The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the 2019 Child Care Market Rate Survey (MRS) Report, a collection and analysis of prices charged by child care providers in an open market, where the parent/guardian and provider do not have a relationship that could affect the price charged. The MRS will guide state agencies, such as OCDEL, in setting payment rates within the context of market conditions so the rates are sufficient to provide equal access.

Activities implemented through CCDF are authorized under the Child Care Development and Block Grant of 2014 (CCDBG). Section 658E(c)(4) of the CCDBG, and accompanying CCDF regulations at 45 CFR Part 98, require OCDEL to certify that Child Care Works (CCW) payment rates are sufficient to ensure equal access as compared to families paying private tuition. The payment rates, also known as the Maximum Child Care Allowances (MCCAs) or base subsidy rates, are established by OCDEL in regulation and disaggregated by county as well as care-level, provider type, and type of care (i.e. part-time vs. full-time).

After the MRS is conducted, OCDEL is required by CCDBG to issue a publicly available final report detailing the results.

Providers can provide feedback regarding the report or any barriers to participating in Child Care Work using the Market Rate Survey Feedback Form. The Feedback Form will be available until Jan. 22, 2021.

The Office of Child Care (OCC) has announced the opening of the second public comment period for the FY 2022-2024 CCDF State Plan. Available is the revised Plan Preprint, as well as a copy of the Federal Register announcement. As a reminder, the CCDF Plan is how states and territories apply for CCDF funding (658E (a)) and is the primary mechanism the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) uses to determine state and territory compliance with the requirements of the law and rule (98.16). The Plan Preprint represents the questions and activities that OCC proposes to hold states and territories accountable for reporting on in their State's Plan.

This second Public Comment Period provides an opportunity for you to submit comments directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). A comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of the Federal Register notice. States, territories, and other interested parties have 30 days to make a formal comment—no later than Jan. 15, 2021. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent directly to the following:

Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project

Fax: (202) 395–7285

Attn: Desk Officer for the Administration for Children and Families or

E-mail: OIRA_SUBMISSION@OMB.EOP.GOV

OCC has shared the following information for stakeholders to better understand the changes made to the Preprint from the first public comment period:

Comments were received from 24 entities and organizations at the national, state, and local levels, and fell into four categories:

The following highlights and changes were made in response to the comments:

Unless otherwise noted, all question numbers align with the initial version of the Plan Preprint shared for public comment on Sept. 10, 2020.

In 2017, the William Penn Foundation commissioned an external evaluation of the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Program (PA PKC). The evaluation consisted of two distinct, but related, studies of the PA PKC program: an impact study and an implementation study.

The Impact Study examined the effects of participation in PA PKC on children’s early academic, social, and executive function skills in kindergarten. In particular, the study focused on whether there were differences in performance for children with one or two years of enrollment in PA PKC compared to children with no early childhood education experience in the two years prior to kindergarten.

The Implementation Study was designed to examine local variations in the statewide implementation of PA PKC in relation to the program regulations and early learning standards. The study entailed surveys with three groups of families (current PA PKC families, former PA PKC families in kindergarten, comparison families in kindergarten), surveys and interviews with PA PKC administrators, and PA PKC administrative data. This process evaluation focused on issues related to the extent of variability in implementation of PA PKC, effectiveness of family engagement, adequacy of supports for continuous quality improvement, and implementation challenges in supporting children’s school readiness.

Both studies have recently been released and can be accessed here. For questions about either study, contact Deborah Wise at dewise@pa.gov.

The State Board of Education’s proposed rulemaking #6-346, containing proposed amendments to Chapter 49 (Certification of Professional Personnel), was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Dec. 19, 2020. The Board will accept written comments on the proposed rulemaking for a 30-day period beginning on the date of publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments should be submitted to ra-stateboardofed@pa.gov or State Board of Education, 333 Market Street, 1^st Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17050. Access the Dec. 19, 2020, edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

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: Friday, Jan. 22, 2021.

The Call for Papers is now open for the Journal of Early Intervention Special Issue: Early Childhood Education and Intervention is Online: Implementation and Effectiveness of Strategies that Support Remote Delivery of Evidence-Based Practices. Manuscript Submissions are due Jan. 31, 2021. Learn more about the Special Issue and submitting a manuscript.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the report, Factors Associated with Positive SARS-CoV-2 Test Results in Outpatient Health Facilities and Emergency Departments Among Children and Adolescents Aged <18 Years. The report concluded that among children and adolescents aged <18 years in Mississippi, close contact with persons with COVID-19 and gatherings with persons outside the household and lack of consistent mask use in school were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas attending school or child care was not associated with receiving positive SARS-CoV-2 test results. Read more.

Child care and early education settings can reduce their COVID-19 transmission risk by following recommended mitigation strategies, according to recent research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The findings arise from a mixed-methods study at Head Start programs in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The programs implemented mitigation strategies that prescribe everyday prevention actions, actions when someone becomes ill, and staff communication and support.

Nutrition in America recently took a major step forward with the publication of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Jointly published by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) every five years, the guidelines provide science-based recommendations designed to foster healthy dietary patterns for Americans of all ages – from birth through older adults. Importantly, this edition expands the guidance, for the first time including recommended healthy dietary patterns for infants and toddlers.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the nation’s trusted resource for evidence-based nutrition guidance. The guidelines are designed for use by healthcare professionals and policy makers for outreach to the general public and provide the nutritional foundation for federal nutrition programs. The dietary guidelines should not be considered clinical guidelines for the treatment of disease.

Since 2004, the America After 3PM study from Afterschool Alliance has provided an essential view of how children and young people spend their after school hours. This year’s study includes responses from more than 30,000 U.S. families and builds upon the surveys conducted previously in 2004, 2009 and 2014. In addition to state-level deep dives, the study offers insight into the needs of children and families today and implications for building back better in the post-pandemic world. The top findings of the study paint a stark picture of skyrocketing demand and barriers to access.

Pennsylvanians are invited to experience all that agriculture has to offer through a variety of virtual events featured on social media and through the Pennsylvania Cable Network, as well as a vast range of virtual education exhibits that will live on the web starting Jan. 9, 2021.

PA's Promise for Children has activities and resources relating to the Farm Show families and early childhood education professionals can use at home or in a child care setting to help child learn.

What could society look like if racial disparities in health and learning outcomes didn't exist? According to extensive studies, the U.S. would save billions in health care costs alone. The value of realizing the potential contributions of so many people around the world who are impaired by—or die from—preventable chronic illnesses is enormous, and the human costs are incalculable. This infographic from Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University explains in basic terms how racism in particular gets under the skin, and affects learning, behavior, and lifelong health.

December 2020 editions of resources from Camille Catlett are available. The December 2020 edition of Baby Talk provides resources on the development of attachment, how parents' teaching style can be instrumental in helping children learn how to safely cross busy roads, and more. The December 2020 edition of Natural Resources provides information on nurturing a child's curiosity, using open ended questions with children and more.

As afterschool meals programs plan enrichment activities for participating children at home, the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services encourages operators to consider the ability of children to access various activities (online and print). It may be appropriate to offer some activities that children can participate in without internet access or electronic devices, such as books, activity packets, or coloring sheets. Team Nutrition offers a variety of games, books, and nutrition education activities for children.

Business continuity is an important piece of a child care program’s written emergency plan. Check out Child Care Aware of America's new resource, Business Continuity Planning for Child Care, to learn what topics should be included in a plan and how COVID-19 might impact a business continuity planning moving forward.

The environments created and the experiences provided for young children and their families affect not just the developing brain and early learning, but also many other physiological systems and lifelong health. How do all these systems work together to respond to chronic stress? What do these responses mean for early learning and lifelong health? And what can be done to stop early adversity and stressors from leading to long-term consequences? Derived from the science in the most recent working paper, the newest episode of The Brain Architects podcast addresses all of these questions by explaining how early childhood development and lifelong health are intertwined. Listen to the episode.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently released two resources on how employers are responding to and thinking about supporting employees with child care needs. One resource highlights the results of recent survey conducted in Fall 2020 that focusing on the evolving COVID-19 concerns of employers and child care assistance. The second resource shines light on how COVID-19 impacted the workforce for employees and how they are responding. Explore the resources.

More than one million children under the age of six are identified as experiencing homelessness. As job and income loss grow, and as the COVID-19 eviction protections expire, many more children and families may be at risk. These families find themselves in a particularly vulnerable situation during the pandemic. Learn more about how to help in a blog post and downloadable resources from Child Care Aware of America.

Geisinger ADMI, with support from the Rite Aid Foundation, has developed some Emergency Preparedness Resources that families can use to help children with autism be prepared in the event of an emergency. These resources include a helpful guide for adults and a booklet that can be read to children and tailored to their individual needs and language level to help them understand emergencies. To access these resources and others related to safety, click here, then click on the COVID-19 Resources tab.

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University recently published the third edition of Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A Resource Guide. This guide was created to help promote oral health and prevent oral disease in pregnant women, as well as to help pregnant women achieve the best possible oral health for themselves and their infants. It features links to materials on surveillance, policy, practice guidance, practice tools, professional education and training, program development, and public education.