June 30, 2020 Child Care Providers: Share Your Successes & Challenges To better understand the success and challenges child care providers are experiencing as they operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released a brief survey that providers can complete to share their experiences. Child care providers are encouraged to complete this survey by Wednesday, July 8, 2020. About Since March 2020, COVID-19 has had significant impacts on the child care provider community. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is interested in understanding the success and challenges child care providers are experiencing as they operate during the pandemic. One strategy they are using to collect information is a brief monthly survey on staffing and enrollment. While the survey is voluntary, OCDEL encourages every child care operator to participate. OCDEL will issue the same survey at the end of June, July, August, and September to compare and analyze changes. Take the Survey To share your successes and challenges, complete the survey today!
May 7, 2020 Help Allegheny County Plan for the Future The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of all Allegheny County residents. While we cannot be certain what the future holds, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) is looking to prepare for different contingencies. By beginning their preparation now, ACDHS seeks to ensure its systems are ready to adapt quickly as the situation continues to progress. With this, ACDHS is seeking community survey responses to better understand residents’ experiences and challenges during this difficult time. Survey Opportunities ACDHS has created several opportunities for community members to share their ideas on how to help people in Allegheny County during COVID-19 and beyond. Opportunities include the following: How can ACDHS make the system better? What matters most? Is remote help working for you? More Information To learn more, visit their survey webpage. For more information on COVID-19, please visit our regularly updated COVID-19 news-feed.
April 15, 2020 Family Strengths Survey Now Available During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and adult caregivers are vital in supporting the care, education, and healthy development of young children. Each caregiver and family will have their own unique experiences during these tough times, with many requiring assistance to acquire food, pay bills, and access other critical services. To better understand which resources have been the most helpful and to ensure that these resources remain available, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics launched the “Family Strengths Survey.” The survey is open to the public and all answers will be submitted anonymously. Take the Survey If you are interested in submitting the Family Strengths survey in English, please visit the survey webpage or call 412.692.8026. The survey is also available in Spanish. You Could Win At the end of the survey, participants will have the choice to enter your name and contact information for a chance to receive a $100 gift card. Five people will be randomly selected each week from everyone who answers the survey. The contact information that you provide will never be linked to your answers in the survey. Visit the survey webpage to learn more. More Information For more information about the survey or to see weekly updates on survey results, please visit the Family Strengths Survey webpage. For questions, please contact PGHstudy@pitt.edu. For more information on COVID-19, including daily updates, please click here to visit our COVID-19 resources page.
April 6, 2020 COVID-19 Impact on Child Care Survey Now Available Many states, including Pennsylvania, have ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their physical spaces as a mitigation effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). While lists of impacted businesses often include gyms, movie theaters, and clothing stores, they also often include a critical service that impacts families and caregivers across the nation: child care. To better understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on families and caregivers, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has launched a detailed survey and is seeking submissions from the public. About On March 12, 2020, NAEYC launched a survey asking child care programs to share the challenges they were expecting to face and to comment on what they needed to protect children, families, and our nation’s supply of child care programs. NAEYC received responses from 11,500 educators in family child care and center-based programs across the country, which has helped shape federal and state responses to the pandemic. Now, several weeks into the pandemic, as many states take action and a federal stimulus bill has passed, NAEYC is launching a more detailed survey with the intention to help organizations and policymakers understand the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the solutions that have been put forth thus far. Complete the COVID-19 Impact on Child Care Survey This survey is for everyone, including center-based programs, family child care programs, and others. However, not all questions may apply to your specific situation. Please complete the survey and fill out applicable questions to help NAEYC gather a range of perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on child care. To participate, please visit the survey page. More Information For questions, please contact NAEYC at info@naeyc.org or 800.424.2460. For more information on COVID-19, please visit our COVID-19 Resources page here.
March 5, 2020 New Early Childhood Mental Health Survey Available The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites early childhood education professionals, family members, higher education staff, and mental, physical, and oral healthcare professionals to take a brief survey regarding their experiences and communications around early social-emotional development. Survey results will be used to assist the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMH) Project in developing tools for families and professionals to use in understanding and obtaining supports around early childhood social-emotional health. Take the Survey Click here to complete the survey. All surveys must be submitted by April 7, 2020. More Information on Early Childhood Mental Health For more information about the IECMH Project, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. For more early childhood related news, please visit Trying Together’s News Section here. *Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key
December 17, 2019 PHAN Transportation and Health Survey Are you interested in sharing your voice to support your community? Participate in the Pennsylvania Health Action Network’s (PHAN) new survey on transportation and health! Survey responses will be confidential and should take roughly four minutes to complete. The survey will include questions about transportation for going to the doctor, dentist, a clinic, getting a test or lab done, or other kinds of health visits, such as mental health or substance use disorder treatment. Take the Survey The survey is available in both English and Spanish and can be completed using the following links: English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/97VYCYH Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9GTTMDB More Information If you have any questions, please reach out to Jessy Foster at jessica@pahealthaccess.org.
December 16, 2019 PDO Needs Assessment Survey: Upcoming Deadline Early care and education professionals in southwestern Pennsylvania are being asked to take the Professional Development Organization (PDO) Needs Assessment Survey. About From now through December 31, 2019, PDOs are performing a needs assessment with early childhood professionals by region and will develop a strategic plan and timetable for each. The survey will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Responses will be used to finalize the work plan and timeline for the Southwest and other regions that Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania will serve. Following this period, community outreach will begin. Click here to take complete the survey. During this transition, professionals who wish to obtain their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential can find credit-bearing coursework through Westmoreland County Community College and Harrisburg Area Community College. PDOs The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced the selection of its six regional PDOs in October 2019. The PDOs were created to coordinate and facilitate access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for early care and education professionals in Pennsylvania. PDOs support direct access across each service region for the early childhood workforce to participate in continuing education through a mixed delivery model and coordinate with the Early Learning Resource Centers in improving the quality of early learning programs. The regional PDO selection for the Southwest region is Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. The Shippensburg PDO also supports the Central, Northeast, and Northwest regions. See the regional PDO map here. More Information To learn more about PDOs, read the Pennsylvania Key’s announcement. *Information provided by OCDEL
November 18, 2019 2019 Market Rate Survey and YOU | Webinar Every three years, states update information regarding the prices child care providers charge families. Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) on December 4 for “2019 Market Rate Survey and YOU,” a webinar that will explain the importance of the Survey and how to enter current program information in PELICAN Provider Self-Service. About In this webinar, staff from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will talk about the importance of the 2019 Market Rate Survey and explain how to access Provider Self-Service, what providers will see when they login to their program, and how to ensure that current information from your program is reflected as OCDEL looks at Child Care Works reimbursement rates. With this, OCDEL invites all Pennsylvania certified child care providers to participate in the 2019 Market Rate Survey now through December 30, 2019. The easiest way to share this information is to ensure your prices are correct in the online Provider Self-Service Portal. Updated information from child care providers will provide more accurate information to determine child care prices in Pennsylvania and will provide OCDEL with important data to compare private pay prices with the Child Care Works reimbursements known as base rates. Registration Attendees must register by 12:00 p.m. on December 4, 2019. To register, visit the event webpage. More Information For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at 717.657.9000, x 107. *Information provided by the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA)
November 8, 2019 Pennsylvania Announces 2019 Market Rate Survey The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites all Pennsylvania certified child care providers to participate in the 2019 Market Rate Survey. About Every three years, states conduct a Market Rate Survey (MRS) to update information regarding the prices child care providers charge families. With the last official MRS conducted in 2016, OCDEL invites all certified child care providers in Pennsylvania to submit their published private pay rates. By providing this information, child care providers help OCDEL paint a more accurate picture of child care prices in Pennsylvania and will provide an important database to compare private pay prices with the Child Care Works reimbursement base rates. How to Participate The survey is available online from October 7 through December 30, 2019 within the PELICAN Provider Self-Service Portal. Participation will require a username and password to enter. For assistance on enrolling in Provider Self-Service or updating your child care prices if you do not have access to Provider Self-Service, contact your local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). Information from all child care providers is important, even if your private pay prices have not changed. If your prices remained the same, please update the “effective date” within the Provider Self-Service Portal. Any changes made between October 7 and December 30, 2019 will be included. Click here for instructions on how to complete the Survey using Provider Self-Service. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Market Rate Survey? In order to comply with federal requirements and continue to draw down federal dollars from the Child Care Development Block Grant for the operation of the Child Care Works (CCW) child care subsidy program, OCDEL is required to complete a periodic Market Rate Survey (MRS). The MRS collects information from all regulated child care providers about their published private pay rates. Providers should participate in the MRS and confirm or report updates to their private pay rates using Provider Self Service (PSS) or, if not enrolled in PSS, by contacting their Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). What does the term “market rate” mean? The “market rate” is interpreted as the rate which families are asked to pay, and which is published in program literature. The market rate does not reflect any discounts. Will I be audited for updating my published rates? Probably not. OCDEL has required verification in the past, and ELRCs have on occasion called a sampling of providers to check, but this is not the plan for this year’s MRS. However, providers should still only share published rates that they can verify if needed, and is the rate charged to most families. What qualifies as a “discount?” “Discounts” reflect allowances for families to pay a lower rate. For example, Comcast advertises its rate to clients, but frequently offers specials and discounts for loyal customers and new clients. Child care providers who typically charge $100 but who can offer discounts and specials to lower the price to $80 should still report their rate as $100. The MRS is not designed to capture any discounts that individual providers may choose to offer; it captures ONLY a provider’s published private pay rate. What do they mean by “published?” “Publishing” includes your website, your family handbook, any written contracts, or the rate visible on COMPASS. What is the Child Care Works (CCW) reimbursement rate? The Child Care Works (CCW) reimbursement rate is the rate that providers are reimbursed by the state for providing care to children who are eligible for CCW. This rate is based on the current market rate as provided through the MRS and is determined in part during the appropriations process. Because many providers also serve children who are not eligible for CCW reimbursement, providers must maintain a separate market rate for private pay families, and report this rate when completing their MRS rather than the CCW reimbursement rate. Why participate in the Market Rate Survey? It is important that each provider updates their private pay rates so that OCDEL has the necessary data to consider future Child Care Works base rate increases. Learn More To learn more, view the full announcement or contact your local ELRC. *Information provided by OCDEL
October 30, 2019 OCDEL Announces New Community Survey About Every five years, states have the opportunity to learn about the well-being of families of young children in local communities. Pennsylvania is asking any individual living in the state to complete this short survey. Through the data collected, Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will better understand the resources for families living in your community. Survey responses will be used statewide and locally to inform Family Support Services, such as parenting classes and home visiting services. Hearing from everyone is important! Whether you’re a parent or a provider of family and early childhood services, please complete and share this survey. Take the OCDEL Community Survey In English Please take about five to ten minutes to complete the survey. Your input is critical to informing stakeholders about the factors that may affect the well-being of young children and families in communities across Pennsylvania. If you wish to complete the OCDEL Community Survey in English, enter the following link into your web browser: is.gd/surveypa En Español Le pedimos que pase entre 5 a 10 minutos para contestar la encuesta. Sus aportes son muy importantes para nosotros ya que nos ayudarán a identificar y comprender los factores que pueden afectar la salud dentro de su familia y su comunidad en Pennsylvania. Si desea completar la encuesta en español, meter el enlace siguiente en su navegador de internet: is.gd/encuestapa More Information To learn more, read the full announcement. *Information provided by OCDEL
