The public comment period is now open for proposed changes to the subsidized child care eligibility regulations. Those wanting to submit a comment should not delay, as the deadline for submitting comments is Dec. 14, 2020. Changes to the current subsidized child care eligibility regulations are being proposed that may impact families, children, and early childhood education providers.

Proposed changes to the subsidized child care eligibility regulations at 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3041 and can be viewed in the Nov. 14, 2020 edition of the PA Bulletin. You can review the current regulations by clicking here.

All public comments must be submitted in writing by the closing date of the public comment period on Dec. 14, 2020.

All comments, suggestions or objections should reference the regulation number(s), section(s), and subsection(s), and must be submitted in writing. Please select the one way to submit comments which best fits your situation.

Michael Ordonez

Office of Child Development and Early Learning

333 Market Street, 6th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17126

Click here to get more information.

The Institute of State and Regional Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg, in partnership with Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning and the Pennsylvania Key, has released a new study on the Cost of Child Care in Pennsylvania. The economic cost of care in was estimated via the ingredients method using detailed site-level resource data from a large, representative sample of providers. The ingredients method focuses on the characteristics and quantities of resources – including people, services, and supplies – used to deliver a program.

Read the Cost of Child Care in Pennsylvania.

Child care providers are entrusted by families with the care and well-being of their children. Amidst a world-wide pandemic, child care has emerged as a lifeline for families, adapting routines and policies to ensure that children are safe, healthy, and secure. In a time when health practices are more critical than ever, child care providers are in a position to make a pivotal difference in children's lives by helping them form positive nutrition and physical activity habits while in care.

The Pennsylvania Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (PA NAPSACC) program is a continuous quality improvement process focused on obesity prevention practices and policies within early care and education settings. The program utilizes Go NAPSACC, an on-line, evidence-based tool, to guide you through self-assessment, action planning, implementation, policy development, re-self-assessment and reflection. The process empowers program leadership and includes individualized technical assistance to increase knowledge and improve quality of practice and policy. Programs will also participate in online technical assistance networks focused on policy development, which will be led by a Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) at no cost to the site. The CCHC will review current practices and policies, assist with developing sustainable policies, and offer guidance for continuous quality improvement.

Applications are due by Dec. 15, 2020. Get more information or contact Lori McMonigal at 717-248-4942 x112 or lmcmonigal@tiu11.org. 

Decades of research has demonstrated how infants and young children best learn and develop. This research also tells precisely what early educators working with children birth to age eight need to know and do to optimize this critical window of development. However, funding, policy and opportunities often favor preschool-aged children and the educators working with them. This is contrary to research, national recommendations and frameworks, meant to guide systems that support and prepare early childhood educators. It also results in great inequities, including inconsistent or lack of meaningful professional development opportunities for infant and toddler teachers. The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) mission is to provide families access to high quality services to prepare children for school and life success, this work begins before birth and includes educators and caregivers of young children.

To address any unintended gaps in services for early educators, OCDEL has earmarked funds to further support the alignment of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Apprenticeship goals to ensure a meaningful career pathway option for those supporting the development of infants and toddlers in child care programs. These funds will be dispersed through the Professional Development Organizations (PDOs) and aims at increasing the number of Institutions of Higher Education delivering and accepting Infant Toddler coursework in their degree programs. Apprenticeship is particularly critical to early educators because it inherently values the assets and experience of early educators working with young children. Expanding these opportunities will lead to a more broad pool of well qualified, highly skilled and effective educators for all young children.

There's still time to register for the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) hot topics around early language and literacy development. Get access to resources to share with families and use in classrooms and centers. These 30-minute webinars will be offered at no cost at 8:30 am and repeated at 1:30 pm on the second and fourth Friday of each month running from January through March 2020.

PQAS credit hours, Infant Toddler hours, and ACT 48 hours available for these webinars. Get additional information on topics, credits and registration.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, child care providers must pivot quickly and make changes to their policies and procedures, specifically those targeting health and safety, to protect children and themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic has also created a need for increased attention to the mental health and well-being of both children and adults. This module from Penn State Better Kid Care provides information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines specific to child care programs and offers insight into trauma-informed approaches to meet the current needs of children and their caregivers. (K7 C1, CDA1) 4 hours.

Learn about COVID-19, the symptoms, and how the virus spreads:

This online course is for ECE professionals in any setting. Log in to On Demand to preview the course for free.

Have you and your staff downloaded the COVID Alert PA app? COVID Alert PA is a free, voluntary app available in English and Spanish through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The app uses Bluetooth technology exposure notification system technology developed by Apple and Google and will support and expand existing contact tracing efforts. If the app detects that you have been in close contact with another user who has tested positive for COVID-19, you will receive a push notification on your phone. This is called an exposure alert.

The app does not use GPS, location services, or any movement or geographical information. It will never collect, transmit, or store personal information. It is completely anonymous and available to all Pennsylvanians age 13 and older. The goal of the app is to assist with existing, traditional contact tracing efforts and help Pennsylvanians better monitor their symptoms.

The more people who participate in this app, the more effective it is. Please help by downloading the app, encouraging your staff to use the app, and helping promote the app by hanging a flyer at your facility. Learn more and download flyers. Thank you for your help!

A recent release from the Early Childhood Education Linkage System (ECELS) shares how monitoring children’s temperatures during the health screening procedure may need to be adjusted if using a non-contact infrared thermometer (NCIT). The benefits to using a non-contact infrared thermometer include: the reduction of risk of spreading disease since there is no contact between the person and the device, it is easy to use and disinfect, and it is a quick way to measure a person’s temperature. Improper use of NCITs may lead to inaccurate measurements. The drawbacks to using a non-contact infrared thermometer include that the environment, placement, and clothing may affect the reading. Read more.

Leap into Science is a nationwide program developed by The Franklin Institute Science Museum that integrates open-ended science activities with children’s books, designed for children ages 3-10 and their families. The program empowers educators to offer workshops in community settings like libraries, museums, and out-of-school time programs to engage underserved audiences in accessible and familiar settings. Leap into Science provides workshops on a science theme for three possible audiences: early childhood, elementary, and/or family groups.

The Pennsylvania Leap into Science Team is hosting a two hour free virtual training on the Leap into Science Light & Shadow workshops at the following times:

Leap into Science is funded by the National Science Foundation, and led by The Franklin Institute and The National Girls Collaborative Project.

To participate in the national network and attend one of the trainings listed above, please complete this brief application form by Dec. 14, 2020. Priority will be given to organizations that can send at least two educators to the training and who serve traditionally underrepresented audiences. If selected, you will receive email notification of your acceptance by the end of December with details about the training you will attend.

Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking (C2P2) is accepting applications through Jan. 8, 2021. Families learn to work with policymakers to make a difference in the quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities and/or on the autism spectrum. C2P2 is a free program for family members of a school age child with an intellectual disability and/or on the autism spectrum; and those with an intellectual disability and/or on the autism spectrum.

Participants will learn:

Share this opportunity with families of school-age children. Those with questions can contact Cathy Roccia-Meier, Institute on Disabilities Family Education Coordinator at cathyRM@temple.edu or Voice: 215-204-1772 | TTY: 215-204-1805.

No Kid Hungry has released a new grant opportunity to increase food security among children from birth – five years old. These flexible grants will allow community-based

organizations, early child care centers and healthcare providers across the country to respond to the growing needs and emerging opportunities to provide healthy food to young children (0-5 years old) and their families facing food insecurity.

Community organizations, early child care centers, healthcare providers and others working to ensure vulnerable young children have access to healthy food are encouraged to apply for a grant. Grants will be between $15,000-$25,000 and applications are due on Dec. 18, 2020.

Please visit Grants.gov for the Child Care Dissertation Grants, Head Start Dissertation Grants, and Behavioral Interventions Scholars forecasts to view the estimated application due dates, subscribe to email notifications regarding these grant opportunities, and obtain links to other information. We also encourage regular visits to the ACF Grants & Funding home page for the latest published funding opportunity announcements. Please circulate this information to any interested parties. Note: These grant opportunities are contingent on available funds and the continued interest of the federal government.

Children in deep poverty were the most likely to experience early conditions and circumstances that make them vulnerable to future health, development, and learning problems, according to a recent research, Young Children in Deep Poverty: Racial/Ethnic Disparities and Child Well-Being Compared to Other Income Groups, by the National Center for Children in Poverty. Early conditions and circumstances include, low birth weight, a physical condition or health problem that limits activities, an intellectual disability or developmental delay, participation in early intervention or special education, and less positive behavior.

Results from the Early Learning Network’s diverse research studies suggest there is significant misalignment — or lack of continuity — in the experiences children have across the pre-K to kindergarten transition. And the research suggests stronger alignment between the two settings may help children successfully transition to school.

In a new policy brief, Bridging the Gap: Easing the Transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten from the Early Learning Network, researchers explore these differences and offer recommendations to bring them into greater alignment.

Afterschool professionals and leaders have a responsibility for providing healthy and safe environments, for young people and those who work with them. Organizational and program policies cover physical health and safety, which has become increasingly important as we navigate the challenges of many unknowns related to COVID-19. But what about "psychological first aid"? Read the article from the National After School Association.

The holiday season can be stressful for many, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adds another layer of pressure. Children can feel stressed, too, so it is important for parents and caregivers to be informed about and ready to help if they notice signs of stress in children. The Emergency Preparedness team at Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) has resources available to help children cope with a wide range of stressful events.

Pennsylvania Harvest of the Month is a program developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Project PA (Penn State University) to promote a local agricultural product each month through schools, child and adult care centers/day care homes, and summer feeding sites. The program aims to provide participants with local, healthy products while supporting Pennsylvania farmers and producers. Find downloads, recipes and promising practices that can aid child care facilities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it's recommended that child care programs suspend toothbrushing in the classroom until it's considered safe again. This means it's more critical than ever to engage with parents about the importance of oral health care. Explore and share two new handouts about COVID-19 and oral health from the Administration for Children and Families. Encourage parents to serve healthy foods, brush their child's teeth with fluoride toothpaste in the morning and at bedtime, and take their children to regular dental visits.

The North Carolina Farm to Preschool Network is excited to share the second edition of their publication Reach for the Stars with Farm to Preschool. This resource is designed to help child care centers and family child care homes easily integrate farm to preschool activities into their curriculum while simultaneously addressing the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, revised edition (ECERS-R) and Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale, revised edition (ITERS-R). Reach for the Stars is also included in the recently revised Growing Minds Farm to Preschool Toolkit.  

In Pennsylvania, The Food Trust and Pennsylvania Head Start Association have developed a Pennsylvania focused farm to early care initiative, Ready Set Grow, with some great Pennsylvania-focused resources.