Welcome to the ECE Recap where you can find the
most recent and important information from the
Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).
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Announcement C-20-13: Reopening of Certified Child Care Facilities Temporarily or Permanently Closed Due to COVID-19 |
Nov. 24, 2020: The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Certification Services, has released Announcement C-20-13, Reopening of Certified Child Care Facilities Temporarily or Permanently Closed Due to COVID-19. The Announcement provides protocols on the reopening of certified child care facilities temporarily or permanently closed due to COVID-19; and to announce the Department of Human Services’ renewal inspection process for child care facilities that temporarily closed due to COVID-19, whose licenses have not expired, and that plan to reopen. Read more.
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2020 Child Care Regulation Changes Training for Child Care Providers and Question and Answer (Q&A) Sessions |
Nov. 25, 2020: The Child Care Facility Regulations were approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) on Oct. 15, 2020, and will take effect Dec. 13, 2020. Over the past two years, OCDEL has released these changes as policy updates to align with the amended facility regulations. Programs who have been implementing these OCDEL policies will not experience any changes and should have limited updates to operations. To support child care programs in their understanding of these new regulations, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will be sharing the updated Certification Regulations Training Video for Child Care providers. Read more.
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CDC Scientific Brief Regarding Face Coverings |
NEW! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new scientific brief on Nov. 10, 2020, stating cloth face coverings/masks are protective for the person wearing their mask, as well as others around them. This means that masks or cloth face coverings protect us as well as others when we wear them. Scientific, evidence-based data continues to support community masking to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. Adopting universal masking policies, like those policies which are in place currently in Pennsylvania, can help avert future lockdowns, especially if combined with other methods such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and adequate ventilation. Read more.
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Do teachers and children have to wear masks while outside for activities/gross motor play?
For staff, yes, according to the Governor’s order and DHS regulation, staff must wear a mask while working with young children. It has been asked whether masks can come off if staff stay six feet away from the children. Staying six feet away from children, whether indoors or outdoors, is unlikely to happen. Also, young children need present caregivers who show interest in their activities and attend to their needs quickly. Therefore, it is vitally important that staff wear a mask at all times so they can give children the care and attention they need.
For children, yes, although DHS is not issuing citations for mask wearing among children, masks are still expected for children over two years of age, according to the Governor’s order. This includes while outdoors. There is no evidence that masks impede breathing while exercising. Masks are only to be removed while children eat and sleep.
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OCDEL is aware some child care programs permit adult staff to go without masks outside, but this is not safe and does not adhere to these new mask requirements – or any previous guidance. It is not possible to maintain the six feet physical distancing from children while playing outside. Play requires active supervision by adults, who must be close by and engaged with children during outdoor activities. All adults in child care settings should remain masked when outside and inside the facility. If a child is wearing a mask indoors, the child should wear a mask outdoors as well.
If a mask break is taken by an individual, it should be taken outside. The individual who takes the mask off must be more than six feet distanced from anyone else. Going outside while supervising children is not the time to take a mask break.
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911: Responding to Medical Emergencies |
How will you respond when a child sustains a serious injury or experiences a medical emergency while in your care? The module, 911: Responding to Medical Emergencies, from Better Kid Care supports the creation of an emergency response plan and offers guidance on when to call for help from Emergency Medical Services (EMS). It also discusses the practice of implementing regular drills to help professionals recognize the warning signs of a medical emergency, which can reduce confusion when managing real-life emergency situations.
Even though the 911 course is not COVID-related, we know that providers are not calling 911 when they should be and this was an urgent need identified by Certification in the early spring.
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