: Child Care Emergency Plan

In a recent article, Child Care Aware of America reported out that 38 percent of parents were unsure of their child care provider’s emergency plan, with another 7 percent stating that their program doesn’t have one. To ensure your child’s safety, Child Care Aware recommends that caregivers be proactive by asking their child care provider these 10 questions.

Recommended Questions

  • Do you have an emergency preparedness plan for disasters that are likely to occur in our area?
  • How will you safely evacuate my child to a safe, predetermined location?
  • How and when will I be notified if a disaster occurs when my child is in child care?
  • If I can’t get to my child during or after a disaster, how will you continue to care for my child?
  • Have you and your staff received training on how to respond to my child’s physical and emotional needs during and after a disaster; for example, are all staff first aid and CPR-certified?
  • Will you teach my older child what to do in an emergency?
  • Do you have a disaster/supply kit with enough items to meet my child’s needs for at least 72 hours?
  • Do the state and local emergency management agencies and responders know about your child care program and where it is located?
  • How may I help you during and after a disaster?
  • After a disaster occurs, how will I be notified about your plan to reopen?

More Information

For more information, visit www.childcareprepare.org.

*Information provided by Child Care Aware of America

News

July 3, 2019

Allegheny County Community Health Assessment Survey

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) and its advisory coalition are developing the next Community Health Assessment (CHA). As part of this process, they have created a survey for residents to help identify the priority health issues impacting their communities.

About the Survey

This survey has a particular focus on health equity and will be used to design a new Community Health Improvement Plan, which will outline goals and strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of all Allegheny County residents. By taking the survey, you are helping ACHD identify the key needs of Allegheny County communities.

The survey will be available from June 26 through October 4, 2019. This survey is open to all residents of Allegheny County over 18 years of age. ACHD is also working with various organizations to make paper versions of the survey available to residents. Both versions are identical – if you take the online version, there is no need to complete a paper version. All answers are private and anonymous.

Take the Online Survey

If you’re interested in sharing your voice, complete the survey today!

Spanish Survey

La encuesta de salud de la comunidad del condado de Allegheny está disponible en español. Haz click aquí para realizar la encuesta.

Partner Organizations

ACHD is looking for partner organizations to help distribute the CHA survey to populations that they serve. Partners are encouraged to distribute and collect these surveys to community residents. Strategies for distribution include bringing paper surveys to events, making surveys available at their locations, and seeking other opportunities for Allegheny County residents to complete the survey.

If you are a local organization that is interested in helping with this effort, please contact Alaina Conner via the ACHD website or by calling 412-578-8364.

*Information provided by the Allegheny County Health Department

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

October 18, 2018

Worst Case Scenarios: Child Care Provider Emergency Planning and Management

Register today for the Worst Case Scenarios min-conference. Pre-registration is required.

Child care providers, whether a single family home provider or staff at large center, need to have a plan and be prepared for challenging situations that could threaten children and staff, including the impact on children and staff with special health care needs and disabilities. The goal of this conference is to provide information that will improve caregiver’s knowledge of what to do in emergency situations, and familiarize them with the local people to contact.

The cost is $15 per person for the half-day conference which includes a continental breakfast. PQAS hours are available.

View this flyer for event and registration details.