An inside look at Pennsylvania's early education system.
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If you've ever wanted to help make a greater impact in the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC)/Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP), the opportunity is here--
the Advisory Committee is accepting applications. The committee advises OCDEL about the PKC and HSSAP program including, operations, and program design, as well as making recommendations by providing feedback and representing PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start provider concerns, and assists in the development of program protocols, tools and resources to strengthen the quality of learning programs in the Commonwealth. See below for how to apply.
There is also the opportunity to
apply to the 2019-2020 OCDEL Policy Fellowship. Fellows will develop a deep understanding of, and increased ability to navigate, the complex mechanisms that comprise an integrated, high-quality early learning system. See the blurb below for additional details and read up on the 2018-19 Fellows.
Pennsylvania's Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) program is in a unique position to
partner with early learning programs to help reduce the number of children expelled from early care and education settings due to behavioral issues, increase understanding of social and emotional development and its impact on educational success, and link and bridge systems and services on behalf of a child, family and program. A new way to request services has recently been implemented. Read below on how this program can assist early care and education programs in meeting the social and emotional needs of children who exhibit challenging behaviors in the classroom.
If enrolling for college this fall is on your to-do list, now is the time to apply for a T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship for 2019-2020. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of
T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce. See below for application information.
Pennsylvania ranks high with
improving outcomes
when it comes to how infants, toddlers, and their families are faring with respect to the three developmental domains of good health, strong families and positive early learning experiences, according to the recent release of State of Babies. The link below has additional details on Pennsylvania's efforts to serve the most vulnerable population, and how partners can help.
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Early Education in Pennsylvania
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2019-20 Governor’s Executive Budget Overview
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On June 28, 2019 Governor Tom Wolf signed the 2019-20 budget into law. “This budget makes critical investments in early childhood education that will ensure our youngest Pennsylvanians are starting out on a solid footing, giving them lifelong skills and new opportunities,” said Gov. Wolf. “And, we’re expanding support for vulnerable families, including increasing the number of high-quality, affordable childcare slots and adding significant funding to evidence-based home visiting programs.”
The 2019-20 budget continues to build on the governor’s commitment to high-quality early learning services and includes more than $1.9 billion in state and federal support for Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) programs.
Department of Human Services
Early Intervention
o
$5 million (state) and $1.8 million (federal) to provide a 3% increase in service rates.
Child Care Works
The Child Care Works program will serve approximately 126,3
19
[1]
children in June 2019 while the wait list for low-income families currently exceeds 6,125
[2]
.
Child Care Services (decrease of $6 million, total appropriation of $156.482 million)
to
support low income families.
Child Care Assistance (decrease of $30 million, total appropriation of $109.885 million) to support families receiving TANF, Former TANF and SNAP benefits.
Decreases in state appropriation amounts are offset by increases in federal spending authority.
State and federal funding sources, including Child Care Development Block Grant, Social Service Block Grant and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, increase access to Child Care Works and support quality care.
In 2018-19, OCDEL successfully implemented the Early Learning Resource Centers in 17 regions. In 2019-20, the final two regions serving Allegheny and Philadelphia will be implemented.
In 2019-20, OCDEL will contract with Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations to support ECE providers. The commonwealth is divided into six ECE PDO regions. The PDO will collaborate with the ELRC in those regions to coordinate and facilitate access to credit-bearing, stackable, portable coursework and credentials for the ECE workforce.
Community-Based Family Centers (increase of $5 million, total appropriation $18.558 million)
to support home visiting and family support services.
o
$5 million to provide service to 800 additional families through existing grantees.
Nurse Family Partnership (level funded, total appropriation of $13.178 million)
Department of Education
Early Childhood Education
The 2019-20 Governor’s Executive Budget continues to build on the state’s investment in PA Pre-K Counts and Heads Start Supplemental Assistance.
PA Pre-K Counts (increase of $25 million; total appropriation of $217.284 million)
o
$25 million to support a 2.95% increase in the current annual rate and serve additional children.
·
$5.5 million to increase the annual rate from $8,500 to $8,750 for existing full-time slots and from $4,250 to $4,375 for existing part-time slots;
·
$19.5 million to fund an additional 2,200 children.
Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (increase of $5 million, total appropriation of $64.178 million)
o
$5 million to serve an additional 465 children at an average cost of $10,500 per slot.
Preschool Early Intervention, 3-5 (supplemental increase of $14 million; total 2018-19 appropriation of $299.5 million AND increase of $29 million, total 2019-20 appropriation of $314.5 million) to serve an additional 1,500 children or 59,000 total children and support the transition to a data driven funding model in 2020-21.
[1]
June 25 PELICAN Executive Dashboard
[2]
June 25 PELICAN Executive Dashboard
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A federal requirement under the reauthorization of the Child Care Developmental Block Grant (CCDBG) means a new clearance--the National Crime Information Center/National Sex Offender Registry (referred to as the NSOR clearance).
The following individuals must complete the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) verification certificate by July 1, 2020:
- Any individual 18 years or older residing in the child care facility;
- All individuals working for Regulated Child Care Providers;
- Any individual with an ownership interest (corporate or non-corporate) in a Regulated Child Care Provider and who participates in the organization and management of the operation.
The clearance is in addition to the currently required clearances of Child Abuse History Clearance (CY113), Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Checks for Employment (SPA-164) or Volunteers (SPA-164A), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Fingerprinting. The NSOR will verify that a check of the National Sex Offenders Registry was conducted and the individual can work for a regulated child care provider or cannot work for a regulated child care provider. There is no fee for the NSOR clearance.
By late summer/early fall 2019, there will be a paper application process for the NSOR clearance, and in late fall there will be an electronic process in place at
keepkidssafe.pa.gov
. By July 1, 2020, all existing staff and household members must have a completed NSOR clearance. See the
printable one-pager
to share with staff and partners.
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Request for Applications: Strategic Approaches To Using Higher Education To Build Quality Practices In Child Care Settings
Application Deadline August 12
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The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Request for Applications for strengthening and aligning higher education systems for early care and education professionals,
Strategic Approaches to Using Higher Education to Build High Quality Practices in Child Care Settings. Guidelines have been established to ensure Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals have access to degrees that are grounded in the most recent research around children’s learning and development. To increase access to these high quality and relevant degrees, institutions of higher education (IHEs) must deliver content responsive to the needs of the ECE workforce. These guidelines provide direction to developing and/or strengthening systems that result in advancing curriculum focused on child development and instructional practices for young children.
The skills, knowledge, competencies, and needs of the ECE workforce must drive the curriculum and structure of programs that increase the attainment of industry-recognized credentials or competency-based equivalents:
- A credit-bearing Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate;
- An associate degree;
- A bachelor's degree; and/or
- A Pennsylvania ECE PreK-4 instructional certificate.
Applications submitted in response to these guidelines are limited to Higher Education Institutions working to build and sustain high-quality, cross-systems relationships among and between high schools, two-year and four-year IHEs that serve Pennsylvania's ECE programs. Application deadline is August 12, 2019. See the
RFA Guidelines for additional information and how to apply.
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Graduating Fellows and Invitation to Apply for OCDEL Policy Fellowship
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Congratulations to the 12 emerging leaders who graduated from the
OCDEL Policy Fellowship
on June 26, 2019. Each Fellow was assigned to a placement site at an OCDEL Bureau or business partner (Early Intervention Technical Assistance and the PA Key). Within their placement site, Fellows were matched with a mentor based on his or her experience and interest. Some activities at placement sites include shadowing program leadership and assisting on integral projects.
The graduating fellows included Rosanna Matos, Tiffany Grabinski, Jessica Weitknecht, Katherine Bradstreet, Matthew Kolla, Brandi Binakonsky, Stephanie Allyn-King, Amber Fields, Valerie Simpson, Emily Neff, and Rebecca Lamar (pictured with OCDEL Deputy Secretary Tracey Campanini)
The OCDEL Policy Fellowship intends to grow the candidacy pool of future leaders in Pennsylvania’s early learning system at the state and local levels, and ultimately, strengthen the quality of the system to better serve children, families, and providers. The Fellowship has three key components: monthly cohort meetings, individualized placement sites, and an online learning community. For more information on the OCDEL Policy Fellowship, or to apply today, please visit
www.paocdefellows.net
. Applications are due on July 26, 2019.
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New Enhancements Available Now in the PD Registry
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As of July 1, 2019, Pennsylvania’s PD Registry received some new enhancements that are now available. Early Childhood Professionals are now able to apply for the following services in the PD Registry:
Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education Career Pathway is now live in the PD Registry. A career pathway is a tool to support the ECE profession in entering the field prepared for success while growing the existing professional’s capacity to move up in the field if they would like. To learn more,
visit the Career Pathway’s page.
NOTE: The Career Lattice will still be used for Keystone STARS designation and Education and Retention Awards (ERA) until further notice. Additionally, early childhood educators that currently meet the expectation of particular career lattice level will be honored at that level by being grandfathered into the Career Pathway level that is equivalent if verified within the determined timeline. Many individuals have already uploaded transcripts before the new enhancements went live on July 1. You will still need to complete your profile to be placed on the career pathway. If transcripts were already uploaded, this step will not be needed again. To view tip sheets on completing the profile and uploading transcripts, please view them at the
PA Keys website.
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PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program Advisory Committee Accepting Applications for New Members
Application deadline July 26
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The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PKC)/Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) Advisory Committee is currently accepting applications for new members. The committee is open to all who represent the interests of prekindergarten programs in Pennsylvania including Montessori, Private Pre-K, Religious affiliated programs and others as appropriate and works to coordinate statewide efforts.
Click here to view the application and for additional details. Application deadline July 26.
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Families Can Apply Now for Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking, Early Intervention
Registration deadline September 20
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Applicants should be Pennsylvania family members who:
- Have a child—infant to school age—who receives Early Intervention services.
- Desire to advocate for themselves and others by building leadership skills.
- Are willing to COMMIT TO ALL FOUR 2-day trainings. Training are to be held in Harrisburg and will occur October 11-12, December 6-7, March 6-7, and April 3-4.
Travel and child care expenses are reimbursed, and meals and overnight lodging (for those traveling 40+ miles) are available. Please share the
flyer and
application with families or contact Cathy Roccia-Meier at 215-204-1772 or
cathyRM@temple.edu for more information.
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Governor's Institute Connects Prenatal Through Grade 3 Partners
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The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Child Development and Early Learning convened the Prenatal through Grade 3 (P-3) Governor's Institute on June 26-27, 2019. The purpose of Pennsylvania's P-3 Governor's Institute is to help school districts, early learning providers, and community organizations throughout the commonwealth make the vital connections and collaborations necessary for student success from prenatal through grade 3.
The Institute brought together 14 teams from across the commonwealth. Each team was comprised of a school district administrator, K-3 teacher, 0-5 early learning administrator, and 0-5 early learning teacher. In addition, teams brought members from community organizations, family members, school board representatives, curriculum coordinators, Early Intervention representatives, and other representatives vital in moving forward their P-3 work.
Each team left the Institute with:
- Shared Goal(s)/Area(s) of Focus
- Statements of Strategic Intent: Strategies
- A Prototype to Test
- Immediate Next Steps
- Team Norms to Guide Collaborative Work
Individual participants concluded the Institute with a deeper understanding and commitment to their personal connection and leadership role in the effort, and greater awareness of the P-3 Model.
Those interested in learning more about the Governor's Institute or their local team should contact Jolie Phillips at
jolphillip@pa.gov.
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Streamlined Process to Request Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Services
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Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is designed to assist early care and education programs in meeting the social and emotional needs of children who exhibit challenging behaviors in the classroom. IECMHC Consultation Program addresses the social-emotional Early Childhood Mental Health development of young children within their early care and education (ECE) program. Services are provided at the request of the director or teacher and with the permission of the child’s parent or guardian. The program includes an array of customized services that are based on the Pyramid Model for Promoting the Social Emotional Competence of Young Children (Center on the Social-Emotional Foundations for Early Learning).
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40,000+ Copies of PA One Book Every Young Child Books To Children
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More than 40,000 copies of the
2019 PA One Book Every Young Child selections,
Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming and
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis have been purchased for Pennsylvania young children in support of early literacy skills.
This is the first year two books were selected for PA One Book Every Young Child. In the past, a single selection focused on preschool-aged children, however, the 2019 selection of
Barnyard Banter broadened the reach to include infants and toddlers. Fun Guides, which contain activities that align with the Pennsylvania Standards for Early Childhood, are available for both books, as well as all of the Family Fun Guides from past PA One Book selections.
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T.E.A.C.H. Scholarships Available for 2019-2020
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Early childhood education professional interested in enrolling for college this Fall should
apply now for a T.E.A.C.H.
(Teacher Education And Compensation Helps)
Scholarship
! Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) accepts scholarship applications on an ongoing basis; however, it is recommended that students
apply at least 6 weeks before their intended semester begins
. PACCA will begin awarding Fall 2019 scholarships in early July, so apply today. Interested individuals should also begin the college admissions and advising processes now, to ensure they are ready to register for courses after receiving a scholarship.
For more information about getting started in T.E.A.C.H. or technical assistance around how to make it work for staff and programs, contact 717657-9000 or
teachinfo@pacca.org
and ask to speak to a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor.
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Plans of Correction Training Registration Notice
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The Department of Human Services (DHS) is offering training for all DHS licensed providers on completing a Plan of Correction (POC). This training will focus on the elements needed for the foundation of an acceptable POC. It is strongly recommended that all facility staff involved in completing POCs attend a webinar. The training is free and will be conducted via live webinar. Each scheduled webinar will last approximately one hour. Only one webinar should be attended, as the material covered will be the same in each session.
The dates for the webinars are as follows:
- Tuesday, July 16, 9:30am-10:30am
- Tuesday, July 16, 1:30pm-2:30 pm
- Wednesday, July 17, 10:30am-11:30am
- Wednesday, July 17, 2:00pm-3:00 pm
- Tuesday, July 23, 11:00am-12:00pm
- Wednesday, July 24, 10:30am-11:30am
- Wednesday, July 24, 1:30pm-2:30pm
- Thursday, July 25, 9:30am-10:30am
Please
click here
to register for one of these sessions. Once you have registered, a link to connect to the webinar training will be emailed to you. Spaces are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis. If you are unable to attend one of these webinar sessions, DHS will be offering a similar training in a self-paced format in late July 2019. Additional information will be shared on how to access the self-paced training in the future.
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Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations Coming Soon
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OCDEL is eagerly waiting to announce the award of the Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations. As soon as details can be shared, a Special Edition of the PA Early Ed News will be released. As a reminder, those looking for professional development over the summer should visit
www.papdregistry.org.
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- July 25-27: Frog Street Splash 2019: Launching Into the Future, Grapevine, TX
- August 1-2: PA Association for Infant Mental Health Conference, Pittsburgh, PA
- August 5-8: National Autism Conference, State College, PA
- August 15-16: State of Black Learning Conference, Pittsburgh, PA
- September 16-18: 2019 Prevent Child Abuse American National Conference, Milwaukee
- October 1-4: Division for Early Childhood's 35th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families, Dallas
- October 2-3: 2019 Safe Schools conference, Harrisburg
- October 2-4: ZERO TO THREE Annual Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- October 14-17: Parents As Teachers 2019 International Conference, St. Louis
- October 21-23: PA ECE Summit, State College, PA
- October 27-30: Family Involvement Conference, Harrisburg
- November 20-23: NAEYC Annual Conference, Nashville TN
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Applications Open for PA NAP SACC Mini-grant Project
Deadline August 27
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Applications are being accepted for the Pennsylvania Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (PA NAP SACC) program, a continuous quality improvement process focused on nutrition and physical activity practices and policies within early care and education settings. The program utilizes Go NAP SACC, an on-line, evidence-based tool, to guide you through self-assessment, action planning, implementation, policy development, re-selfassessment and reflection. The process empowers program leadership and includes individualized technical assistance to increase knowledge and improve quality of practice and policy. A limited number of programs will receive on‐site, targeted technical assistance from a Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) at no cost to the site.
Questions or additional information should be directed to Lori McMonigal, Coordinator for Special Projects - Tuscarora Intermediate Unit, at 717-248-4942 x 112 or
lmcmonigal@tiu11.org.
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Registration Open for 2019 Early Childhood Education Summit
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Online registration for the October 21-23,
2019 Early Childhood Education Summit in State College is now open
. The Early Childhood Education Summit is an opportunity to dialogue and learn while building a stronger early learning community, discover trends in best practices, network with Pennsylvania peers in early childhood, and learn about state and national policies and priorities.
Register by August 31, 2019 to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration rates. Registration fee includes Keynote presentations, a wide selection of workshops (over 200 to choose from across the three days of Summit), breakfast, lunch (choice of Buffet or Box), and more. Act 48 and PQAS credits available. Hotel rooms tend to fill up fast, so check the
Summit website
for information about making room reservations.
New this year:
- Full HOT breakfast buffet on Wednesday, October 23!
- In response to participant requests, this year you can select workshops at the same time that you initially register!
Select the “Pay Later” option and take until October 7 to complete your payment. PACCA and PHSA members save $50 on registration fees. Get more info about joining
PACCA
or
PHSA
.
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Growing Tomorrow’s Economy Means Investing in Child Care Today
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A recent report,
Growing Tomorrow’s Economy Means Investing in Child Care Today, from the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, in partnership with ReadyNation, outlines new research showing how Pennsylvania’s child care crisis is becoming a financial headache for employers and taxpayers, as well as working parents – costing all three groups about $2.5 billion a year.
The report also includes findings from a new statewide poll of working parents with children under the age of three, documenting how child care struggles are hampering efforts and productivity at work.
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State of Birth Can Determine Strong Start in Life
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What state a baby is born in makes a big difference in their chance for a strong start in life, and babies in every state face a different set of circumstances that affects their development, according to the release of
The State of Babies Yearbook: 2019, a collaborative effort between ZERO TO THREE and Child Trends. The report is a first-of-its-kind resource for stakeholders who recognize the critical importance of supporting the healthy development and well-being of America’s babies and toddlers. It seeks to bridge the gap between science and policy with a state-by-state snapshot of how babies and their families are faring. The national and state profiles provide the building blocks for strong policies which support parents and caregivers in nurturing the youngest children and placing them firmly on a path to success in school and in life.
The State of Babies Yearbook: 2019 uses a transparent ranking process to group states into one of four tiers to provide a quick snapshot of how states fare on the selected indicators and domains. These tiers represent four groupings of states that are approximately equal in size and ordered from highest to lowest performing. Pennsylvania ranks as one of thirteen states for
Improving Outcomes.
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During the early years of life, when neurons are rapidly firing, children’s social emotional skills are developing right alongside their cognitive capabilities. These skills are critical for their healthy future because they help children experience and express human emotions, empathize and get along with others, and build healthy relationships. In
this short video from the National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ)
, four experts define and explore social emotional development, and the impact of early relationships and experiences.
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Successful coaching starts with an effective action plan. The National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning present
s
Action Plans: The Road Map of Practice-Based Coaching.
This webinar explores various action plan formats and their components, and how to compare sample action plans and decide if they are specific, observable and measurable.
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July 8-13: National Summer Learning Week
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July 8-13 marks
National Summer Learning Week, a celebration dedicated to advocacy and awareness around elevating the importance of keeping kids learning, safe, and healthy every summer, ensuring they return to school in the fall ready to succeed in the year. This year, each day will focus on a new theme: Literacy, STEM, Arts, College & Career Readiness, and Nutrition and Wellness. Find a Family Toolkit, Program Toolkit, Theme Day resources, and more on the
Summer Learning website.
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Seize the Summer:
Read Aloud -- Anytime, Anywhere
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Encourage parents and caregivers to read to children every day by sharing materials from the Read Aloud 15 Minutes summer campaign. Visit readaloud.org’s
Partner Toolkit
to find parent handouts (available in English and Spanish) posters, and other resources. Follow
@EITA_PA on Twitter
to get social media messages that promote early language and literacy development.
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Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock
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Babies and young kids can sometimes sleep so peacefully that we can forget they are in the back of a vehicle. A change in a schedule, being overly tired or distracted, or even a new pattern of behavior–like dropping off a child at child care when someone else usually does it–can cause a parent or caregiver to put a child at risk. However, these tragedies are completely preventable.
PA's Promise for Children
has tips to help keep children safe. Children (and pets) should never be left in a vehicle--regardless of the temperature!
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Health and Safety Training Toolkit
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States and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) can use the toolkit,
Healthy States: Health and Safety Training Toolkit, recently released by the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW), to develop new, or build upon existing, health and safety trainings. Individual child care programs can use it to train staff.
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June & July Editions of Baby Talk
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The
June 2019 edition of Baby Talk and
July 2019 edition by Camille Catlett is now available and features info about helping babies learn to fall asleep on their own, supporting the development of self-regulation in infants and toddlers, and more.
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The PA Early Ed News is a project of the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and the PA Departments of Education and Human Services to inform early learning professionals, the early childhood community, policymakers, community leaders and the public on developments in early childhood education and care in Pennsylvania.
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