February 14, 2019 2019 UnConference: Young Learner’s Guide to Tech In partnership with Carlow University and Avonworth Primary Center, join us Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Avonworth Primary Center for a day of professional development and explore how we, as early childhood educators, after-school providers, and families can harness the good that comes from the advances made in media and technology for young children. The day features Jennifer Ehehalt, Pittsburgh Regional Manager at Common Sense Media, highlighting the findings in their research report The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight, along with a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Then, attendees will participate in a hands-on workshop and an open session to interact with various displays, technology and media. After you register, we will email you for your workshop preferences. Registration for UnConference: Young Learner’s Guide to Tech is now closed.
Registration Open for 2019 UnConference In today’s digital world, learning has found new paths with the advanced development of media and technology. There is a lot of the excitement about the power of technology for learning with a focus on apps and games, but what do we really know about the effectiveness of media and technology on young children? How are they spending their time? And, even with lots of tech, what are low tech (or maybe even no tech) ideas that help children create and develop critical 21st century skills? Simply, what is age-appropriate? About In partnership with Carlow University and Avonworth Primary Center, join us Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Avonworth Primary Center for a day of professional development and explore how we, as early childhood educators, after-school providers, and families can harness the good that comes from the advances made in media and technology for young children. The day features Jennifer Ehehalt, Pittsburgh Regional Manager at Common Sense Media, highlighting the findings in their research report The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight, along with a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Then, attendees will participate in a hands-on workshop and an open session to interact with various displays, technology and media. After you register, we will email you for your workshop preferences. How to Register Register now to reserve your space! When the workshops are finalized, you will receive an email from Yu-Ling to select your preferred workshops. We will do our best to place you in your requested workshop, but this is not guaranteed. There is limited space in each workshop and workshop placement is based on the date of your registration, so we recommend you register early. Please register by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2019. For groups of six or more people, there is a 10% discount. Please email Yu-Ling at conference@tryingtogether.org for more information. To learn more about this event, visit this link. Share this flyer with your network.
December 13, 2018 DHS Releases Request for Information The Department of Human Services (DHS) recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to explore existing individual or family needs assessments, methods of connecting individuals and families to community resources, and models for providing whole-person or whole-family case management. Purpose The department recognizes the frustration individuals and families may experience while trying to access much-needed services in a timely manner when receiving case management from multiple agencies. DHS wants to make it easier for individuals to obtain meaningful information and access to the services they need to achieve overall wellbeing, positive health outcomes, and financial self-sufficiency. Their goal is to build a system that addresses each family’s needs and amplifies the work of health care providers and community organizations. Submissions and Deadlines If your organization has experience in any of the areas outlined in this RFI, respond by January 18, 2019 by visiting the Pennsylvania eMarketplace website. *Information provided by PA Early Ed 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*
OCDEL Releases Four New Vodcasts The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Bureau of Certification released four new vodcasts containing important information about operating a child care facility. These 10-15 minute videos can easily be shared with early learning staff, linked within an email or on a website, or shared via social media. Vodcast Topics Child Protective Services Law Vodcast This video details the requirements for child care providers in meeting the Child Protective Service Law (CPSL) and the importance of these requirements. Child care providers and other employees who have contact with children are responsible for obtaining the proper clearances and ensuring that clearances are obtained within the proper time frame. Requirements for an Effective Director of Child Care Center Vodcast Child care directors are responsible for the overall management of a successful child care center. This video explains the commitments directors must make to ensure proper communication with staff and parents, maintain up-to-date child and staff files, have knowledge of the Pennsylvania child care regulations, and provide oversight for the overall health and safety of children in care. Supervision Vodcast Supervision is the most critical requirement in keeping children healthy and safe while they are in care. Staff must always be able to see, hear, direct and assess children at all times in order to provide proper supervision. This video is helpful in providing a more in-depth look at supervision, as well as guidance to help staff meet this requirement. Writing a Plan of Correction Vodcast All certified child care facilities are required to undergo an annual inspection. Many times, a facility is in full compliance with all the regulations. However, there are occasions when the Legal Entity has to be cited for non-compliance with one or more of the child care regulations. This video explains the process for writing and submitting a plan of correction for regulatory violations that your certification representative may cite during a licensing inspection. Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website for the complete listing. *Information provided by NAEYC*
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.
August 1, 2018 New Keystone STARS Performance Standards Available In 2017, The Keystone STARS Think Tank Team, in partnership with thousands of stakeholders, developed principles to guide the STARS revision process. During the 2017-18 program year, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) refined Keystone STARS to be more efficient for providers to participate and more effective at improving child outcomes. The new Keystone STARS Performance Standards and Program Manual became available on July 1, 2018. For more information on updates to the program, listen to the Keystone STARS July 2018 Update webinar. This brief presentation covers changes to the Keystone STARS Performance Standards and Indicators, Alternate Pathways to STARS Designation, and Program Quality Assessment. For more information on the Keystone STARS program visit the PA Key website. For questions or comments, please contact OCDEL at RA-OCDEarlyLearning@pa.gov. (Shared via PA Key)
Certified Child Care Provider Renewals Certified child care providers in Pennsylvania are subject to an annual inspection of their facility. Upon completion of the inspection, the provider will be notified of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s findings on an inspection summary report. For more information on what to expect during the renewal inspection process, watch this video. Families can use the Online Child Care Provider Search to review certification information about a provider, including the provider’s certificate status, verified complaints and inspection results.
June 11, 2018 Pilot Begins for Professional Development Verification Program The PA Key and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Certification are partnering to pilot verifying professional development currently coordinated by the Registry and are choosing several programs to test this process beginning July 1, 2018. To ensure one’s PD Registry profile is ready for the DHS Certification, the following steps should be taken: Directors/Administrators: Create an organization profile. If you already have an active profile, it will appear and allow you to update any information. Login and complete your profile. Your profile is a representation of your professional career. You can add your education and past work history. Add your employment. To add your employment, click the “Employment” tab on the top navigation bar. Your director will verify that you are employed by your current center. Locate your Professional Development Learning Record. Certificates are a thing of the past in the new PD Registry. Your Professional Development Learning Record will replace individual certificates and serves as one place for all your completed professional development to live. For tip sheets, visit the PA Key website.
