March 2019 edition
An inside look at Pennsylvania's early education system.
What's New for March
Early learning in Pennsylvania has made its' mark in several recently released reports. The March 2019 edition of the PA Early Ed News highlights the efforts in providing services to infants and toddlers (Think Babies! campaign) and impact of using apprenticeship programs to offer student on-the-job-training (New America). Pennsylvania was also highlighted in the challenges with the price of child care to income ratio for parents (Brandeis University). See below for the articles that highlight each source.

The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the annual Reach and Risk Assessment report which provides statewide, county, and school district specific numbers for OCDEL's early learning programs. The eye-opening numbers can demonstrate the risk factors for low academic performance, and the impact of, or need for, early learning programs and supports. Take some time to delve into the report, then use the info to demonstrate what's happening in your county or community around quality early learning.

A new brief shares that families spend between 10-28% of their income on full-time center based care--and the lower the income of a family, the more likely they are to spend more of their income on child care. These numbers are significantly higher than federal affordability benchmark of 7%. Read the blurb below to find out how Pennsylvania compares to other states.

Did you know your local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) provides services in each county to families, early learning providers and community members? March kicks off the Raise Your STAR campaign to promote the services provided by ELRCs, specifically helping families find early learning resources. Keep your eyes and ears open for messaging in your community and check out the blurb below for ways you can help Raise Your STAR for families and early learning programs in your community.
Early Education in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Program Reach and Risk Assessment Report
Children in 40 Pennsylvania counties (60 percent) are at moderate-high or high-risk of low academic performance, according to the recent release of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning Program Reach and Risk Assessment State Fiscal Year 2016-17. 

OCDEL annually compiles its Program Reach and Risk Assessment Report. This report provides information on the level of risk for school failure for children (based on 16 risk factors) and the availability, or reach, of most OCDEL programs to children in each county and school district in Pennsylvania. The Reach and Risk Report includes data for all children under age five and a breakdown of program reach by infants/toddlers (birth – two years) and preschool (ages three and four). This is the ninth year of the report. Highlights within the report include:
  • One-third (34 percent) of children under age five participate in state and/or federally-funded quality early care and education programs in Pennsylvania.
  • Of all state-funded programs, the most children are reached through the Keystone STARS program, which provides services to an estimated 14 percent of children from birth to age five. 
  • Approximately one-fourth (24 percent) of Pennsylvania’s infants and toddlers (birth to age two) participate in publicly-funded quality early care and education programs.
  • Almost half (49 percent) of Pennsylvania’s preschoolers are served in state and/or federally funded quality early care and education programs.

To read the full report and access county and school-based specific information, visit the PA Key website. 
Did You Hear? Raise Your STAR!
March kicks off OCDEL's Raise Your STAR campaign to raise awareness of the early learning supports for families and professional support for providers. What does it mean to Raise Your STAR? Whether you are a parent or guardian looking for child care or an early learning professional looking for professional development opportunity or technical assistance for your program, your ELRC can help you understand and navigate quality early learning!

Pennsylvania's Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) provide a single point-of-contact for families, early learning service providers, and communities to gain information and access services that support high-quality child care and other early learning programs. ELRCs provide an enhanced resource and referral system for anyone seeking either early learning services and or related supports.

Starting in March, listen on your local radio station, watch your local TV station, and keep an eye out for billboards and social media for Raise Your STAR information. If you see or hear information, visit Raise Your STAR on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag #RaiseYourSTAR! Visit the Raise Your STAR website for more info at www.raiseyourstar.org.
State Interagency Coordinating Council  Annual Report Now Available
Nearly 99,000 Pennsylvania children were served by infant/toddler and preschool Early Intervention Supports and Services during the 2017-2018, according to the newly released Pennsylvania State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for Early Intervention Annual Report. The Annual Report highlight the locations where services are provided, keys to family engagement, Early Intervention funding allocations and more. Most infants/toddlers (70%) received services within their home and community, while an early childhood program was the location of service for 68% of preschool aged children. For more information, see the report.
Invitation to Provide Feedback on Recent Certification Inspection
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is undertaking a Department-wide process to create consistency, reliability and transparency across all programs and services, including licensing/certification. To continue these efforts, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is soliciting feedback about the most recent certification inspection of early learning facilities.

Representatives of the legal entity (such as the owner/operator/director of a Child Care Center; primary staff person of a Group Child Care Home; or operator of a Family Child Care Home) who have participated in a recent certification inspection are invited to share their feedback of the process in a brief online survey. The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Click here to take the survey .
Application Open for Pre-School Program Specialist
The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) and PA Key are seeking a dynamic individual with experience in the early childhood profession to monitor and provide coaching support to PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start State Supplemental Assistance programs in a variety of early learning settings in Southeastern Pennsylvania including Head Start agencies, School Districts and Child Care programs. This position requires strong computer skills and an ability to work with an online ECE reporting system (PELICAN). Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills are also necessary. An understanding of Head Start performance standards is important.
 
Master’s degree in early education, child development or administration and a PQAS certificate preferred. Minimum of five years of high level work in the field of early learning with experience in partnership work and administration. Position is home office based in Southeast PA with travel within Lower Bucks and Philadelphia Counties at a minimum with periodic overnight travel to Harrisburg.

Online application available at www.berksiu.org. Deadline March 15, 2019 EOE
VOICE for Children Award Recipients Announced
Congratulations to the recipients of the VOICE for Children Award. The Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children recognizes the critical role advocacy plays in high quality early learning settings and celebrates those who speak on behalf of Pennsylvania's children. As the voice for early care and learning, community advocates are an invaluable component to assuring all Pennsylvania's children get the start they deserve in school and life. 

The awardees of the 2019 VOICE for Children Award include Dr. Essence Allen-Presley and Betty Lisowski. The 2019 VOICE for Children Distinguished Career Award recipients include Kathryn Stennett, M.Ed. and Peg Szczurek, M. Ed. The recipient of the 2019 VOICE for Children VISION Award is Kathleen Pavelko. 

The VOICE for Children Award is the only statewide award in Pennsylvania recognizing the grassroots leaders whose work impacts the quality of care for young children in diverse settings. Now in its ninth year, the VOICE Award celebrates not only individual award recipients, but the early childhood profession. PennAEYC's VOICE for Children Award Celebration event will be held April 5, 2019, at Historic Hotel Hershey. Visit PennAEYC's website for more information.
ELRC 3 Expands Collaborative Partnership
The Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 3 is excited to announce a newly formed collaboration with the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP). This collaboration between ELRC3 and LCCAP will enhance the customer’s experience and expand access by offering additional meeting space close to where clients reside or work. In addition, the direct communication and teamwork between staff from each agency offers shared clients a more efficient and streamlined approach to available services. For more information, visit the ELRC 3 website.
Save the Dates
Of Interest
2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education Underway
The data collection for the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) is under way. The NSECE is the only national survey of early care and education (ECE) use and availability. The 2012 NSECE has provided an enormous amount of information about families with young children who use ECE programs and about ECE programs and providers. The Administration for Children & Families, Office of Child Care is now collecting new, nationally representative information about all segments of early care and education and families’ needs for ECE services, which include child care, Early Head Start and Head Start, and prekindergarten programs. 

A key aim of the 2019 surveys is to provide updated profiles of individuals and programs providing ECE and to describe ECE use in households across the United States. The 2019 NSECE includes center- and home-based provider surveys, a household survey, and a child care workforce survey, all of which are based on nationally representative samples. It is important to include a wide range of providers who were scientifically selected, including federal and local agencies. This information provides a more representative sample that will better inform future policy and research. All data provided by households and providers will be used only for statistical purposes, and the identities of individuals and programs will not be disclosed.

The Administration for Children and Families has contracted with the National Opinion Research Center ( NORC) at the University of Chicago to conduct the 2019 NSECE. NORC has sent mailings to selected providers and households throughout the country, inviting them to participate in the study. NORC field interviewers will be visiting providers and households in person and calling them by telephone to encourage participation in the study. We are writing you to ask your support for this critical data collection effort. If you are contacted by providers, households, teachers and caregivers, or other members of the public, please emphasize and reassure those individuals that the 2019 NSECE is a legitimate and vital effort for our programs and our ability to help all our nation’s children get access to high-quality ECE programs.

Feedback Requested: Decision Cycles 345+6 Discussion Draft 2
Feedback deadline: March 22
The Power to the Profession Task Force has shared the new draft and is requesting feedback. Known as Decision Cycles 345+6 Discussion Draft 2, this draft includes a vision for the future of the early learning profession and presents a way to get there with recommendations focused on differentiating pathways, preparation, and compensation. 
  
Here’s how you can help:
  1. Read the draft. There are also a number of additional resources to help you walk through the content, including materials in Spanish.
  2. Share the draft and resources with others. Consider hosting a Power to the Profession discussion group with your colleagues. Interested in learning more about how to help build this movement? Sign up for Virtual Office Hours.
  3. Tell Power to the Profession what you think by completing the survey. The survey will be open until March 22, 2019.

The Power to the Profession Task Force is looking for as many perspectives as possible to help inform their recommendations. Power to the Profession is a national collaboration to define the early childhood profession by establishing a unifying framework for career pathways, knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards and compensation. 
Workshop Proposal Submission Open for 2019 Prevent Child Abuse America National Conference
Submission deadline: March 22
The 2019 Prevent Child Abuse America National Conference: Moving Upstream to be held September 16-18, 2019, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is now accepting workshop proposals. The conference will examine innovative programs and practices, family-focused policies, cutting-edge research, and public awareness and engagement strategies to help drive the field toward upstream prevention so that every child has the opportunity to grow up safe and nurtured. 

The 2019 Prevent Child Abuse America National Conference will examine four core components of upstream child abuse and neglect prevention:

  • Innovative, Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that improve child well-being and promote healthy child development, strengthen families, and meet the unique needs of different communities, cultures, and populations. 
  • Family-Friendly Policies that support evidence-based programs and interventions that help keep families together, address the underlying causes that can contribute to child abuse and neglect, and provide supports to all families, especially those in high-risk communities. 
  • Cutting-Edge Research that helps provide direction and advance the field, and that can be translated into practice. 
  • Impactful Public Awareness that drives community engagement and understanding of the issues, promotes positive social norms and attitudes around the issues, and changes behaviors. 

Areas for proposals include skill-development workshops, symposium, individual papers, and poster proposals across the areas of programs, policy, research, and public awareness. To learn more and submit your proposal, visit www.pcaaconference.com. The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, March 22. 
2019 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Immunization Schedules
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) immunization schedules for 2019 are now available on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website . The schedules include updated information.

It is the responsibility of every child care facility operator to ensure compliance with the PA Department of Human Service's regulations regarding immunizations. According to the Pennsylvania regulations, each child's health report must include a review of the child's immunized status according to recommendations of the ACIP (see 55 Pa. Code §§3270.131 , 3280.131 and 3290.131 ).
  • 3270.131(d)(5) states that the health report must include a review of the child’s immunized status according to recommendations of the ACIP. 
  • 3270.131(e) The facility may not accept or retain an infant two months of age or older, a toddler or a preschool child at the facility for more than 60 days following the first day of attendance at the facility unless the parent provides written verification from a physician, physician’s assistant, CRNP, the Department of Health or a local health department of the dates (month, day and year) the child was administered immunizations in accordance with the recommendations of the ACIP.
  • 3270.131(e)(1) The facility shall require the parent to provide updated written verification from a physician, physician’s assistant, CRNP, the Department of Health or a local health department of ongoing vaccines administered to an infant, toddler or preschool child in accordance with the schedule recommended by the ACIP.

The provider should check the immunization upon receipt and immediately discuss with the family any differences from the recommended schedule so the proper documentation is on file before the 60 days is up. In addition, any exemption from immunizations must be documented according to the requirements listed in 55 Pa. Code §§3270.131(e)(2), 3280.131 (e)(2) and 3290.131€(2).
 
The 2019 ACIP schedules are available online at the CDC website.

For those interested in learning more about vaccines and immunizations, visit the CDC webpage on Immunization Schedules .
How to Select a High Quality Pediatric First Aid and Infant/Child CPR Training
Did you know all Pediatric Infant/Child First Aid with CPR Courses should include the following content?
  • Unresponsive infant (less than 1 year of age): Compress the chest at least 100 times per minute. 
  • Unresponsive child 1-8 years of age: Compress the chest 100 – 120 times per minute. 

CPR for unresponsive infants and any age child:
  • Check for responsiveness
  • Tell someone to call 911
  • Begin with 30 chest compressions
  • Compress chest of an infant or child at least 1/3 of the diameter of the chest (approximately 1.5 inches in infants less than one year of age or two inches in children)
  • Open the airway. Give two rescue breaths, each for one second. Be sure the chest rises 
  • Give 30 additional compressions, alternating with two rescue breaths 
  • Complete five cycles of compressions and breaths (about 2 minutes) 
  • If no one has called 911, call 911 yourself.

Duration for a pediatric first aid course (with Infant/Child CPR) is approximately 4 – 6 hours.

Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards (CFOC4), 4th Ed. Standard 1.4.3.2 Topics Covered in First Aid lists over 30 topics included in first aid/CPR training for early care and education staff. A quality training also addresses the needs of other children in the group while managing an emergency appropriately and calmly. Staff are prepared to give first aid to any child, including children with special health care needs.  

Post a Pediatric First Aid chart in your program as reminders for staff. Order the National American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) 3-in-1 First Aid, Choking, CPR Chart (11 x 17 inches) from www.aap.org/bookstore. Post one in each classroom and review content as needed. A pack of 100 charts is $55.00 plus shipping and handling. Consider teaming up with another program or two to reduce the cost.

Prepared by Nancy Alleman, BSN, RN, CRNP, CSN; Sandy McDonnell, MSN, RN,CRNP; and Libby Ungvary, MEd, ECELS Director. ECELS is a program of the PA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. 
Research and Reports
Providing Services to Infants & Toddlers: Where Does Pennsylvania Stand?
In a new report from the Think Babies! campaign, The State of Pennsylvania's Babies , Pennsylvania scores high in the "Improving Outcomes" tier of states when considering key indicators related to early care and education and early intervention for infants and children. The state’s high ranking is primarily due to the percentage of infants and toddlers receiving services from a federally funded early intervention program, and the percentage of low/moderate income infants and toddlers in Child Care Development funded care.
Child Care is Unaffordable for Working Parents Who Need It Most
A recent research brief, Child Care Affordability for Working Parents, from the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, finds that many U.S. parents who are highly attached to the labor force would have a difficult time purchasing full-time center-based care. This finding is especially true for low-income, Hispanic and black parents. Overall, parents working full time and year-round would spend 10 percent of family income to send their children to full-time center-based child care; low-income parents working full time and year-round would spend 28 percent. Almost all low-income parents working full time and year round would have to spend more than the federal affordability benchmark of 7 percent to send their children to full-time center-based child care.

According to the brief, Pennsylvania ranks fifth highest nationally in child care price to income ratios for low-income parents, and in fourth highest for Hispanic parents. 
Earning While Learning with Early Educator Apprenticeship Programs
A recent article from New America, Earning While Learning with Early Educator Apprenticeship Programs, highlights the Registered Apprenticeships, an age-old model in many industries, particularly outside of the United States, which offer students on-the-job learning and coursework aligned with the knowledge and competencies required to be fully proficient employees. Included is Pennsylvania's nationally recognized early childhood Registered Apprenticeship program in which participating employers receive significant financial and administrative support from the program intermediary, the District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund, a Philadelphia-based labor/management workforce development partnership. 

The article shares information on forming partnerships, coordinating with education institutions, managing high costs, and using federal support to expand Registered Apprenticeships.
Child Care in State Economies – 2019 Update
The cost of child care is a significant financial challenge for many parents, and especially for lowskilled parents. This is one finding in the recently released Child Care in State Economies – 2019 Update which provides an update to the Committee for Economic Development's (CED) original report from 2015 to reflect the most currently available data. The 2019 Update examines the child care industry’s effect on parents’ participation in the labor force and provides extensive details regarding the industry’s impact on regional economic growth and development, including: usage rates, the role of public funding, revenues, and business structure. The report was commissioned by the CED, produced by the economic firm, Region Track, Inc., and generously supported by the Alliance for Early Success.
New Pilot Measures Kindergarten Readiness
A new pilot from Child Trends, based on the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), may identify a reliable way to measure the extent to which young children are on track to enter kindergarten, and identify subgroups of children who might benefit from additional support or intervention in the pre-K years, filling a critical gap in policy-relevant early childhood data.

Child Trends researchers are working closely with HRSA’s Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to help the Bureau develop and refine this new National Outcome Measure of Healthy and Ready to Learn, using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. The pilot measure seeks to capture the school readiness of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds at the state and national levels by adopting a whole child perspective, to include measures of physical health and motor development, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and early learning skills. Once the measure is finalized, decisionmakers (legislators, governors, early childhood administrators, educators, advocates, and families) will have a detailed picture of the school readiness of young children in their states, broken down by race/ethnicity, income, parental education, and other important factors. To learn more about the pilot measure,  view this webinar, and read the fact sheet.
Five Strategies for Engaging Family Partners
True family partnership means families are at the table from the start. Families have an unmatched impact on their child’s health, especially during the early years of life when children’s rapidly developing brains are laying the groundwork for their future health and wellbeing. To be the best advocates for their children, families need the right supports or resources that empower them to support their child’s social and emotional health. The National Institute for Children's Health Quality worked with family partners and team members to compile five strategies for developing meaningful family partnerships.
Universal Maternity Leave, Attachment and Child Care
A new study, The role of length of maternity leave in supporting mother–child interactions and attachment security among American mothers and their infants in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy finds a direct link between length of maternity leave and quality of mother-child interactions. These results have implications for the development of family policies that support the needs of infants and mothers during the first months of life.

The implementation of comprehensive and universal maternity leave policy can complement child care policies. Both quality child care and maternity leave policies constitute solutions to similar needs. The results of this study support the need for parents to have the opportunity to choose to take maternity before infants enter child care. While quality child care can result in positive developmental outcomes for the infants, maternity leave can ensure that mothers have time off from work. This way, maternity leave can give mothers the opportunity to spend time with their infants, engage in positive and stress-free interactions, and learn to read a child’s cues before they negotiate the stress of balancing parenting and work. Ultimately, a combination of comprehensive maternity leave and child care policies will give each family the opportunity to have some choice in timing and combination of work, leave, and child care.
Resources
Grow It, Try It, Like It! Fun with Fruits and Vegetables at Family Child Care
Team Nutrition’s popular Grow It, Try It, Like It! nutrition education materials have been updated and customized for use by family child care homes. This resource is filled with garden-themed activities for children ages 3 - 5, with tips on how to include older children in the learning as well. This version of Grow It, Try It, Like It! also includes new posters, fruit and vegetable cards, and recipes. Download Grow It, Try It, Like It! Fun with Fruits and Vegetables at Family Child Care . The Grow It, Try It, Like It! Preschool Fun with Fruits and Vegetables kit for child care centers also remains available. 
No Kid Hungry Summer Meals Texting Dashboard Tool
This new tool from No Kid Hungry allows summer meals advocates, program sponsors, and state agencies to easily and quickly access historical usage data from No Kid Hungry's summer meals texting hotline (text "FOOD" or "COMIDA" to 877-877). 

As summer meals partners plan for 2019, data gleaned from the texting hotline can yield insights about when and where families seek information about sites, whether sites were in operation when families texted, and general usage trends over time. A  webinar recording is available to guide users on how to use the No Kid Hungry Summer Meals Texting Dashboard tool. Contact bestpractices@strength.org with any questions.
CDC’s FREE Milestone Tracker app
In the classroom and at home, children are always showing off their developmental milestones. Download CDC’s FREE Milestone Tracker app, available in English and Spanish, to track the development of children in your care and share with their parents so they can track milestones at home too.  The app is available for Android and Apple users.
February Edition of Baby Talk
The February 2019 edition of Baby Talk is available. This edition shares information on how playing with children helps them learn and grow, equitable approaches to supporting infants and toddlers of color, and more.
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