News

February 5, 2025

PennAEYC to Honor Educator Nominated by Trying Together at Voice for Children Celebration

The Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) will host the 2025 Voice for Children Celebration in April. One of this year’s honorees was nominated by Trying Together.

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PennAEYC will present this year’s award recipients at an event on Friday, April 4. 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.

This year’s other honorees include:

  • Sonya Geisinger (owner/operator of Sonya Sue Geisinger’s Family Daycare in Coopersburg)
  • Eva Wood (executive director of Ligonier Valley Learning Center, Inc. in Latrobe)

Gail Nourse, a consultant and first director of The Pennsylvania Key, is this year’s Distinguished Career Nominee. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce is this year’s Vision Award honoree.

More Details

This year’s event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4 at the Hershey Lodge, located at 325 University Drive in Hershey.

Early bird registration – which must be completed by Friday, February 28 – is $150 per person. Standard registration to attend the event costs $160 per person and must be completed between Saturday, March 1 and Saturday, March 22.

For more information, visit the 2025 Voice for Children Celebration website

News

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.

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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.

News

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.

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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.

News

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.

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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.

News

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)

News

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

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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

News

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.

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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

News

November 6, 2024

Managing Events in the PD Registry for PQAS Instructors

The Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) is offering some reminders on the process for managing events in the Professional Development (PD) Registry for approved PQAS instructors and professional learning organizations.

All rosters must be complete and accurate within two weeks, including marking an event as complete. Instructors are expected to communicate with participants when a training is verified on the PD’s Learning Record. The system will close events automatically after 60 days.

To get an event reopened, email pqas@pakeys.org with the event’s ID number, title, and dates.

Reminder for Applicants Seeking PQAS Approval

When submitting an application for Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CCR PQAS approval, make sure that a current Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CCR Instructor Card is uploaded within the Education Tab > CPR, First Aid, Fire Safety Requirements Section > Pediatric CPR/First Aid Dropdown.

If you do not upload the correct documentation, your application will be marked incomplete.

Applying for Faculty or Standardized PD Instructor Approval 

For PQAS applicants applying for faculty instructor or standardized professional development instructor approval – including First Aid/CPR, Fire Safety, and Water Safety – skip the portion requesting payment after submitting your PQAS application by clicking on any tab or exiting your screen. 

Application payment is not required. If you pay the application fee, it will be refunded when your application is processed.

More information on PQAS can be found on The Pennsylvania Key website.

News

October 28, 2024

OCDEL Offers Scholarship Through Pitt’s Infant Mental Health Certificate

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is offering a scholarship for professionals serving children and families in prenatal, infant, toddler, and preschool programs.

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The scholarship enables participants to take part at no cost in a pilot program through the University of Pittsburgh’s Infant Mental Health Professional Development certificate. It is aimed at the state’s licensed child care providers, Head Start/Early Head Start and PA Pre-K Counts programs. 

Traditionally, the course has been provided to Infant/Toddler Early Intervention, OCDEL-funded home visitors, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health, and Rapid Response team members. 

The course is being extended to providers as a result of ongoing discussions and evaluation of requests for professional development from the field. Its extension is due to the challenges faced by providers across the state who support the mental health and well-being of young children and families. 

The scholarship seeks to enable early learning professionals to partner with others and better support families in Pennsylvania.

Those interested can apply through The Pennsylvania Key on behalf of OCDEL’s Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development. The application for the 2025 Infant Mental Health (IMH) Certificate & Learning Circle – Scholarship closes on Nov. 15.

Information on applicant criteria, the approval and evaluation process for candidates, course consideration, registration information, the course structure, and FAQs can be found on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.

News

August 20, 2024

Pennsylvania to Discontinue PA Position Statements for Environment Rating Scales

As of Aug. 1, the state has discontinued the use of PA Position Statements for the Environmental Rating Scale (ERS) and School-Age Environment Rating Scale (SACERS).

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The sunsetting of the scales was part of an effort to simplify guidance and strengthen consistent use of program observation instruments for continuous quality improvement.

Programs may continue to use ERS, third editions, and SACERS-U as a quality assessment tool without the position statements.

State Department of Human Services regulations are the foundation of all quality work and compliance is required for all certified programs.

If variance occurs between ERS quality expectations and PA DHS Certification regulations, programs must ensure that regulations are met. Programs utilizing the most updated ERS or SACERS are encouraged to review PA DHS Certification regulations around the following to ensure compliance with regulations:

  • Use of hand sanitizer
  • Handling of soiled diapers
  • Placement of nap equipment
  • Mandated Reporter training and policies
  • First Aid training

ERS and SACERS

ERS focuses on the typical daily experiences of children in early childhood and school-age settings. The assessment considers how teacher engagement, the spaces and equipment used by the children, accessible play materials, and children’s activities combine to enhance learning. It includes a variety of factors, including indoor and outdoor space and furnishings as well as supports for parents and staff, and personal care routines, including health and safety practices.

SACERS is a tool used to evaluate group-care programs for children, ages 5 to 12. It consists of 49 items that are organized into seven subscales. Items include everything from space and furnishings to health and safety.

More information on Program Quality Assessment can be found on The Pennsylvania Key website.