May 12, 2025 Pennsylvania Key Releases Resources to Prevent Measles Outbreak The Pennsylvania Key has released new resources on measles as part of its health-related trends in early childhood for May. Measles Outbreak The resources were released amid a global measles resurgence that has increased the risk of outbreaks in the United States. Outbreak cases of measles – which is the most highly contagious preventable disease – have been reported in 12 states, including Pennsylvania. As of mid-April, a total of 800 U.S. cases have been reported, which is a 180 percent increase over the number of 2024 cases. About 96 percent of people who caught the illness were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. Two school-aged children and one adult, all unvaccinated, have died from the disease. The Pennsylvania Key’s resources include: A short video on the 5 Things You Need to Know About Measles Three lessons learned from the current outbreak from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center Pennsylvania Department of Health’s measles fact sheet Information for caregivers or staff to prevent measles spread in school or child care settings Information on the measles vaccine Measles can be dangerous, especially for infants, young children, pregnant women, and unvaccinated people. Children and caregivers or staff could miss child care or school for long periods of time if they catch the measles. The disease can lead to severe complications that could result in hospitalization or death. For more information, visit The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
April 2, 2025 OCDEL to Release Updated Edition of PA Learning Standards for Early Childhood The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will release an updated version of the Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood. Learn More The soon-to-be-released update includes changes to Science Standards to ensure alignment with newly adopted Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) Standards. The STEELS Standards were adopted by the state’s Board of Education in January 2022. Implementation of the standards in all Pennsylvania schools begins in the 2025-26 school year. Revisions include updates to the state’s Early Childhood Learning Standards for: Infant/toddler Prekindergarten Kindergarten Grades 1 and 2 Early Learning Standards Continuum “Approaches to Learning Through Play” and “Social/Emotional Development” domains are listed first in the standards, as these skills help children to develop competencies that are essential for success in school, life, and careers. The 2024 Learning Standards for Early Childhood no longer include the “Partnerships for Learning” section. Starting in September, providers will be required to adopt The Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework. All licensed child care facilities – including PA Pre-K Counts, HSSAP, and Migrant Education programs – will receive one complimentary copy of the following: 2024 Infant, Toddler Learning Standards for Early Childhood 2024 Pre-Kindergarten Learning Standards for Early Childhood 2024 Early Learning Standards Continuum Eligible providers are expected to receive their complimentary copies delivered between April and May. Early intervention agencies and state PQAS instructors and organizations will receive an email with the opportunity to request a complimentary set of the standards. Responses will be due by May 31. Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood will be available for viewing, download, and printing on The Pennsylvania Key website. Physical copies will also be available for purchase. In late April, an asynchronous training titled “2024 Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood Revisions Overview” on the transition to the new standards will be accessible on the PD Registry. Any questions about the new standards should be emailed to ra-pwpaels@pa.gov.
February 26, 2025 OCDEL’s New Confluence Podcast on CPSL Requirements Now Available Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released a new Confluence podcast titled “Clarifying the Child Protective Service Law (CPSL) Requirements for Child Care.” Learn More In the podcast, hosts Ruby Martin, director of the Bureau of Certification Services, and Chris Loos, the bureau’s division chief, discuss and clarify Announcement C-25-01. The announcement involves CPSL requirements for provisional hiring in all child care program types. The podcast hosts also answer some frequently asked questions about the field. The monthly Confluence podcasts enable listeners to understand the complexities of OCDEL’s Bureau of Certification Services. The first two episodes – Introduction & What is Federal Monitoring and Exploring the Revised Health and Safety Training – are also available. The latest episode of the podcast is available on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
February 5, 2025 PennAEYC Honors Educators with Voice for Children Award The Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) recently honored educators during their 2025 Voice for Children Celebration. The VOICE for Children Award is the only statewide award in Pennsylvania recognizing early care and education professionals, who are not paid advocates but go above and beyond their daily work in the field by being grassroots leaders through advocacy and public policy efforts. The award celebrates not only individual award recipients, but also the early childhood profession. PennAEYC presented this year’s award recipients at an event on April 4. Trying Together recognizes and congratulates two honorees in particular who have worked closely with the organization. Honorees Photo credit: PennAEYC Lesely Crawford, an educator and the executive director of Pittsburgh’s ABK Learning and Development Center, was among this year’s three honorees. She was nominated by Trying Together. “Lesely’s love for children and her desire to educate them led her to open her own early learning center. She was concerned with the struggles of her students and felt that she could do more for them if she caught them earlier. Not wanting to leave any children behind, ABK Learning & Development Center was born. As she organized and structured the program, she felt compelled to focus on families that lacked sufficient care during nontraditional hours. ABK Learning & Development Center would be open 24 hours, seven days a week to accommodate parents. Through the partnership with the housing Authority the City of Pittsburgh, she opened her second facility, Bedford Hope Center. ” Read full bio. Photo credit: PennAEYC Eva Wood (executive director of Ligonier Valley Learning Center, Inc. in Latrobe) was also honored this year. She is a long-time partner of Trying Together and recently became part of Trying Together’s ECE Advocacy Fellowship. As a result of her involvement in the ECE Advocacy Fellowship, she began the Westmoreland Director’s Team which is already meeting and has grown to almost 40 members. Most recently, Eva contributed a story to the “Day in the Life” advocacy project through Trying Together, which encourages others to gain a deeper understanding of the realities facing children, families, and early childhood educators across the state. Read full bio. Other honorees include: VOICE for Children Student Honoree: Sonya Geisinger (owner/operator of Sonya Sue Geisinger’s Family Daycare in Coopersburg) Distinguished Career Nominee: Gail Nourse, a consultant and first director of The Pennsylvania Key Vision Award Honoree: The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce was this year’s Vision Award honoree. The gala was held at the Hershey Lodge and more than 125 early childhood care and education professionals were in attendance. Jasmine Brooks, an anchor for CBS 21, acted as the event’s emcee. For more information, visit the 2025 Voice for Children Celebration website.
January 29, 2025 PA Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award Application Deadline Extended The deadline for the 2025 Pennsylvania Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award has been extended to Friday, January 31. Learn More The award brings awareness to and highlights the equity work within Pennsylvania’s early childhood education settings, including child care, as well as evidence-based home visiting, and early intervention programs. This year’s awardees will be invited to attend the annual celebration at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg during April’s Month of the Young Child. Invitations to elected legislators to attend the ceremony are encouraged. Awardees will also receive a certificate and commemorative poster to display in their programs and access to website, newsletter, and social media promotional support. They will also receive an opportunity to participate in a state library tour at the Forum Building in Harrisburg and a tour of the state capitol. Applicants must demonstrate how the individual, early childhood, or afterschool program has supported children and their families through embracing diversity and full inclusion as strengths, upholding fundamental principles of fairness and justice, and/or working to eliminate structural inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities. The application must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 31. For more information or to apply, visit The Pennsylvania Key website.
January 27, 2025 Fred Rogers Institute Guide Provides Guidance on Children Dealing with Difficult Situations The Pennsylvania Key has shared a guide from the Fred Rogers Institute about how to support children during difficult moments in life. Learn More “When Difficult Things Happen” is a PDF that shares kind words that adults can say to children who are experiencing loss. It also lists various things for adults to do to support children during this process. Among the items listed on how to support children facing a loss include: Being there for them without judgment while the child experiences whatever feelings come up Helping them to know that their feelings are valid and accepted Sharing some of your own feelings Aiming to keep routines and expectations consistent, or letting them know what has to change and why Letting them know that difficult feelings don’t last forever Making space for play For more information or to read other methods to help children cope with difficult situations – such as loss – read the Fred Rogers Institute guide.
January 20, 2025 OCDEL: There’s Still Time to Complete Early Childhood Education Survey Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is reminding early child care facility workers that they still have time to complete a survey for early childhood professionals. Learn More The deadline to fill out the survey for Pennsylvania early childhood professionals is Friday, January 31. Those who can take the survey include any childhood education professional at a state child care facility, including Head Start and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. The survey is being conducted on behalf of OCDEL, The Pennsylvania Key, and the Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) at Penn State Harrisburg. The aim is to learn about and identify solutions related to staffing, retention, and professional development resources throughout the state. The survey is open to teachers, assistant teachers, classroom aids, directors, owner-operators, administrative staff, and other staff at all state child care facilities. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Those who take it can enter a drawing for the chance to win one of 50 Amazon e-gift cards for $50. The survey is offered in English and Spanish. It is now available on Penn State Harrisburg’s site.
December 18, 2024 OCDEL to Offer Course on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the Pennsylvania Key are offering an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. What is MBSR? MBSR is the most extensively-tested, evidence-based mindfulness program available. Mindfulness is the practice of paying focused, non-judgmental attention to the present moment. It involves being fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings without trying to change or avoid them. This eight-week course is aimed at individuals who are seeking a reputable and in-depth exploration of mindfulness meditation. It adheres to the same standards and structure as the in-person program created in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The course includes 2.5-hour sessions each week as well as a full day-long-at-home retreat and daily practice. It is an intense course for those seeking to deepen their mindfulness practice and understanding through a trusted and well-researched system. More Information Those interested in taking the class should view a recording on the Pennsylvania Key Mindfulness page prior to completing an application. The recording can be found at the bottom of the page. There are limited seats currently available. Applications will be prioritized for early childhood educators providing direct service to children and families. The application deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, December 20. Applicants will be informed by Monday, December 23 of their application status. Those who are selected will receive a link and a code to register for the course through Mindful Leader, the organization hosting the courses. Applications are available online. The four different class options include: Starting January 6: Mondays, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Sessions: January 6 – March 3; retreat on Saturday, February 22) Starting January 12: Sundays, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Sessions: January 12 – March 9; retreat on Saturday, February 22) Starting January 24: Fridays, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Sessions: January 24 – March 21; retreat on Saturday, March 8) Starting January 28: Tuesdays, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Sessions: January 28 – March 25; retreat on Saturday, March 15)
November 26, 2024 Applications Open for Equity in Early Childhood Champion Awards Applications are now open for Pennsylvania’s fourth annual Equity in Early Childhood Champion Awards. Learn More The award brings awareness to and highlights equity work within the state’s early childhood education settings, including child care, evidence-based home visiting, and early intervention programs. Nominees for the award are professionals and organizations that align with the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement. Pennsylvania recognizes achievements in advancing equity by individuals and early childhood education and afterschool programs. The process is open to nominate individuals or programs that have demonstrated support to children and their families by embracing diversity and full inclusion as strengths, upholding fundamental principles of fairness and justice, or working to eliminate structural inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities. Applicants must demonstrate how the individual, early childhood, or afterschool program has supported children and their families in these specific areas. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24. For more information or to apply, visit The Pennsylvania Key website.
November 18, 2024 OCDEL Calls for Early Childhood Education Professionals to Take Survey Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is calling on early childhood education professionals to take a survey regarding staffing, retention, and professional development resources. Learn More The survey is being conducted by the Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) at Penn State Harrisburg on behalf of OCDEL and The Pennsylvania Key. The purpose is to learn about and identify solutions relating to staffing, retention, and professional development resources in the state. The survey is open to all Pennsylvania early childhood education professionals at any child care facility, including Head Start and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts. Those who should take the survey include teachers, assistant teachers, classroom aids, directors, owner-operators, administrative staff, and all other staff. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. Those who participate can enter an optional drawing for the chance to win a $50 Amazon e-gift card. The survey is available in English or Spanish. It will close in January. For more information, email ChildCareResearch@psu.edu.
