This email newsletter update provides helpful information from the Bureau of Certification.
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Child Care Providers and 
National Emergency Preparedness Month
 
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. Use this month to prepare your early learning program for emergencies like floods, fires, winter storms and more.
  • Child Care Facility Tool Kit: PEMA's recommendations and guidance to support child care providers in emergency planning, emergency check list, and supporting documents.
  • Better Kid Care: Emergency preparedness information and resources for family child care homes and child care centers.
  • Child Care Aware: Resources for early learning professionals that include emergency preparedness webinars, tools, publications and the latest news on emergency preparedness.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Planning and preparing for emergencies to keep schools and early learning programs safer. Includes resources targeted specifically at the youngest learners.
  • Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids: Guidelines to help families determine who would be their out-of-state point of contact, and where they would meet away from their home.
  • Emergency Supply Kit Checklists for Parents and Kids: Checklists designed to help parents and kids prepare for emergencies.
  • Helping Children Cope: Tips to help children recognize their reactions during and after emergencies, and also help children cope with their emotions.
  • Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide: This guide will help to become better prepared by learning about different kinds of emergencies, how to create emergency plans and kits for homes, vehicles and workplaces, and how to plan ahead if there is a special need.
Emergency Plan Regulations
 
Pennsylvania has available regulations which include language that every certified provider must have an emergency plan that encompasses all the information required by regulations. 

Emergency plan
 (a)  The facility shall have an emergency plan that provides for:
   (1)  Shelter of children during an emergency including shelter in place at the facility and shelter at locations away from the facility premises.
   (2)  Evacuation of children from the facility building and evacuation of children to a location away from the facility premises. The evacuation routes and evacuation plans to exit the building may be the same as those required by ยง  3270.94(f) and (g) (relating to fire drills).
   (3)  A method for facility persons to contact parents as soon as reasonably possible when an emergency situation arises.
   (4)  A method for facility persons to inform parents that the emergency has ended and to provide instruction as to how parents can safely be reunited with their children.
 (b)  The operator shall review the emergency plan at least annually and update the plan as needed. Each review and update of the emergency plan shall be documented in writing and kept on file at the facility.
 (c)  Each facility person shall receive training regarding the emergency plan at the time of initial employment, on an annual basis and at the time of each plan update. The date of each training and the name of each facility person who received the training shall be documented in writing and kept on file at the facility.
 (d)  The emergency plan shall be posted in the facility at a conspicuous location.
 (e)  The operator shall provide to the parent of each enrolled child a letter explaining the emergency procedures described in subsection (a). The operator shall also provide to the parent of each enrolled child a letter explaining any subsequent update to the plan.
 (f)  The operator shall send a copy of the emergency plan and subsequent plan updates to the county emergency management agency.
Addressing Pests in Child Care Settings
 
This time of year, early learning programs may see an increase in pests within their building. Addressing pests sooner, rather than later, can prevent a pest problem from becoming out of control.

Sanitation regulations can help keep pests under control.

67.  Sanitation.
 (a)  Trash shall be removed from the facility at least once per day.
 (b)  Trash shall be removed from the facility grounds at least once per week.
 (c)  Evidence of infestation of insects or rodents in the facility is not permitted.
 (d)  Trash that has been contaminated by human secretions or excrement shall be contained in closed, plastic-lined receptacles.

Caring for Our Children (CFOC) recommends,  "Facilities should adopt an integrated pest management program (IPM) to ensure long-term, environmentally sound pest suppression through a range of practices including pest exclusion, sanitation and clutter control, and elimination of conditions that are conducive to pest infestations."

CFOC also offers guidance for pest management via three different avenues:
  1. Pest Prevention: Facilities should ensure sanitary conditions by taking measures to prevent pest infestation (filling in cracks,crevices, holes).
  2. Pest Monitoring: Facilities should establish a program for regular pest monitoring and keep records of pest sightings.
  3. Pesticide Use: Targeted applications of pesticides should be used only if physical intervention fails to prevent pest infestations. Providers should not administer the application of pesticides on their own; rather, the provider should utilize a pesticide professional who has the license or certifications required by state and local laws. When this option is utilized, it must be ensured that children are protected from exposure to the pesticides.
Read  the full CFOC chapter on Integrated Pest Management. T he EPA provides more guidance on non-pesticide methods to control insects in child care.
Updated information regarding the PA State Police Clearance
 
The Department is clarifying what documentation will be acceptable to validate the Pennsylvania State Police clearance (PSP). 

Effective immediately, all PSP clearances shall consist of the actual PATCH Check "Certification Forms" (Attachment B-1) that are returned upon submission of either the online request or a printed request form, and when applicable, the complete rap sheet.

After inquiry to the Pennsylvania State Police, it was confirmed that the record check status requests (Attachment B-2) are not a substitute for the actual PATCH Check "Certification Forms."

A record check status request is not acceptable as a PATCH check, as it cannot be verified that the reason for the request was not 'Volunteer.' Also, the record control number expires and is therefore not valid after a certain time frame. Even if the record control number is still valid, however, such status request is still unacceptable for purposes of satisfying the PSP clearance requirement. The actual PATCH Check "Certification Form" is what should be provided, and this way, the department can confirm the DOB and SSN used for the Criminal History Check along with the spelling of the subject's name.

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning supports families 
and their children, from prenatal through school age, by using data, research and 
stakeholder guidance to assure high quality services.