November 17, 2020 Provide Your Feedback: Subsidized Child Care Eligibility The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) are accepting public comments through December 14, 2020 for proposed changes to the current subsidized child care eligibility regulations. About Proposed changes to the subsidized child care eligibility regulations at 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3041 might impact families, children, and early childhood education providers. The proposed changes include, but are not limited to, the following: expanded eligibility period of 12 months; expanded eligibility to cover hours the parent or caretaker requires sleep following completion of overnight work shift; no changes to the amounts of subsidy and co-payment for the duration of the eligibility period, unless to the family’s benefit; abolished the requirement for the parent or caretaker to pay an advanced co-pay prior to enrollment; children who turn 13 during the eligibility period will continue to receive the subsidy until the eligibility period ends; codifying payment practices permitting tiered reimbursement for providers who voluntarily exceed the basic health and safety requirements; codifying payment practices based on enrollment and not attendance, to include increasing the number of permitted absences from 25 to 50 per fiscal year; after five consecutive days absent, the child maintains eligibility, but the enrollment is suspended until the child returns to care; and establishment of waiver provisions and periods of presumptive eligibility for particular populations, including victims of domestic violence and families experiencing homelessness. How To Submit A Comment All public comments must be submitted in writing by December 14, 2020. All comments, suggestions, or objections should reference the regulation number, section, and subsection. Comments can be submitted using the following methods: email your comments to RA-ocdsubchildcare@pa.gov; fax your comments to 717.214.6575; or mail your comments to:Michael Ordonez Office of Child Development and Early Learning 333 Market Street, 6th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126 If you would like to receive a response, please include your contact information when submitting. More Information For information about the current regulations, visit the Pennsylvania Code website. To view the latest issue, read Volume 50 Number 46. Share this flyer with your network.
