March 2024 Edition

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On February 6, 2024, Governor Josh Shapiro delivered his second Executive Budget Address. 

The Shapiro administration recognizes that more work needs to be done and is committed to supporting Early Childhood Education opportunities for Pennsylvania families. This year's budget highlights for early childhood programs are included below.

Department of Human Services

Early Intervention

Early Intervention Birth-3 (increase of $16.664 million, total 2023-24 appropriation of $202.205 million) to serve an estimated 54,200 children.

Child Care Works (CCW)

Child Care Services (increase of $29.331 million, total appropriation of $301.190 million) to support subsidized child care services for low-income families.

Child Care Assistance (increase of $2.378 million, total appropriation of $125.633 million) to support subsidized child care services for families receiving TANF, Former TANF and SNAP benefits.    

The 2024-25 proposed budget also includes an initiative to increase subsidy base rates to the 75^th percentile of private pay rates based on the 2022 Market Rate Survey (MRS) results, effective January 1, 2025. The 2024-25 increased cost of this initiative is $62.5 million.     

Child Care Works (CCW) is also supported by federal funding sources including Child Care Development Block Grant, Social Service Block Grant and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.  In recent years, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government supplemented OCDEL funding through various grants. Remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will be expended by September 30, 2024. All program initiatives implemented with ARPA funds will remain in place and will be supported by existing state and federal funding sources. 

Evidence Based Home Visiting and Family Supports

Community-Based Family Centers (level-funded, total appropriation $34.558 million)

Nurse Family Partnership (decrease of $70,000, total appropriation of $14.042 million)

These levels of funding will serve approximately 10,000 children in evidence-based home visiting.  

Department of Education

Early Childhood Education

Pre-K Counts and HSSAP have grown substantially in recent years alongside other local programs and state initiatives.  This holistic effort has allowed more low-income children the opportunity to experience high-quality early education in advance of kindergarten.

PA Pre-K Counts (increase of $32.478 million, total appropriation of $334.762 million)

• $30 million to increase the cost per child from $10,000 to $11,000 for full time slots and from $5,000 to $5,500 for part time slots
• $2.478 million to maintain all allocated slots and continue serving 30,479 children

Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (increase of $2.7 million, total appropriation of $90.878 million)

• To allow for increased costs and continue serving 6,574 children

Early Intervention

Preschool Early Intervention, 3-5 (increase of $17.000 million, total appropriation of $373.895 million) to serve 69,800 children. 

Preschool Development Grant

In December 2022, Pennsylvania was awarded $16 million for the first year of a 3-Year PDG B-5 Renewal Grant.   The federal award was issued to Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE) and budget authority was initially established with the enactment of the 2023-24 budget and will be sustained in the 2024-25 budget. Planned activities include updating a statewide needs assessment and strategic plan, working to maximize parent and family engagement opportunities, supporting the workforce, and supporting program quality. 

Workforce Investments

The 2024-25 Governor’s Executive Budget includes a proposal to increase the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour. 

Proposed initiatives to increase rates for Child Care Works, Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program are intended to provide increased funding to providers to support or enhance staff retention and recruitment efforts.  

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is finalizing the first draft of the FFY 2025-2027 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan for Pennsylvania. OCDEL is asking early childhood education professionals and stakeholders who are interested in providing testimony during the virtual public hearings to save the following dates and times:

Monday, April 15, 2024, from 5-7:00 pm

or

Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from 12-2:00 pm

OCDEL will share a copy of the draft of the CCDF State Plan for review prior to hearing. Additional details about how to register for the virtual public hearings, and how to make comments will be shared at a later date.

Learn more about CCDF and how it currently impacts Pennsylvania, here. 

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) developed the Supporting Challenging Behavior in Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania guide for families and early childhood education (ECE) professionals to help navigate options for supporting challenging behavior in children. The OCDEL Conference, Stable and Secure: Supporting Children Through Trauma Sensitive Approaches is full, but resources for supporting children experiencing challenging behavior can be found under “Relation Resources” tab on the OCDEL Conference webpage.  

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is releasing its updated listing of approved curricula and developmental assessment tools for use by early childhood programs. As explained in ELRC Policy Announcement 22 #07 OCDEL-Approved Curricula and Developmental Assessment Tools in Keystone STARS, Keystone STAR 3 and STAR 4 providers who wish to continue to meet EC 3.4.1 and EC 3.4.2 will need to confirm the curriculum and developmental assessment tool they are using is OCDEL-approved and the tools they are using will not be sunset at the beginning of the following fiscal year. Providers should make this review a regular part of their annual Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities and CQI plan update.  

Providers who are using a curriculum and/or developmental assessment tool or previous version of a tool that is no longer considered approved, will need to choose a new tool, or newer version of a tool, that is OCDEL-approved if they wish to continue meeting EC 3.4.1 and EC 3.4.2. Providers will need to choose a new tool before their next full Keystone STARS designation if they wish to meet the relevant STARS Quality Indicators. In addition, by the time of their next full designation, these providers would need to have all onsite leadership team members and teaching staff take appropriate professional development (PD) in the new vendor-related tool if they wish to meet the relevant STAR PD Quality Indicators (SQ 3.4.6 and SQ 3.4.8). 

In Pennsylvania the percentage of children under age 6 experiencing homelessness increased from 2% in 2013-14 to 4% in 2017-18, or from 20,638 to 29,659 young children, as stated in a newly released brief, State-Level Brief Update, A Call to Action: Participation of Young Children Experiencing Homelessness and Young Children in Foster Care in Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania, jointly released by the Pennsylvania Head Start State Collaboration Office (PA HSSCO) and Hope PHL.

This State-Level Brief Update highlights key state-level housing, education, and early childhood sector data regarding young children experiencing homelessness and it

expands earlier efforts by including data related to young children in foster care. This brief continues and broadens the discussions of earlier State Level Brief documents, and it includes in the Appendix more extensive information such as trend data and links to obtain local data. The brief provides templates that can be used by communities to guide data gathering and planning at the local level and concludes by posing questions to consider as efforts are made, and action is taken to ensure equitable participation of the priority populations of young children experiencing homelessness and young children in foster care in quality early childhood programs.

A new FREE ePyramid eModule is available now in the PD Registry!

#364385 Del nacimiento a los 5 años – Paquete de Módulos ePirámide (Español) 

El curso desde el nacimiento hasta los 5 años proporciona instrucción basada en evidencia sobre cómo: Crear relaciones enriquecedoras y receptivas, Proporcionar entornos de apoyo de alta calidad, Implementar apoyos socioemocionales específicos y Practicar intervenciones intensivas.

It can be found by using the Area of Interest drop down box in the PD Registry. Learn more about this and all other FREE ePyramid eModules.

The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems hosted the 2024 Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) All-Grantee Meeting on January 29 - 31, 2024, in Arlington, VA. The theme of the 2024 All-Grantee Meeting was Collaborating on a New Era for MIECHV. The MIECHV Program supports home visiting for expectant and new parents with children up to kindergarten entry age who live in communities that are at-risk for poor

maternal and child health outcomes. 

This meeting provided a space for the MIECHV community from across the country to share information and best practices to support service expansion, strengthen home visiting workforce development, and advance high-quality implementation of evidence-based home visiting and early childhood systems activities. Pennsylvania's MIECHV program was represented at the hybrid meeting by the Family Support and Home Visiting (FS-HV) team at the Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports that included the project director, project consultants, fiscal lead, and CQI/data/evaluation leads.

OCDEL's Early Childhood Comprehensive System's (ECCS) team collaborated with the FS-HV consultants to present a session, Reimagining Collaboration with a Focus on Family Engagement: A Pathway to a Family's Success. This interactive session offered an opportunity to reimagine cross-sector collaboration with a focus on family engagement by highlighting Pennsylvania Department of Education's Family Engagement Birth Through College, Career, Community Ready Framework and the critical role it plays in creating a strong foundation for the development of shared language and the implementation of effective family engagement policies and practices. The session spotlighted Pennsylvania families receiving services from Family Support services and Early Intervention services as well as some voices from the field.

ECE Professionals interested in attending college for the Summer semester(s) that begin in May/June 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 5, 2024, to be considered for the Summer 2024 semester(s).  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 the Summer 2024 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 to ensure that 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. 

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania is supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE). For more information, visit dhs.pa.gov and education.pa.gov. 

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania is administered by the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) and is a licensed program of Child Care Services Association. 

The final session of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) series of no-cost webinars on language and literacy development including information on structured literacy is being held in March! The webinar provides resources to share with families and use in classrooms and centers and is offered for FREE from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. The final session is held on March 15, 2024: Let’s Chat About: Emergent Writing and Print All Around Us.

PQAS credit hours, Infant Toddler hours, and ACT48 hours available for these webinars. Get additional information on topics, credits and registration. 

The final English-speaking event of the virtual CDA Office Hour event for CDA candidates is happening on May 14! Office Hours are a place to bring questions about requirements and completion about the CDA in Pennsylvania. Participation is free, but registration is required. Register for May 14, 2024, 1-2 PM.

In addition, a new Spanish-speaking Office Hours event is available. Click here to register for the April 11, 2024, 1:15 PM event. Participation is free, but registration is required.

Any questions can be directed to Amy Barrett at amybar@pakeys.org.

• March 9: 2024 Capital Area Chapter of PennAEYC Early Childhood Conference, Harrisburg
• March 15-18: Growing School Gardens Summit, San Diego
• March 25-26: OCDEL Early Childhood Conference, Stable and Secure: Supporting Children Through Trauma Sensitive Approaches, Hershey, PA
• April 9-11: 16th National Conference for Immunization Coalitions and Partnerships, Philadelphia
• April 15-18: National Head Start Conference, Portland, Oregon
• April 22-24: 21st Children’s Interagency Conference, State College
• May 7-9: Save the date: 2024 PA Strengthening Families Conference, State College
• May 21-23: 2024 National SEL Conference, Building Community Cultivating Change, King of Prussia
• June 24-29: National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2024, Arlington, VA
• Sept. 17-20: Save the date: DEC2024 Conference, New Orleans
• Nov. 6-9: National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, Anaheim, CA

Interested in elevating your current farm to school activities? Consider applying for the PA Farm to School Institute! The PA Farm to School Institute is a unique year-long learning opportunity for selected school, district or early care and education program teams from Pennsylvania. During this year-long institute, teams will participate in a two-day summer retreat, work with an experienced farm to school coach and receive a $7,000 stipend to support their farm to school activities.

Learn more about the institute here and register for the team applicant info session today, Wednesday, March 6, 2-3 pm. The deadline for team applications is midnight on Thursday, March 28. Review the FAQ page for full details about the program. If you’re interested in learning more about the PA Farm to School Network, join the upcoming virtual open house on March 21.

The National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Sponsors Association is giving away up to 100 scholarships to virtually attend the National Child Nutrition Conference 2024. Applications are open to Family Home Providers, Child Care Centers, Head Starts, School Districts, At-Risk Afterschool Sites, and more. Apply by Wednesday, March 15, 2024. Learn more and apply.

The 15th Annual Children’s Book Festival of Johnstown Bookmark Contest is sparking imaginations and bringing stories to life! The bookmark contest is part of the annual event hosted by The Learning Lamp that connects children and families to top-selling, critically acclaimed children’s authors, illustrators, and storytellers. The bookmarks will be on display at the 15th annual festival, which takes place April 13 and 14, 2024 at Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center in Johnstown’s historic Cambria City neighborhood.  

Students may enter as part of a classroom at school, or enter individually. The contest is open to all students in preschool through 6th grade and are judged in the following divisions:

• Division #1: Grades Pre-K & K
• Division #2: Grades 1 & 2
• Division #3: Grades 3 & 4
• Division #4: Grades 5 & 6

A winner in each division will receive a prize package that includes a personal library of books. Winning entries are selected by popular vote of those attending the festival. Teachers can also win a set of books for their classroom by submitting student-created bookmarks for their class. Any child in preschool through grade six, including children who are homeschooled, can take part.

Bookmark designs should show your favorite book or story when designing and submitting bookmarks that represent the theme of Bark, Roar, and Explore! Learn more and download the rules and entry form here. The deadline to submit is Friday, March 29, 2024, by 4 p.m.

This research by Julie Spielberger and team from the University of Chicago delves into the transformative impact of a cross-system, embedded model of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) on early childhood professionals' ability to nurture children's mental health. The study, employing surveys, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews, unveils significant improvements in classroom climates, particularly in directions, rules, and equity domains. Read the release, Fostering healthy social and emotional climates in early childhood classrooms through infant and early childhood mental health consultation.

Learn about Pennsylvania's Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation Project and subscribe to the newsletter for up to date infant and early childhood mental health information.

Child Trends recently released A 100-year Review of Research on Black Families, a report that explores the ways in which social science research focused on Black families has changed over 10 decades. Organized into two volumes—Volume 1: 1920 to 1969 and Volume II: 1970 to 2019—lead authors Chrishana M. Lloyd and Mavis Sanders consider each era’s social, political, and economic contexts to use the past to develop lessons for the future. 

Understanding the ways in which research has influenced public attitudes and policies is integral to creating policy environments that are supportive of Black families’ health, wealth, self-determination, and flourishing. Drs. Lloyd and Sanders will use the information gleaned from their review to further develop Child Trends’ applied research agenda on Black children and families. This agenda aims to produce evidence for policymakers, practitioners, and the public that can be used to advance Black families’ well-being in the 21st century. 

The March releases of family-friendly newsletters for families and providers of children, ages birth to Kindergarten are now available. The newsletters feature fun early learning activities that align with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, resources and information to help families as their child's first and most important teacher.

Take a look and share with families and friends, then subscribe to get the next release directly into your inbox.

• Learning is Everywhere
• Kindergarten Here I Come
• Kindergarten Here I Am

March is Women’s History Month and filled with early learning opportunities to teach about the contributions woman have made to society. Check out the March Calendar of Activities for Early Learning Professionals with activities and information to help prepare children and their families for school success.

The first day of spring will soon be here! The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has tips for families and early learning professionals to help keep kids, families, and staff healthy during the spring season. The printable one-page tips are available in English and Spanish.

Are you a disabilities services coordinator, education manager, or coach who supports education staff to provide high-quality, inclusive services for children with disabilities or suspected delays? Inclusion Lab is a mobile application designed with you in mind.



Use the Inclusion Lab app to support ongoing decision-making to select, implement, and evaluate instructional practices and supports that are matched to a child’s individual learning characteristics. The app features practical and relevant resources such as planning forms, data collection tools, and decision-making guidance that you can download, share, and favorite.

The Kids Smiles Oral Health Toolkit is an inclusive digital resource for children, adults, families, educators, and others to learn about the importance of dental health and how to maintain a healthy smile for life. Using videos, animations, infographics, downloadable lesson plans, and more, the Toolkit offers an interactive learning experience for all ages. Explore the Kids Smiles Oral Health Toolkit, interact with the videos, animations, and activities, and share it with others. 

The February resources from Camille Catlett are now available. The February edition of Baby Talk shares Immediate Body Contact with Parents Helps Preemie Newborns Thrive, Why Toddlers Love Repetition and more. The February release of Natural Resources contains information about Ten Myths About Learning to Read, The Science of Reading: What It Is & Isn’t, and more.

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