December 2023 Edition

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Join OCDEL Deputy Secretary Shante’ Brown and Start Strong PA partners at one of the virtual child care provider Listening Sessions this fall!

The listening session events are designed to:

• Share the results from the September 2023 child care provider survey (focused on successes and challenges with the Pennsylvania child care system);
• Gather additional feedback on the Pennsylvania child care system from those working in the field;
• Offer opportunities for your questions to be answered by Deputy Secretary Brown; and
• Present current and future opportunities to engage with OCDEL and Start Strong PA.

You are the experts, and your input is requested to help strengthen Pennsylvania’s child care system.

View the details for each Listening Session. Choose the Child Care Listening Session based on your child care program’s Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) and register today! Home based providers have an additional evening option available!

In FY 22-23, the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) provided T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarships to 985 early learning professionals employed in 580 child care programs across the Commonwealth, according to the recently released report which shares the impact of the scholarship. Scholars earned 13-15 credits last year, with an average GPA of 3.26 (associate degree) and 3.63 (bachelor’s degree). Both associate and bachelor’s degree scholars increased their salaries by 15%. Sponsoring employers experienced a 95% retention rate of their scholars.

The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship Program offers early learning professionals a debt-free higher education, supporting them while they work to become stronger teachers and earn thriving wages. By building a more educated early childhood workforce, T.E.A.C.H. raises the quality of care and education that scholars provide to children in their classrooms—setting the next generation on a path for future learning and success.

To read the full report about the impact of T.E.A.C.H. on the early childhood workforce and early learning programs, visit PACCA’s website. 

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 Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development and Bureau of Certification have released an updated Approved Pediatric First Aid and CPR List of Providers. The update includes the addition of the Pacific Medical Training. View the updated listing.

Child care staff and providers are advised to contact their local Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations (ECE PDOs) for access to free, Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) approved, Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training.

Join the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) during the winter months for a series of four no-cost webinars on language and literacy development including information on structured literacy. The webinars will provide resources to share with families and use in classrooms and centers and will be offered for FREE from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on the dates listed below:

• February 2, 2024: Let’s Chat About: Talking with Young Children
• February 16, 2024: Let’s Chat About: Bringing the Read Aloud to Life
• March 1, 2024: Let’s Chat About: Sounds Abound – Phonological Fun!
• 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 Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) would like to recognize those in the early childhood education field who have made accomplishments in the following areas:

• Academic (Academic accomplishment recognition can include directors, classroom and support staff in an early learning program.)
• Years of Service (Completed years are recognized in increments of 10, 15, 20 and 25+ years only.)
• Retirement

These recognitions are applicable to all staffing positions within an early learning program, including, but not limited to:

• Directors
• Classroom staff (teachers, aides, etc.)
• Support staff (receptionists, janitors, kitchen staff, etc.)

Submissions can be nominations (submitted by someone else), or self-submitted (submitted by the individual to be recognized) and will be collected on an on-going basis. Eligible submissions will receive a letter of recognition from OCDEL Deputy Secretary, Shante' Brown. Click here to submit a nomination.

Mark your calendars and register now! The Pennsylvania Key will host two virtual CDA Office Hour events for CDA candidates in early 2024. Office Hours are a place to bring questions about requirements and completion about the CDA in Pennsylvania. Registration is required.

• Tuesday, February 14, 2024, 1-2 PM
• Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 1-2 PM

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

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), the Pennsylvania Key, and the Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) have a variety of employment opportunities for those interested in making an impact in Pennsylvania's early childhood education system. For more information on open positions, as well as application procedures, see:

• OCDEL open positions (filter by Departments of Education and Human Services)
• The Pennsylvania Key open positions (Berks County Intermediate Unit)
• Early Intervention Technical Assistance open positions (Tuscarora Intermediate Unit)

The Department of Human Services Leadership Development Institute Alumni Association (DHS LDIAA) reconvened the annual leadership retreat in September 2023, the first since 2020, due to COVID-19. Alumni Leaders from across the Department were welcomed by Secretary Dr. Valerie Arkoosh and Executive Deputy Secretary Andrew Barnes, who shared their vision for DHS and discussed the future of leadership development in the Department including the announcement that the DHS Leadership Development Institute will reconvene in 2024. Attendees were presented with Green & Growing portfolios containing a delightful reminiscent poem by Ann Narkiewicz, Class of 2011. 

The DHS LDIAA Board hopes to continue to engage alumni in 2024 to support the next LDI class and through other leadership development opportunities and invites all OCDEL Alums to consider participating to stay “green and growing.”

Photo: OCDEL staff attending the DHS LDIAA Retreat Ann Narkiewicz, Tamula Ferguson, Gina Williams

• Dec. 7-9: 2023 Empower Pennsylvania's OST Conference, Lancaster

2024

• March 25-26: Save the date: 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
• May 7-9: Save the date: 2024 PA Strengthening Families Conference, State College
• June 24-29: National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2024, Arlington, VA
• Nov. 6-9: Save the date: National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, Anaheim, CA

The policy statement, Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs, released jointly on Nov. 28, 2023, by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, re-affirms that all young children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully participate alongside their peers without disabilities and achieve their full potential. This emphasizes the urgency to eliminate barriers to inclusive early education. The aim is to establish a culture of inclusion right from birth, extending through early childhood programs, schools, communities, and workplaces. 

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recently announced PA Farm Bill Farm-to-School Grants of $605,398 to 56 schools, school districts, and childhood education centers in 28 counties. Grants of up to $15,000 will support projects aimed at improving access to healthy, local food and increasing hands-on learning for children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Funded projects connect local farmers to schools to supply fresh, in-season products to be served in cafeterias, expanding market opportunities for farmers. Other projects support school gardens, field trips, and other hands-on agriculture education, enriching early awareness of career opportunities.

Congratulations to the following early childhood education programs, selected to receive the grant.

• Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries (Bedford County)
• Watch Me Grow Early Learning Center (Bedford County)
• Begin With Us Childcare and Preschool (Blair County)
• Treehouse Childcare Services (Chester County)
• Hansel & Gretel Early Learning Center (Dauphin County)
• Early Connections (Erie County)
• Waynesboro Early Learning Center (Franklin County)
• Discovery Montessori (Lackawanna County)
• Wonderful Kids at YWCA Lancaster (Lancaster County)
• Kiddie City Early Learning Center (Lehigh County)
• The Learning Station (Luzerne County)
• Countryside Daycare and Preschool (Mifflin County)
• The Learning Tree Childcare Center (Montour County)
• The Children’s Playhouse Early Learning Center (Philadelphia County)
• Children’s Village (Philadelphia County)
• Nurturing Creative Minds Child Care Center (Philadelphia County)
• Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill Preschool (Philadelphia County)
• Green Trees Early Learning Center (Pike County)
• Little Blessings Day Care (York County)

The Pennsylvania Farm to School Network (PFSN) invites operators of child nutrition programs, interested in purchasing local food to serve in meals for kids, to attend the PFSN Virtual Open House, happening tomorrow, Dec. 7, 3:00-4:30 pm. Attendees at the open house will hear about a few topics related to local food purchasing including current funding opportunities available to help offset the cost and learn from other practitioners about how they purchase and serve local food. Learn more here more and register for this event.

Is your workday focused? With so many demands on our attention - whether it's the latest email, message notification, or news story - staying focused can be difficult. Science tells us we can train our minds to direct our attention instead of just responding to external stimulation. When you master this skill of attention, you can get things done at work and be present when it matters most in your life.

Join the 45-minute webinar with Healthy Minds trainer Stephanie Wagner tomorrow, Dec. 7, 2023, at 1:00 pm. Learn how to help increase your focus at work and bust the myth of multitasking.

Register here. Even if you can’t join live, all those registered will receive a webinar recording and a toolkit.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is offering an opportunity to learn about future engagement opportunities around housing through the Supporting Pennsylvania's Through Housing project. The project aims to develop and actional strategic plan that includes policy recommendations and measurable goals to meet the housing needs across the Commonwealth. 

The current Housing Strategy work builds on the foundation provided by the 2016-2020 Supporting Pennsylvanians Through Housing Plan and its 2018 Update. The Updated Housing Strategy will address Pennsylvania's evolving housing needs through understanding of the state's current housing context. Priority areas include:

Supporting Housing

Homelessness & Housing Stability

Housing Services & Supports

Housing Affordability

Housing Supply & Accessibility

To follow the project and learn about engagement opportunities, please click here.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is partnering with the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) on an Early Care and Education Workers Week of Action, December 10-16 to ensure early care and education (ECE) providers maintain or have access to health coverage. Staff who work in child care centers, family child care, Head Start, preschool, home visitors, and other early childhood settings may qualify for affordable, quality health coverage, and each of us can play a role in helping the workforce navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment period this year!

Join the CMS webinar on Dec. 13, 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET to learn more about how stakeholders can help consumers navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period. Katie Hamm, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, will join the webinar and share remarks on how to improve health coverage for the early care and education workforce. This webinar will highlight critical information, resources, and other information such as toolkits designed for stakeholders to successfully help consumers navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period. Open Enrollment runs from Nov. 1, 2023 to Jan. 15, 2024. Click here to register for the webinar. Click the link and select the 12/13 session to sign up for this webinar during the ECE Week of Action.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Coloring Contest is now accepting entries! Encourage families to grab crayons, colored pencils, and markers and get busy coloring. The coloring page contest is open to participants, 4 years to senior citizen. Register by completing the General Entry Form and including it with a colored official 2023 Color Page. 

Check out the 2024 Coloring Page and submit entries by the December 15, 2023, deadline. See the rules and how to submit entries.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has alerted families and caregivers about the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall of Creativity Street Assorted Craft Buttons that are marketed to children because of lead levels that exceed the federal lead content ban. This recall is for buttons with a Lot Code of 02129171221. Learn more.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have added two brands to the investigation of elevated lead levels in applesauce pouches. Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled WanaBana, Schnucks, and Weis brand apple cinnamon pouches and should discard them. Learn more.

Child care centers: CDC advises to not serve pre-cut cantaloupes if brand of whole cantaloupes unknown. A CDC food safety alert regarding an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cantaloupes has been updated. Seven children attended childcare centers before they got sick. Children under 5 can get very sick from Salmonella. Learn more.

A new report and interactive map and state profiles from the Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) highlights findings from a nationwide survey of state-funded pre-K program administrators. The report offers an in-depth look at the types of data that states have access to, the prevalence of disaggregated data among states, and state-level data infrastructure and management needs; it also highlights opportunities for growth in these areas.

In a study, “Not everyone can do this”: childcare context and the practice of skill in emotional labor, recently published in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, the author examines the notion of skilled emotional labor in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), considering both family and center-based care contexts. This research, featuring interviews with Latina and White women workers, delves into the gendered and racialized aspects of emotional labor within these settings. Through ethnographic data, it challenges the devaluation of family-based care and highlights that the skill in emotional labor varies across different ECEC forms. 

The December 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

December brings holidays to celebrate, and awareness weeks to help us stay healthy. Staying healthy begins with handwashing and the first week of December kicks off National Handwashing Awareness Week. Take a look at the December Calendar of Activities for Early Learning Professionals from the Pennsylvania Key to get activities and resources to support handwashing and ways to celebrate throughout the month. While celebrations are important, make sure staff and children have opportunities to rest and relax. All Pennsylvania early childhood professionals have free access to the Healthy Minds app, Healthy Minds@Work. Learn more.

It's hard to believe, but kindergarten registration will soon occur in Pennsylvania schools. Now is the time to request transition to kindergarten and early learning materials for families with young children. The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has available several materials to share with families to help during this time. Look at the available materials, then complete this online survey with your request for materials.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) recently announced new online resources are available through POWER Library, Pennsylvania’s electronic library. These additions, joining a collection of more than 25 online resources, include a genealogy database, a language learning platform, and much more.

POWER Library is the online portal to all that Pennsylvania libraries offer. Administered by PDE’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries, it provides access to books, newspapers, historical archives, and more, including trustworthy information on career guidance and personal finances. It also provides a 24/7 live chat service with experienced librarians. These resources are available to any Pennsylvania resident with a public library card or an eCard issued by POWER Library.

Young children need to develop emotionally and socially. Serving your meals family style can encourage learning and development not only at the table but away from mealtime as well. Children learn independence, social skills, and other important habits that will last them through adulthood. Check out National CACFP Association’s tips for family-style dining. Learn why and how to serve family style.

The November resources from Camille Catlett are now available. The November edition of Baby Talk features articles on Get Face-to-Face with an Infant for Language Development, Finding Math, and more. The November edition of Natural Resources contains information on The Best Way to Support the Development of Young Children, What Does DAP Say About Learning from Diverse Theories and Theorists?, and more.

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