As the end of 2019 approaches, the resources, supports and opportunities for early learning professionals continue.

Great news from Governor Wolf's office regarding the PAsmart grants. PAsmart Targeted PreK-12 grants, of up to $35,000 each, are structured to meet the needs of local education agencies (LEAs) and their schools that have limited to no computer science offerings and did not receive targeted grants in 2018-19. These grants are used to help schools introduce and expand computer science (CS) programming and to provide educators from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 with training and professional development to teach CS. The Targeted grants also provide greater opportunities for students of color, low-income students and girls to learn critical skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce. 

A partnership between the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) has resulted in the newly released resource, the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework. The Framework can help schools, early learning programs, and family-serving entities engage families with purposeful intention, a goal under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). See below for more information and download a copy of the document.

The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning wish our early learning partners and supporters a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to the progress in the next decade. See you in 2020!

Building on the highly successful launch of his PAsmart initiative last year, Governor Tom Wolf recently announced up to $20 million in grants are available to prepare students for the fast-growing fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and computer science (CS). 

“PAsmart is strategically investing in science and technology education so students get the skills they need for emerging jobs in high demand,” said Governor Wolf. “The grants encourage businesses and schools to develop partnerships that focus education on the knowledge students will need to succeed in growing industries.

“Through PAsmart, we are developing the most prepared and talented workforce in the country, which will help students excel, grow the middle class, and strengthen the economy for everyone,” he said.  Read more .

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services recently released their strategic plan that will guide their work over the next three years and synthesizes a vision for the agency’s guiding principles and establishes four overarching goals.

The plan includes expanding access to quality child care for low-income, working families and helping families thrive by connecting parents to supports early in their child’s life.

While this plan is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every initiative underway and will be a living document, it will serve as a road map for the mission, outlining guiding principals and long-term goals that will broadly steer DHS' initiatives, programs, and services.  Download the Strategic Plan.

As a child care provider, your child care rate information can make an impact in Pennsylvania being compliant with the federal government and ensuring OCDEL has important data to compare private pay prices with Child Care Works reimbursements known as base rates.

The Market Rate Survey is a requirement under the Child Care Development Fund which provides Pennsylvania the funding to Child Care Works and Keystone STARS. Your updated information is important, even if your rates have not changed.

If you have already updated your rates between 10/1/2019 and 12/3/2019, thank you for participating! You do not need to do anything further. Your update will be included in the new Market Rate Survey.

If you have not updated your rates between 10/1/2019 and 12/3/2019, or if your rates have not changed but your last update occurred before 10/1/2019, you should log into PELICAN Provider Self Service and please follow these instructions.

How to provide the most up-to-date information about your rates by the Dec. 30 deadline:

 

Every three years, states update information regarding the prices child care providers charge families. This is known as a Market Rate Survey (MRS). The last official MRS was conducted in 2016. Updated information will ensure OCDEL has a good understanding of child care prices across each Early Learning Resource Center Region (ELRC).

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has released the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework.

 

This framework is a collaborative initiative between PDE’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and includes Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)-aligned Family Engagement resources and information for local education agencies (LEAs). The framework is a tool to guide learning communities in the implementation of effective practices, use of shared language, and application of a family engagement continuum for families across their child’s educational lifespan.

 

Effective family engagement, beginning with early learning programs through K12, are important to supporting a child’s learning and development. The framework fosters a clear path and identifies a set of common standards of how learning communities can plan and implement family engagement practice. 

Many members of Pennsylvania’s learning communities can employ this framework. A learning community is defined as programs and schools to which PDE, including the OCDEL and OESE provide funding, guidance and monitoring. It also includes LEAs, such as school districts and associated community partners.

Research has demonstrated that regardless of socioeconomic background, when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children perform better academically, enjoy school more, remain in school longer, and have better long-term outcomes such as higher graduation rates and improved post-secondary educational attainment and career readiness.

 

More information on family engagement and the framework can be found on PDE’s website. 

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has begun the planning process with the regional Professional Development Organizations (PDOs). The PDOs were created to coordinate and facilitate access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for the early childhood education (ECE) workforce.

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) was selected for the Philadelphia and Southeast (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties) regions. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania was selected for the Central, Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest regions.  See regional map here.

PDOs will support direct access across each service region for the ECE workforce to participate in career pathways that lead to degrees or credentials. This will occur through online, face-to-face, and hybrid options for participants. PDOs will address and work to reduce barriers to degree attainment by coordinating with the Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) to improve the quality of ECE programs.

The selected applicants began their strategic planning process on Oct. 1, 2019. The PDOs will perform a needs assessment by region and develop a strategic plan including a clear project timetable and specific targets for education attainment. The strategic plan will be approved and public in January 2020. During the planning time you should expect to hear of community engagement opportunities, focus groups and information gathering sessions that each PDO will be doing.

Shippensburg University and PHMC are using the planning period to learn from the field and would like to hear from you to build appropriate, needs based opportunities for ECE professionals. Please take the appropriate Needs Assessment Survey for your region:

While Pennsylvania transitions into the new PDO system, ECE professionals seeking to obtain their  Child Development Associate (CDA)  can find appropriate credit-bearing coursework through numerous institutions of higher learning in communities across the commonwealth. Individuals enrolled in these programs might be eligible for financial assistance from Rising STARS Tuition Assistance but many are being funded through dollars that allow child care staff to enroll at low to no cost.

Please share the survey links widely and to reach out to your PDO to learn of opportunities for you to have input on their workplan. View this announcement as a PDF.   For more information, visit the PA Key website .

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)’s Rising STARS Tuition Assistance (RSTA) program (administered by The Pennsylvania Key) helps cover a portion of tuition costs for early childhood professionals. This program has important deadlines quickly approaching for applications:

Please keep this in mind in regards to tuition due date for your specific program. To learn more, visit the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance page. Questions? Call 1-800-284-6031 or email [email protected].

Join the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) during the winter months for some 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 chats will be offered at 8:30 am and repeated at 1:30 pm on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month from January through March 2020. PQAS credit hours and Infant Toddler hours available. Get additional information on topics, credits and registration . 

The STEM Ambassador Program is a 10-month leadership training opportunity and a strategic way to advance state STEM/workforce policy goals through education, targeting relationships with policymakers, and building a coalition of local and regional support. STEM Ambassadors are leaders within their organizations, interested and committed to sharing their experiences and content knowledge with influential stakeholders. They also serve as role models to inspire and encourage youth to pursue opportunities for STEM exploration in both formal and informal learning environments. Ambassadors will have the opportunity to learn from recognized advocacy experts and STEM professionals about STEM policy, media outreach, relationship building, and leadership development. Application deadline is Jan. 24, 2020.

The BUILD Initiative and the QRIS National Learning Network are now accepting session proposals for  QRIS 2020: BUILDing Quality. The conference will be held in Orlando, FL from July 8-10, 2020.

Share your wealth of knowledge and experience and help us co-create a strong, ongoing learning community! Submit your proposal for the conference by Jan. 3, 2020. Review the following documents for more info.

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) is currently seeking workshop proposals for the 30th National Family Child Care Conference, taking place in Norfolk, Virginia July 15-18, 2020. Workshop proposals should focus on family child care providers and the many qualities that make family child care unique to early care and education. Attendees are looking for sessions that focus on practical solutions to increase their knowledge and effectiveness; to engage and challenge their thinking; and to nurture their purpose, creativity, and professional excellence. Presenters should focus their content for the various roles in family child care, such as:

Many conference attendees have a strong background in family child care and programs, so advanced level workshops are encouraged, as are Spanish speaking presentations. The submission deadline is January 15, 2020. Click here to submit a workshop proposal.

Show your students’ creativity by re-purposing milk and juice cartons to either build or enhance your school garden! Kids Gardening is sponsoring the contest where teachers can engage students in a hands-on experience creating teachable moments on environmental stewardship, sustainable packaging, and healthy living. The best use of cartons in a school garden gives a school the chance to win one of 15 prizes with a grand prize valued at $5,000. Entry eligible to pre-K located at a school that also serves older grade levels. Entries due April 1, 2020.

The deadline for Pennsylvania child care directors to participate in a survey to gather preliminary information on participant's knowledge and perceptions of primary prevention in child care settings has been extended to Dec. 20, 2019. 

Penn State University is conducting the survey which collects information about childhood and adult vaccinations, hand washing, and health-related policies and resources within a facility.  Click here to take the survey.

Participation in the survey is optional. The information provided during the survey is anonymous. Those who agree to participate, will be offered the chance to click on a separate link to provide information to receive an incentive and request information on the Get Smart program on antibiotic awareness. Ten participants will be selected at random to receive a $50 award and ten participants to receive a free children's book. 

Those with questions or concerns, should contact Dr. Kristin Sznajder at 717-531-0003 x285

Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year and the results determine how many seats in Congress each state gets. In FY 2016, Pennsylvania received $39,179,047,733 through 55 federal spending programs guided by data derived from the 2010 Census.

When you respond to the census, your answers are kept anonymous. They are used only to produce statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. The law ensures that your private information is never published and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.

By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding: Online, by phone or by mail. The 2020 Census marks the first time you'll have the option to respond online. You can even respond on your mobile device. Watch your mailbox for information on how to respond and visit 2020census.gov for more information.

A new report from Learning Policy Institute, Early Childhood Essentials: A Framework for Aligning Child Skills and Educator Competencies , describes the skills and competencies early childhood educators need to know in order to provide high-quality early learning experiences. This framework describes the link between early educator competencies, early education practice, and children's school readiness and success. It also surfaces the foundational conditions necessary for children and educators to achieve these essential skills and competencies, providing a baseline of knowledge to help decision-makers think critically about how to improve the early learning programs they oversee.

A new report, From Risk to Opportunity: Afterschool Programs Keep Kids Safe When Juvenile Crime Peaks from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids spotlights research from more than 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors, showing the impact of afterschool programs on improving public safety, increasing student academic performance, and saving taxpayer dollars, among other outcomes. Over the past 20 years, law enforcement leaders across the country have relied on high-quality afterschool programs to provide supportive, stable, and enriching environments with caring adults that keep children and youth out of trouble and safe, while supporting their academic success, and social and emotional development. This new report re-examines the prime time for juvenile crime and how afterschool programs have changed since our initial work in this field. 

NPR covers a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the scope of Americans affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—which can lead to negative health outcomes—and the important role prevention can play in reducing their prevalence. Read more.  

Colds, coughs and runny noses are more common in the winter than in any other season. Poor circulation of air, dry heated air and crowded indoor spaces make it easier to share germs that make people sick. December's Featured Article on the PA's Promise for Children website shares family-friendly information from ECELS about colds, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children and how to prevent or treat them. Share this info with the families you serve.

The Head Start Coaching Companion is a video-sharing and coaching feedback tool for early care and education staff and providers. It helps coaching teams work together, even between visits or from a distance. Share video files, ask questions, and exchange feedback. Develop individualized coaching plans that support quality teaching and positive outcomes for young children.

Teachers, family child care providers, home visitors, and coaches can use the Coaching Companion's video library to view examples of teaching practices. They can also share their own classroom or home-based videos and track progress through the three major components of Practice-Based Coaching (PBC): Shared Goals and Action Planning, Focused Observation, and Reflection and Feedback. PBC is a coaching model designed with Head Start programs in mind. However, its components align well with a variety of coaching models used across states and territories.

Highlights of the new version include: 

Download the Ready DLL app, a mobile solution for Head Start and Early Head Start staff and caregivers who want to better support children who are dual language learners (DLLs). Earn badges by completing weekly classroom-based activities. Encourage children's use of their home language by learning survival words and key sentences in Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Haitian Creole. View resources and videos to stay up-to-date on new and effective strategies to enhance your practices and knowledge.

Getting Started: Supporting Children with Hearing Loss is a free resource from Pennsylvania' Early Intervention Technical Assistance that provides families and professionals with first steps in supporting young children with hearing loss. It includes information about how we hear, detailed information about hearing devices, common concerns that parents may have regarding these devices, and Pennsylvania-specific resources for families.