CCDF State Plan Public Comment
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) finalized the first draft of the FFY 2025-2027 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan for Pennsylvania. Early childhood education professionals and partners submitted comments via virtual session, the website, or through mail. The CCDF State Plan Public comment period closed for public comment on April 26, 2024.
State Advisory Council — OCDEL
The Pennsylvania State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (SAC) shall advise OCDEL in planning for the expansion of effective early learning and development services for young children and their families and make recommendations to ensure the plans are implemented successfully.
- Learn more about the SAC: Read Executive Order 2022-04 - State Advisory Council from October 2022.
- Learn about members, upcoming meetings and recorded meetings visit the SAC webpage.
Preschool Development Birth Through Five Renewal Grant (PDG-R)
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) received a three-year Preschool Development Birth Through Five Renewal Grant (PDG-R) to build upon the initial grant which ended in 2020. OCDEL is the primary recipient of the $16 million renewal grant in direct partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). OCDEL will use PDG-R funds to:
- Conduct an updated needs assessment;
- Create marketing materials in other languages to support compulsory school attendance;
- Provide additional early childhood mental health supports for both families and staff;
- Enhance the PD Registry;
- Expand the coaching model for early childhood education staff;
- Provide training and resources to support families and children experiencing homelessness; and
- Provide mini-grants to early learning providers to help expand facilities in child care deserts and obtain supports for challenging behaviors.
Opening a Child Care Program
All prospective providers wishing to start a child care facility, family child care providers, and current providers wanting to relocate their current facility or open a new location must attend an orientation tailored to the type of facility they wish to open. Child care center, group and family child care home providers must complete both an online orientation and contact their Regional OCDEL Certification office to register for a more in-depth face-toface orientation.
What is a Complete Application?
Child Care Certification Regulation Rewrite Project (Impact Project)
Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is embarking on an initiative to rewrite the child care certification regulations. This rewrite will be an opportunity for the early childhood and school-age community in Pennsylvania to co-create regulations in a way that builds stakeholder confidence in the process and:
- Increases alignment with quality improvement;
- Promotes greater equity; and
- Decreases burden experienced by child care providers
LEARN MORE: Visit The Pennsylvania Key for videos, FAQs and additional information about the Impact Project
ARPA Stabilization Grants
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has made American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Grants available to eligible child care providers. These grants and the required reporting will be completed in the Professional Development (PD) Registry. How to apply, eligibility and reporting requirements can be found on the Pennsylvania Key website.
Apply for or Renew a Child Care Certification online with Provider Self Service (PSS)
New and existing Child Care Providers can now use Provider Self Service (PSS) to apply for or renew child care licensing, submit online attendance invoices, update provider profiles, and much more.
The Renewal Inspection Process: What to Expect
All certified child care providers in Pennsylvania are subject to an annual inspection of the facility. A certification representative with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning will conduct a renewal inspection of the facility at least once every 12 months. Upon completion of the inspection, the provider will be notified of the Department's findings on an inspection summary report. Please see the following video for more information on what to expect during the renewal inspection process
Become an Early Intervention Service Provider
Interested parties should approach the County EI program and express an interest in becoming an Early Intervention provider. The County EI program will assure that interested parties meet state-approved/recognized certification or licensing requirements and that the required pre-service training requirements are met. Interested parties must obtain the necessary background clearances, including child abuse and criminal history clearances. Potential waiver providers must complete a Provider Agreement for Participation in the Medical Assistance program for Early Interventions services in the Infants, Toddlers and Families Waiver.
Family Child Care: What to Expect In an Inspection
All family child care homes in Pennsylvania are required to earn a Certificate of Compliance as a CERTIFIED, also called LICENSED, child care provider. The process to get certified/licensed includes annual unannounced inspections of family child care homes.
Conducted by Certification Representatives from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), under the Department of Human Services (DHS), the annual unannounced inspections will help family child care homes meet regulatory standards for providing safe and healthy environments for children.
OCDEL worked with the Pennsylvania Key, Better Kid Care and several experienced family child care programs to produce this introductory video on what providers can expect during an inspection.
Vodcasts
Ten- to 15-minute videos regarding important information about operating a child care facility
- Requirements for an Effective Director of Child Care Center
Child care directors are responsible for the overall management of a successful child care center. This video explains the commitments directors must make to ensure proper communication with staff and parents, maintain up-to-date child and staff files, have knowledge of the Pennsylvania child care regulations, and provide oversight for the overall health and safety of children in care. - Supervision
Supervision is the most critical requirement in keeping children healthy and safe while they are in care. Staff must always be able to see, hear, direct and assess children at all times in order to provide proper supervision. The following video is helpful in providing a more in-depth look at supervision, as well as guidance to help staff meet this requirement. - Writing a Plan of Correction
All certified child care facilities are required to undergo an annual inspection. Many times, a facility is in full compliance with all the regulations. However, there are occasions when the Legal Entity has to be cited for non-compliance with one or more of the child care regulations. This video explains the process for writing and submitting a plan of correction for regulatory violations that your certification representative may cite during a licensing inspection. - Staff Files
A child care provider needs to ensure there is a complete file for each staff person working in the facility. The following video explains the Pennsylvania child care regulations regarding staff files and describes the documentation required to be on file. - Children's Files
A child care provider is responsible to have a complete file for each enrolled child in the facility. The following video explains the Pennsylvania child care regulations regarding children's files and describes the documentation required to be on file.
- 911: Responding to Medical Emergencies
- Better Kid Care: Emergency Response — Who's Responsible?