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The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is announcing opportunities to participate in regional meetings to prepare for and collaborate prior to the full rebid for the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA PKC) program.
FY 2022-2023 is the last program year for the current five-year grant cycle of the PA PKC program. In the Spring of 2023, PDE will announce a full, competitive rebid. During the rebid, all eligible applicants interested in receiving a grant must apply. It is important during the application process that eligible applicants fully understand the program regulations and expectations so that informed decisions can be made regarding whether to apply. PDE recognizes the need to provide opportunities to learn about the program and to allow time for community needs assessments and regional collaboration, therefore, in addition to informational webinar sessions offered November 2022 through January 2023, regional opportunities have been scheduled. Participation in at least one regional meeting is highly encouraged for any eligible applicant applying for a grant.
Eligible Applicants
Pennsylvania is committed to a mixed delivery system. As such, eligible applicants include existing Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts grantees and new applicants from these five eligible entity categories:
a. School districts;
b. PDE licensed nursery schools;
c. Head Start grantees;
d. Child care centers and group child care homes designated at Keystone STAR 3 or STAR 4; and
e. A third-party entity applying for Pennsylvania Pre‐K Counts funding to administer the lead agency responsibilities for entities that are eligible to provide the classroom services under the categories listed above.
Eligible applicants applying for a grant must provide assurance that they operate in full compliance with Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts Statute, Regulations, and Guidance.
Webinar Opportunities
All eligible applicants applying for a grant are strongly encouraged to attend the full series of offered webinars to fully understand the PA PKC program regulations and expectations. The webinars will review program information and provide an opportunity to ask questions.
Use the links below to register for EACH of the remaining webinars:
Recordings on the following topics can be accessed at PA PRE-K COUNTS HOW TO APPLY – THE PENNSYLVANIA KEY (pakeys.org)
- Grant Basics
- Community Needs Assessment and Partnerships
- Child Eligibility, Enrollment and Attendance
- Personnel Qualifications and Professional Development
- Health and Safety
- Classroom Instructional Support
Regional Meetings
Opportunities for regional networking have been scheduled and are a means to coordinate and collaborate on required Requests for Application (RFA) items, such as community needs assessments and partnerships, which will be highly prioritized during the RFA process. Participation in at least one regional meeting is highly encouraged for any eligible applicant applying for a grant.
Use this link to register.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Philadelphia, PA at Settlement Music School
Friday, January 20, 2023
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Malvern, PA at PaTTAN East
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Edinboro, PA at Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit
Thursday, January 26, 2023
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Greensburg, PA at Westmoreland Intermediate Unit
Friday, January 27, 2023
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Allentown, PA at Community Services for Children
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
State College, PA at Central Intermediate Unit
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Taylor, PA at Taylor Community Center
Thursday, February 2, 2023
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Doylestown, PA at Bucks County Intermediate Unit
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Johnstown, PA at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Wilkes Barre, PA at Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region #11 Office
Thursday, February 9, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Blossburg, PA at Blossburg Elementary School
Friday, February 10, 2023
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Reading, PA at Riverview Christian Early Learning Center
Monday, February 13, 2023
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Milton, PA at Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Harrisburg, PA at Harrisburg PaTTAN
Thursday, February 16, 2023
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Lititz, PA at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Pittsburgh, PA at Pittsburgh PaTTAN
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