January 2022
Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 17 provides a single point-of-contact for Montgomery County families, early learning service providers and community members looking to gain information and access services that support high-quality child care and early learning programs. ELRC Region 17 can help families find the best child care for their children by offering links to many services, including Child Care Works, Pennsylvania’s child care subsidy program.
Through ELRC Region 17, child care professionals can obtain support in building quality outcomes for children by working with quality coaches to achieve Keystone STAR 3 and 4 status, building connections with community partners and supporting children and families in accessing additional services, such as PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start, home-visiting and Early Intervention. Please review our monthly newsletter and email us at elrcregion17@pa.gov with questions!
|
|
Announcements
Announcement ELRC 21 #10, Non-Traditional Care Add-on Rates: Beginning January 1, 2022, Department of Human Services (DHS) certified child care providers that provide care to children receiving Child Care Works (CCW) for at least two hours during the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am on weekdays or any amount of time on weekends will receive a non-traditional care add-on rate. The non-traditional care add-on only applies to the days that the non-traditional care takes place and not to any days the child only receives care during typical hours. The add-on rate will be 25 percent above the established subsidy base rate for each CCW child served during non-traditional hours.
- If the DHS certified child care provider’s private pay rates continue to be higher than the newly published MCCA, participating DHS certified child care providers will not have to submit a new Appendix C-1. The new rates will automatically be reflected in the payment for January invoices which occurs in February.
- If DHS certified child care provider’s private-pay rate is lower than the new MCCA, they will receive the lower of the two rates.
- If a DHS certified child care provider wants to update their private-pay rates, they must communicate those changes to families and provide verification of the updated child care provider’s private-pay rates to the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). The updated rate will become effective the first of the month following the date the verification was received by the ELRC, if submitted after January 31, 2022.
Announcement C-21-11, Addition of COVID-19 to List of Reportable Communicable Diseases: The Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Health (DOH) has added COVID-19 to the list of reportable communicable diseases and requires that COVID-19 be reported within 24 hours. After a child or facility person contracts or is showing symptoms of a communicable disease or infection, the child care provider must exclude that person from the facility and must receive notification from a physician or a nurse practitioner (CRNP) that the person is no longer considered a threat to the health of others before the child or facility person may return to the facility. A link to the updated list is provided here: PA Dept of Health List of Reportable Diseases.
|
|
Upcoming ELRC Region 17 Events
Wednesday, February 16th, from 1:00pm-2:30pm
Wednesday, March 16th, from 1:00pm-2:30pm
|
|
Reporting Provider Changes
For changes to service schedules (such as open days, closed days) due to COVID, staffing shortages, inclement weather, or any other reason, providers must notify Terry McLaughlin at (610) 278-3261 or TMcLaugh@montcopa.org. Child care programs in Montgomery County are required to report cases of COVID-19 to all three agencies listed below:
2. DHS Certification Representative
- Include the date of closure and date of re-open
- Whether the whole program is closed or a classroom is closed
- If classroom closure, include a list of CCW children affected
- Forward email response from DHS verifying notification of closure
Child care providers will mark COVID-19 related absences as "CA" (COVID absence) to distinguish it from a non-COVID related absence on a paper invoice. For online invoices, providers should include an Enrollment Comment under each child who had COVID absences, stating the dates of the COVID related absences, to distinguish from non-COVID related absences.
|
|
Provider Spotlight
We would like to congratulate the following providers who worked hard to increase their Keystone STAR Quality Rating over the past month!
STAR 1 to STAR 2 Crooked Billet Elementary, Hatboro
STAR 1 to STAR 2 ABC Lab School, Narberth
STAR 1 to STAR 4 Chesterbrook Academy, Collegeville
STAR 1 to STAR 4 The Malvern School, Collegeville
STAR 2 to STAR 3 Toddler Town Learning Academy, King of Prussia
STAR 2 to STAR 4 Goddard School New Life Learning, Bala Cynwyd
Contact your Quality Coach for information about increasing your STAR Rating!
|
|
Virtual Learning
As schools are beginning to return to virtual learning, we are also starting to see requests to pay for full time care for school-age children who are attending school virtually due to the COVID variant. ELRC Region 17 is not permitted to adjust a child’s schedule for virtual learning without prior authorization from OCDEL Policy staff. OCDEL Policy staff are now approving these requests on a case by case basis by school district. Parents should contact their Child Care Works caseworker if they are requesting full time care for virtual schooling.
Provider payments may be delayed if changes for school age children are noted on the invoices and prior authorization was not obtained to pay for full time care for virtual learning.
|
|
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The open purchase order with Safeware remains in effect, however there are limited funds remaining. We will continue to accept Safeware orders on a first come, first served basis until funds are depleted. Contact your Keystone STARS Quality Coach with any questions.
|
|
STARS Spotlight
Congratulations providers who have increased their Keystone STAR Quality Rating over the past month!
STAR 1 to STAR 4 La Petite Academy, Lansdale
Welcome providers new to the Keystone STARS program!
- Primary Stepping Stones, Elkins Park
- Seeds of Joy Christian Nursery School, Ambler
Raise Your STAR Workgroup: Are you a STAR 1 provider interested in moving your child care program to a Keystone STAR 2? ELRC Region17 is hosting a virtual, self-paced “Raise Your STAR” Workgroup that will walk you through a weekly step-by-step process, with guidance from Quality Coaches, for moving your program to a Keystone STAR 2. Click here for more information and email Lauren Detweiler, ldetweiler@montcopa.org, by January 26th to register.
Contact your Quality Coach with questions about the Keystone STARS Program!
|
|
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Grant
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Grant application is now available to eligible child care providers in the Professional Development (PD) Registry. Eligible providers are encouraged to review these materials thoroughly before submitting an application. In addition, ELRC Region 17 is prepared to help you think about the best use of the funds in your program.
Stop the application process and contact ELRC Region 17 immediately if you disagree with any of the following information entered by the system in each provider’s application:
- The licensed capacity listed in the application under the “Licensing & Affiliations” section as “capacity.” This should be the same number as your CER issued by Certification.
- The Keystone STAR designation in the application listed under the “STARS Add-on” section.
- The CCW enrollment counts for March 13, 2020, and/or March 11, 2021, listed under the “Child Care Works Add-on” section.
The application will be available in the PD Registry until January 31, 2022. Programs who have not applied or have questions regarding their ARPA application should contact their Quality Coach. To date, ELRC Region 17 has approved 337 ARPA applications, which amounts to $57,301,718 distributed to 82% of our eligible providers!
|
|
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships - What’s New in 2022!
STAR 1 & STAR 2 Providers - Additional Scholarships Available: Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL) has generously provided PACCA with additional funds to support approximately 100 more scholarships in this FY. These scholarships, specifically for staff employed in STAR 1 & STAR 2 programs, will provide additional supports including:
- A $200 completion stipend to scholarship recipients upon successful completion of their first semester,
- Increased release time reimbursement rates to employers ($15 per hour),
- Training & technical assistance for employers (see webinar information below), and
- Enhanced counseling sessions (day and evening) for staff related to the college application/admissions processes and T.E.A.C.H. application (more information & registration links to follow soon).
This additional funding is available for this fiscal year only – so take advantage of this opportunity! Many colleges have late start spring semesters in which staff can still enroll! Visit PACCA’s website for more information and to download an application. If you and/or your staff have questions about the program or how to get started, please contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at teachinfo@pacca.org. The team is here to help with whatever is needed!
Current T.E.A.C.H. Sponsors - Increased Release Time Reimbursement Rates: Through OCDEL’s generous support, PACCA will increase release time reimbursement rates from $10 per hour to $15 per hour for the remainder of FY 2021-2022. This includes most winter, spring & some summer semesters. Current sponsoring employers will submit release time claims as usual and PACCA will adjust the reimbursement amounts when processing claims. Questions? Contact your T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at teachinfo@pacca.org.
|
|
Penn State Extension Professional Development Opportunities
Understanding the Foundations of Child Development January 13th at 6:30 pm via zoom. Learn predictable ways children change and learn new skills over time, and new ways to support this growth and development. This course earns 2 hours of K1.7 C1 credits.
|
|
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced the launch of the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which will help Pennsylvanians with low incomes maintain access to drinking and wastewater services. Applications for LIHWAP opened on January 4, 2022. Assistance is available for families who have past due water bills, had their service terminated, or received a notice indicating that their service will be terminated in the next 60 days. Households can receive LIHWAP grants for both drinking water service and wastewater service. Grants are issued directly to water service providers, and families must meet income requirements.
|
|
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Can kids practice mindfulness? You bet! Get staff involved with these great resources:
Promoting Staff Well-Being: Early learning programs can play a key role in helping children, families, and staff commit to finding ways to reduce stress in their lives. Programs can also create wellness strategies that promote both physical and mental well-being. Learn ways to promote a culture of wellness for young children and the adults who care for them.
Nurturing Staff Wellness Toolkit: Education employees shape the lives of our children and future generations. Therefore, recognizing the importance of their wellness is vital to improving overall child health and development.
Healthy Minds Program App: With a combination of podcast-style lessons and both seated and active meditations, you’ll learn what the science says about the brain while developing skills to tap into these learnings for a healthier, happier you.
Calm Schools App: Discover what’s possible if every school day began with a few moments of mindfulness. Together let’s equip students with tools for resilience, self-care, and stress management.
|
|
Early Childhood Education Linkage System (ECELS)
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PA AAP) operates the Early Childhood Education Linkage System (ECELS) to improve the quality of early childhood education and school age child care programs. Visit their website to learn more and view the resources below:
Northampton Community College, in partnership with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), is offering tuition assistance for child care facility staff currently employed in Pennsylvania for the Spring 2022 Child Care Health Advocate Course. See details here in the flyer.
Health and Safety Update
Mental Health Resources
|
|
ELRC Region 17 Newsletter
Does your organization have information it would like to share? Email your topics and web links to elrcregion17@pa.gov and send us your website to be included in our Regional Resources below. View previous newsletters here:
|
|
Early Learning Resource Center Region 17
In partnership with Montgomery County Dept of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 311, 1430 DeKalb Street
Norristown, PA 19404
Phone: (610) 278-3707
Fax: (610) 278-5161
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
