August 2022

Upcoming ELRC Region 17 Events

Local Leadership Council

Wednesday, August 17 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Register here

ELRC Region 17 Provider Meeting

Wednesday, September 14 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Register here

Health & Safety Regional Task Force

Wednesday, September 21 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Register here

2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is asking all Pennsylvania licensed child care facilities to complete the 2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey and share information about tuition rates and the true cost of care. Every two years, OCDEL asks early care and education providers to submit updates on their costs or confirm there has not been any change. These updates and confirmations are necessary as OCDEL uses this information to consider future Child Care Works (CCW) base rate increases. When all providers participate, this accurate accounting of data may mean more money for resources and staff in the form of future increased base rates.

The 2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey should be completed by the facility's director, owner, or other person who is knowledgeable about the facility's operations and finances. The survey includes questions about private pay tuition rates, payments and fees, CCW program participation, enrollment, staffing, and operations. Private pay tuition rates collected from this survey will be used to update a facility’s rates in the PELICAN system. Rates from PELICAN are also displayed publicly on websites such as the Compass Provider search. This survey is being mailed to all licensed child care facilities in Pennsylvania and may be completed online or on paper. Providers should complete the survey for the child care facility. If multiple facilities are owned by a single entity, a separate survey must be completed for each. Participation is voluntary, and participants may stop at any time. At the end of the survey, a provider can enter the optional drawing for one of 100 $100 Amazon e-gift cards and triple their chances to win by returning the survey by September 1, 2022. The final deadline to complete the survey is October 11, 2022. Those who have questions about the 2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey or who need help submitting the survey should contact the Institute of State and Regional Affairs at ChildCareResearch@psu.edu or leave a toll-free voicemail at (866) 982.6433.

Didn't receive your Market Rate Survey letter? If your after-school program is closed for the summer, or you're a certified child care provider who didn't receive your letter for the Market Rate Survey, you can still participate! Just email the facility name(s) and MPI to the Institute of State and Regional Affairs at ChildCareResearch@psu.edu or leave a toll-free voicemail with the info at (866) 982-6433. You will then receive a web link to access the survey.

Updated COVID-19 Best Practices for Early Childhood Education

Updated information is now available for COVID-19 Best Practices for Early Childhood Education (ECE). The updated information includes the Isolation and Quarantine Visuals, clarification of obsolete certification policies related to COVID-19, 6 Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccination for Children, and more. This information helps keep ECE professionals informed on best practices for keeping children, staff and families safe and healthy as they continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading.

New Text and Email Options for Providers

Providers who do not use Provider Self-Service and would like to enroll in the new text and email communication tool from DHS, complete this form and return to elrcregion17@pa.gov or fax to (610) 278-5161. Please complete one form for each contact person.

Provider Spotlight

STAR 2 Move Up Work Group

ELRC Region 17 hosted a virtual, self-paced “Raise Your STAR” Workgroup that walked STAR 1 providers through a weekly step-by-step process to complete a Keystone STARS 2 designation. As a participant in the “Raise Your STAR” Workgroup, programs received a weekly email that outlined next steps and self-paced tasks that programs submitted via email and/or the PD Registry for a Quality Coach to review.

Programs received resources to help guide them through the move up process throughout the 16 weeks. We would like to congratulate the following providers who completed the STAR 2 Move Up Work Group and hope more providers will benefit from this great opportunity in the future!

Dean Family Child Care Home, Harleysville

Light Bridge Academy of Glenside

Seeds of Joy, Ambler

Backpacks Are Here!

Beginning August 11, ELRC Region 17 will distribute free backpacks filled with school supplies for children in need. Parents and providers may contact Raquel Graham, rgraham@montcopa.org, and Diahann James, djames1@montcopa.org, or call our office at (610) 278-3707 to request them. View the flyer here in English and Spanish.

Best of luck to all students (especially Kindergartners!) as they get ready to start a new school year! PA Promise for Children also has great resources to help children prepare. Check out their newsletters below!

Learning Is Everywhere

Kindergarten Here I Come

Kindergarten Here I Am

National Night Out

ELRC Region 17 participated in Norristown’s National Night Out! On August 2^nd. We met with residents and answered questions about quality early childhood education and child care subsidy.

The community block party gave neighbors a chance to connect with local authorities in a fun environment that included live music, face painting and organizations to share resources. Hope we saw you there!

Announcement C-22-05, Obsolete Bureau of Certification Services Policy Announcements

Announcement C-22-05, Obsolete Bureau of Certification Services Policy Announcements serves as communication that the following announcements will be obsolete and, when applicable, updated announcements that replace them. View previous announcements here.

Recorded Demonstration New Streamlined Keystone STARS And More Resources Available Now

On July 1, 2022, the new process for Keystone STARS pre-designation and designation applications launched in Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry. Moving more functionality into the PD Registry streamlines multiple processes into one system and designation for providers. Read the full ELRC-22-03 Announcement.

Recorded Webinar 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards

A recorded webinar on the 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards has been developed and is now available on the Pennsylvania Key’s YouTube. The webinar provides information on the updates and edits that have been made to the 2022 Keystone STARS Performance Standards. As a reminder, the 2022 Keystone STARS Standards take effect on July 1, 2022. The Standards and accompanying resource documents can be found on the Keystone STARS page.

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!