February 14, 2024 OST Summer Staffing Survey A+ Schools is working in partnership with the United Way to intentionally support out-of-school-time (OST) providers in summer staffing and recruitment. To that end, they are asking providers to fill out the survey about how to approach summer staffing. Learn More OST providers and Untied Way grantees can submit their input on summer staffing – particularly about when and how they engage candidates for summer staffing positions. A+ Schools aims to amplify the region’s OST providers by creating an internal model that can support staffing, advertising, and retention of summer staff. To ask questions or provide additional information, reach out to Will & Tyler at plc@aplusschools.org.
June 21, 2023 OCDEL Releases 2022 Market Rate Survey Report The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) recently released their 2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey (MRS) Report. Data in the report reflects a challenging operating and economic environment, which child care providers continually navigate. About the MRS Report The MRS report is a collection and analysis of prices charged by child care providers in an open market. It includes information on private pay tuition rates, staffing, payments and fee practices, facility types, and food offerings at local programs. OCDEL uses the report to set base reimbursement rates for Pennsylvania’s subsidized child care program Child Care Works (CCW) to ensure equal access to child care for low-income families. 2022 MRS Report Across the state, 6,378 child care providers stayed in operation throughout the entire survey period. A total of 4,383 providers participated in the 2022 MRS, representing a 68.7% response rate. Key Findings from the 2022 MRS Report CCW Of providers with a CCW agreement, half (50.1%) indicated that they do not usually require CCW families to pay any difference between the private tuition rate and the subsidy payment amount. Family and Group Child Care Homes are more likely to require CCW families to pay the difference between the private pay rate and subsidy reimbursement amount than centers. This raises concerns about equity and access to affordable child care in these settings. Among providers who did not have a CCW agreement, the most common reason for not participating was that their capacity was at full enrollment with only private pay families. Payments & Fees Providers with higher Keystone STAR designations charge more than similar providers with lower designations across all care levels and types. Almost two-thirds (64.4%) of providers charge families a registration fee, with the median fee being $50. Registration fees were most often charged by centers. Incidental fees for late pickups and overdue payments were charged by most providers. With so many providers requiring a registration fee, low-income families in the CCW program may face financial barriers to accessing child care. Additionally, fees for late pickups and overdue payments may cause financial strain for families who are struggling financially. Staffing Over half of all providers reported unfilled job openings (54.1%), which reduced the number of children that could be served. This was most common among Child Care Centers (67.9%). Only a portion of providers (36.6%) offered health insurance to any staff members. The low portion of providers offering health insurance benefits to staff members may impact the quality of care. Food & Nutrition The USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that provides reimbursements to providers for healthy meals and snacks — 43.3% of providers reported using the program. Regardless of CACFP participation, most providers offered some meals or snacks with regular tuition. The fact that over half of providers do not participate in CACFP suggests that there may be gaps in the quality of meals and snacks offered by child care providers. This could be particularly bad for children from low-income families who may rely on child care providers for healthy meals. Access the Report Access the 2022 MRS Report on the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) website. Learn More To learn more, visit the Official Pennsylvania Government website.
March 27, 2023 Learn the Secrets Recruiters Use to Find Staff Online With the ongoing staffing crisis, many child care providers are struggling to find and hire qualified child care professionals to work in their child care facilities. Despite challenges facing the industry, adjustments to hiring practices and processes may help providers find the staff they need. If you’re struggling to staff a child care facility, join Early Childhood Investigations Webinars and Brightwheel for this webinar presented by Lauren Small and Virginia Marsh, and learn strategies to enhance online recruitment efforts and uncover more qualified applicants. Session Details Wednesday, April 19 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More Attendees will learn: marketing strategies tips for creating job ads and career pages tips for attracting qualified candidates how search engine algorithms work Can’t participate in the webinar at the appointed time? Don’t worry. It will be recorded. To view the recording, simply register for the event and you will receive an email with a link to the recording when it is ready to be viewed. You can earn .2 CEUs for this webinar. They cost $15 from the University of Oklahoma when you apply. To learn more, visit the Early Childhood Investigations website.
March 3, 2023 New Survey Reveals Impact of Child Care Staffing Shortage Partners of the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA advocacy campaigns recently released new survey results detailing the wage-driven staffing crisis in the early care and education sector, which continues to contract the capacity of child care programs. About the Survey The new survey, conducted between January 31 and February 12 details the current child care staffing crisis in more than 1,100 Pennsylvania child care programs across 54 counties and its effects on working families’ ability to access care. Summary of Survey Results Staffing Crisis Programs need to fill nearly 4,000 open staffing positions. 85% of child care respondents reported staffing shortages. 50% of child care respondents have closed at least one classroom. Impact on Working Families Nearly 35,500 children currently sit on child care waiting lists. More than 30,000 additional children could be served at respondents’ sites if they were fully staffed. Over 2,200 children currently sit on Pre-K Counts waiting lists. Over 650 children currently sit on Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program waiting lists. Implications The February 2023 survey results depict a deepening crisis in the early care and education sector. In May 2022, Start Strong PA released a similar survey showing that Pennsylvania’s child care centers were experiencing a staffing shortage resulting in nearly 32,500 children sitting on waiting lists. These new survey results show that over the past 10 months, waiting list numbers have continued to increase across Pennsylvania. Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Campaign Recommendations Child care workers, on average, make less than $12.50 an hour, and 50% of them qualify for government benefits. Because of this, child care providers cannot compete against other industries, which offer higher wages and require less specialized skills, for staff. Child care advocates are calling on Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly to increase investment in early care and education programs, using recurring funds as part of the 2023-2024 state budget. Learn More The following fact sheets are available with statewide and county results: Statewide results Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Butler Fayette Greene Indiana Lawrence Washington Westmoreland Trying Together is a principal partner of the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA campaigns. To learn more, visit the Trying Together, Start Strong PA, or Pre-K for PA websites.
February 14, 2023 NAEYC Report Quantifies Impact of Recent Child Care Challenges The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has released a report on the results of their fall survey. Entitled, “Uncertainty Ahead Means Instability Now: Why Families, Children, Educators, Businesses, and States Need Congress to Fund Child Care,” the report quantifies the impact of recent child care challenges. About the NAEYC Survey and Report The NAEYC survey was conducted in October 2022 using SurveyMonkey. The resulting report represents the responses of 12,897 individuals working in all states (including 941 individuals working in Pennsylvania child care programs) and early childhood education settings, including faith-based programs, family child care homes, Head Starts, and child care centers. It is intended to present the experiences of the respondents, as captured in the moment that they took the survey. Summary of Pennsylvania Survey Data Data on Stabilization Grants Over the course of the pandemic, Pennsylvania utilized federal relief funding to stabilize the child care sector. This included one-time bonuses for child care teachers and increased subsidy payments for providers to increase staff salaries. However, this relief funding will soon end. As a result of the end of pandemic relief funding: 62% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported that they will have to raise tuition 29% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported they will have to cut staff salaries Data on Staffing and Supply 57.7% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported serving fewer children than they would like, primarily due to staffing shortages 65.8% of Pennsylvania child care center directors reported currently experiencing a staffing shortage 33.7% of Pennsylvania early childhood educators (ECE) indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job or closing their family child care home 45.8% of family child care providers indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job 35.4% of ECEs in minority-owned child care businesses indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job 9.9% of ECEs in non-minority-owned child care businesses indicated “yes” or “maybe” to considering leaving their job However, the majority of ECEs indicated competitive wages would convince them to stay at their jobs. Data on ECE Workforce Well-Being 34.9% of Pennsylvania respondents reported experiencing financial insecurity in the last year, despite 54.7% reporting an increased wage Additionally, 78.6% of Pennsylvania respondents indicated that burnout/exhaustion contributed “greatly” or “to some extent” to problems retaining teachers NAEYC Recommendations NAEYC recommends that congress build on the successes of child care funding to prioritize additional, sustainable investments. These investments ensure programs and educators can meet the needs of families, children, and businesses, and states can continue to build towards an early childhood education system that works. Learn More To learn more about the NAEYC survey results, read the full report.
September 2, 2020 August OCDEL Child Care Provider Survey Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on child care providers. To better understand the successes and challenges child care providers are experiencing, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is collecting information monthly through online surveys on staffing and enrollment. Complete the survey today to share your experience. About This survey is only intended for child care providers and will be utilized to gain an understanding of the status of child care in Pennsylvania. The August survey will be particularly helpful as it will provide insight into the impact of changes in local school district schedule and school-age child care enrollment. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes and must be completed by Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Participation is voluntary. OCDEL will issue the final survey at the end of September to compare and analyze changes. Take the Survey To submit your experience, complete the survey.
July 17, 2020 Child Care Providers Eligible for PA Hazard Pay Grants On July 16, Governor Tom Wolf announced that $50 million in grant funding is available to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hazard pay is intended to keep front-line employees working in vital industry sectors across Pennsylvania. About the Grant Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Within the guidelines, child care is identified as an eligible industry (Health and Social Assistance). Hazard pay is defined as additional pay for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship, in each case that is related to COVID-19. Employers can apply for up to $3 million in funding. Grant funds can be used for hazard pay for direct, full-time, and part-time employees earning less than $20 per hour, excluding fringe benefits and overtime. Funds can only be used to pay hazard pay for eligible employees for the 10-week period from August 16 through October 24, 2020. Submit an Application Applicants can apply for up to $1,200 per eligible full-time equivalent employee. The hazard pay must be paid to the eligible employee over the 10-week period of August 16 through October 24, 2020 as a $3 per hour hazard pay increase to their regular pay rate. Employers can apply for a grant to provide hazard pay for up to 500 eligible full-time equivalent employees per location ($600,000 maximum grant per location). Applications will be received from July 16 through July 31, 2020. To apply for funding, submit an application through the Electronic Single Application. More Information For more information or questions, contact 717.787.6245 or ra-dcedcbf@pa.gov.
June 4, 2020 Executive Level Roundtable Series Join APOST, Connections 4 Success, and Davis & Associates from June to August 2020 for a six-part Executive Roundtable Series. About The Executive Roundtable Series features next-steps and best practices to respond appropriately to recent industry disruptions due to COVID-19. The primary focus is to engage in meaningful dialog and share tips that help executive leaders to adapt and modify their business operations to recover and progress their organizations from survival to recovery to growth. Available Sessions Executive Roundtable: When Reopening, What Needs to be Considered? Wednesday, June 10 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Here Executive Roundtable: Merging & Integrating Programming with Others: Maximizing Dollars and Resources for Impact while addressing consolidation with other not-for-profit organizations Wednesday, June 24 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Here Be Creative: How to Reach out to Funders & Strengthen Relationships with Foundations Wednesday, July 8 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Here How to Apply for Relief Money for Capacity Building? Wednesday, July 22 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Here Connecting with Others – How to Best Utilize Experts for Conversations Wednesday, August 5 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Here How to Handle Your Workforce Post COVID-19? – Organizational Skill Gaps with Leaner Staffing Wednesday, August 26 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Register Here More Information For more information, please contact APOST at 412.456.6876. Share this flyer with your network.
