March 2023

Upcoming ELRC Region 17 Events

Health & Safety Regional Task Force

Wednesday, March 22nd from 1:00pm-2:30pm

Register here

Local Leadership Council

Wednesday, May 17th from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Register here

Announcement ELRC 23-01, Increase to Child Care Works Base Payment Rates for DHS Certified Providers

Effective March 1, 2023, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is implementing increases to the Maximum Child Care Allowance (MCCA) rates. The new MCCA chart is posted online here. OCDEL established a fee structure policy to pay all Department of Human Services (DHS) certified child care providers serving subsidy children at the lower of two rates – the rate DHS certified child care providers charge private-pay families or the established MCCA. 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 March invoices which occurs in April. 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 March 31, 2023. Continue reading.

There are two ways a DHS certified child care provider can update their private pay rates.

Option 1: DHS Certified child care providers can enter their updated rates in Provider Self Service (PSS) and return “Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” along with the verification of the certified child care provider’s published private-pay rates to the ELRC; or

Option 2: DHS Certified child care providers can send “Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” along with the verification of their DHS certified child care provider’s published private-pay rates directly to the ELRC to enter into PELICAN CCW.

The completed Appendix C-1 and matching Published Rates must be received before any rate increase will be approved. These forms may be emailed to elrcregion17@pa.gov. Please contact our office with questions.

New Phone Numbers for ECE PDO at PHMC

The Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization (ECE PDO) at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) has a new phone number and toll free line. For general Career Pathway inquiries or Pediatric CPR and First Aid training requests, contact us by email at ecepdo@phmc.org, by phone at (267) 546-4184, or toll free at (877) 201-6899. Calls made to the previous line will be redirected. Visit them online at ecepdo.phmc.org

Provider Spotlight: Parent Café at Calvary Baptist

ELRC 17 recently hosted a Parent Café at Calvary Baptist in Norristown. Participants conversed together on the topic of Self Care while getting to know one another. The conversation revolved around the two protective factors: Resilience and Relationships. The Parent Café is a family-based and parent led program designed by Be Strong Families to facilitate peer-to-peer learning around five evidence-based protective factors that improve resilience and strengthen supports within families: Resilience, Relationships, Support, Knowledge and Communication. The parent café is designed as a place where parents of all types can gather and share their stories, their experiences, their worries, their fears, their wisdom, and find community and strength together. ELRC 17 is currently looking for additional Child Care programs who would like to host an event. Please reach out to Margaret.Johnson@montgomerycountypa.gov for more information.

Reminder Certified Provider Agreement - Requirements for Keeping Information

Per the Certified Provider Agreement entered into with the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC), Article III Conditions of Employment (d) Requirements for Keeping Information states:

1)    The provider must keep the information listed below for a minimum of six (6) years after the end of the fiscal year that child care was provided, or until audits, legal actions, claims or other disagreements with the ELRC and/or OCDEL are resolved, whichever is later:

                             I.     Attendance sheets, which include attendance invoices and daily attendance logs. The daily logs are required either in electronic or a hard copy and must show each child’s name, drop-off and pick-up times, and date. Each drop-off and pick-up must be validated by the parent with signatures or an electronic sign in/sign out process.

                           II.    Financial records;

                          III.    Documents required for this Agreement;

                         IV.     Documentation of actions taken by OCDEL against the provider;

                           V.    Information that relates to the settlement of claims arising out of the performance or amount of money paid under this Agreement; and

                         VI.     Any other information required for this Agreement

2)    The provider must allow representatives of the following agencies access to all required records (including information about enrolled Child Care Works parents/caretakers and their children):

                             I.     DHS and its agents, including employees of the ELRC, CAO, OCDEL, OIM and OSIG;

                           II.    The U. S. Comptroller General’s office and its agents;

                          III.    The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and its agents; and

                         IV.     The IRS

This agreement shall end if a provider fails to comply with the conditions specified in this agreement and appendices. (Please reference Article IV. Ending the Provider Agreement). Please contact ELRC 17 with any questions.

PACCA Accepting T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Applications for the Summer 2023 Semesters – Apply by April 7, 2023

Early childhood education professionals interested in attending college for Summer semesters that begin in May/June 2023 should apply to T.E.A.C.H. now! T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/ information by Friday, April 7, 2023, to be considered for the Summer 2023 semester. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. NOTE: New scholarship awards for Summer 2023 semesters will be dependent upon funding availability at that time.

Interested applicants should also begin the college admissions process now and contact an ECE advisor at their intended college/university. This helps ensure scholarship applicants are admitted to their college/university and can register for courses if/when they receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. can provide contact information for ECE advisors at partnering institutions if needed. Need more information? Click here to for details on eligibility, program requirements, and to download a scholarship application. Questions? Click here to contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor.

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!

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

Email: elrcregion17@pa.gov

Website: montcopa.org/elrc