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May 15, 2009
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Playground Protective Surface Covering Update - Child Care Works Waiting List Grows to 16,000
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Early Childhood Action Day a Resounding Success -
Head Start of York County Receives Top Honor -
Business Community Celebrates Week of Young Child Celebration in Cumberland County
- 2009 Events
- Second Annual Non-Profit Day - May 22, 2009
- Early Childhood Day with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees May 31, 2009
- Early Childhood Governor’s Institutes - June - July 2009
- One-Credit On-line Course - June 6 - July 2
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Applications for Head Start and Early Head Start now available online -
Ready Kids, Ready Schools, Ready Communities Opportunities Planning Grants -
Developmentally Appropriate Practice Guidelines
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Pre-School Program Specialist, PA Key - Philadelphia area -
Executive Director - SUMCD, Inc. 
OCDEL Corner
Playground Protective Surface Covering Update
On Saturday, May 9, 2009 the Class II Bulletin, Playground Protective Surface Covering, was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and is effective immediately. The bulletin includes the references to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) documents that provide information regarding the depth and type of surfacing under equipment as required by the amendment to 55 Pa. Code §§3270.102(c), 3280.102(c) and 3290.102(c), relating to condition of play equipment, which states:
Outdoor equipment that requires embedded mounting must be mounted over a loose-fill or unitary playground protective surface covering that meets the recommendations of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The equipment must be anchored firmly and be in good repair.
The intent of the bulletin is to provide direction to child care providers so that they can directly access the CPSC recommendations and have information regarding how the Department will apply the regulation.
Please note the following:
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Grandfathering provisions in regulations: The child care facility regulations include grandfathering provisions relating to protective surfacing for child care facilities that were operating legally prior to September 22, 2008 (see 55 Pa. Code §§3270.233(a), 3280.215(a) and 3290.212(a), relating to play surfaces). The regulations allow those facilities two years to comply with the new playground surfacing requirement, specifically until September 22, 2010. The grandfathering provision is applicable to the playground surfacing in place on September 22, 2008. If a facility installs a new playground with embedded equipment after September 22, 2008, the surfacing must comply with the new requirement.
For additional information, please contact the local Region Office of Child Development and Early Learning.
Central: 1-800-222-2117
Northeast: 1-800-222-2108
Southeast: 1-800-346-2929
Western: 1-800-222-2149
Child Care Works Waiting List Grows to 16,000
As of April 2009, approximately 16,000 eligible children are on waiting lists to receive Child Care Works subsidy, an increase of approximately 1,000 children since February. Download our flyer (PDF) to see the trend in waiting lists and waiting list numbers by county.
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In the Community
Early Childhood Action Day a Resounding Success
On May 12, 2009, more than 500 early childhood staff, parents, and others visited Harrisburg to meet with their legislators in support of continued funding for quality early education opportunities. Every member of the legislature received a copy of The Little Engine that Could and information about the importance of these investments and nearly every member was visited personally by constituents.
A rally at the state capitol featured speakers such as Lloyd Lamm, Retail President and CEO, First National Bank of Pennsylvania and Kurt Kondrich M.Ed, Chair of the State Interagency Coordinating Council.
Early Childhood Action Day is organized by QUEST, PennAEYC, PACCA, PAEYC, Fight Crime Invest in Kids, DVAEYC, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, and Pennsylvania Head Start Association.
For highlights, videos, photos, and more, visit the PA Promise website. Visit the campaign website for more information.
Head Start of York County Receives Top Honor
Community Progress Council Inc. Head Start of York County has received notification from the Federal Office of Head Start that the program is in full compliance of all federal regulations governing Head Start programs. “OHS wishes to acknowledge this accomplishment to the Governing Body, Policy Council, staff and families. We know that meeting and sustaining compliance with the regulations requires ongoing self assessment and continuous improvement,” stated Patricia Brown, Acting Director, Office of Head Start.
A team of six Federal Reviewers visited Head Start of York County for one week. During that time, all service areas were thoroughly inspected by the reviewers through interviews, observations and examination of documentation. The Reviewers found the Disability Services to be exemplary, noting services to children and families and extensive collaboration with many local agencies. Head Start classrooms were described as rich in language and literacy with nurturing staff. The children appeared to be happy and engaged in their work. Twenty-five parents representing city and county centers spoke positively of the benefits of their involvement with their children’s health and education and with the many opportunities for parents to learn and grow.
Please visit the website of Head Start of York County for more information.
Business Community Celebrates Week of Young Child Celebration in Cumberland County
The United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County in celebration of the Week of the Young Child hosted a Business Mixer for the Greater Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, April 23rd. More than 90 Chamber members from a variety of businesses attended. The Chamber holds a mixer at least once a month at a member's business and UWCC was fortunate to be able to host during the WOYC. Some of the attendees had not been to United Way before and all attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the work being done around quality early childhood education in Cumberland County. While the mixer is a casual eat, mix and mingle environment; UWCC had designed posters outlining the early childhood and other United Way accomplishments and displayed brochures and other information.
For additional information, please contact Nancy Fishman, Director of Success By 6, 717-243-4805 or nancy@carlisleunitedway.org.
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Upcoming Events
2009 Events
May/June Creating Adaptations for Routines & Activities: CARA's Kit Training Series, Statewide
May East Seals Inclusion Training, Morton, PA
May National Youth Traffic Safety Month
May 21 Preschool PATHS: A Social-Emotional Curriculum, Pittsburgh
May 31 Pittsburgh Pirates PA Promise for Children Day, Pittsburgh
May 31-June 3 Second Annual Higher Education Institute, Grantville, PA
June/July Early Childhood Governor's Institutes, Statewide PA
June 4-6 Promoting Positive Child and Youth Development: Thriving in Tight Times, Pittsburgh
June 10 Preschool PATHS: A Social-Emotional Curriculm, Reading, PA
June 14-17 NAEYC’s 18th National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development
June 26 - 27 2008-2009 STARS Leadership Institute, Hershey
July 12-15 CAYL's National Conference for Elementary School Principals Cambridge, MA
November 8-11 2009 Annual Parents as Teachers Conference, St. Louis, MO
Second Annual Non-Profit Day - May 22
The Phoenxville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation will present the Second Annual Non-Profit Day on May 22 at the Freedom Foundation, Valley Forge, PA. Registration begins at 8:30 am with workshop sessions lasting until 11:00 am. In 2008, dozens of local non-profit organizations gained invaluable experience interacting with representatives from various Pennsylvania State Departments.
For more information, please contact Don Vymazal at 610-692-2112.
Early Childhood Day with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees - May 31
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are once again teaming up with six Northeastern CEG’s for a game-day celebration of young children and to promote Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children. “Early Childhood Day with the SWB Yankees” is May 31, 2009 at PNC Field, Moosic. The triple-A baseball team will take on the Louisville Bats, but even before the first pitch at 1:05 p.m., the focus will be on children and their families.
During a special pre-game ceremony, pre-school children dressed in career themed costumes will march around the field in the “Parade to the Future.” See the future doctors, fire fighters, chefs, race car drivers, crane operators, computer programmers and rock stars parade around the field in front of the stadium crowd.
Everyone is invited to share in the game-day excitement. A $9.00 ticket includes admission to the game, reserved upper mezzanine group seating, a limited edition SWB Yankees hat as well as a Play Ball! game program. There will also be free admission to the Frontier Fan Zone from 11:00 a.m. until noon for our group only, and the PNC Mobile Learning Adventure traveling exhibit will join us to offer fun educational activities for children and parents. Wrapping up this full day of fun is the post-game Kids Fun Run where children ages 4-12 are invited down onto the field for a run around the bases. What a great way to act like a pro!
Tickets must be purchased in advance directly from the SWB Yankees at 570-969-2255, ask for group sales. For more information about this event, contact Dana Wojciechowski, 570-296-3992 ext. 5 or danaclrc@yahoo.com. Early Childhood Day with the SWB Yankees is a project of the Early Care and Education Coalition of Pike County, Pocono Healthy Communities Alliance, Wayne County Children’s Coalition, Susquehanna County CARES, Lackawanna County United Way Success by Six, Success by Six United Way of Wyoming Valley.
Early Childhood Governor’s Institutes - June - July
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning is excited to announce the Early Childhood Governor’s Institutes (pdf) to be held at St. Vincent College, June 28 - July 3; Juniata College, July 12-17; and Keystone College, July 26-31. During the weeklong Governor’s Institutes, early childhood practitioners will learn how to effectively observe the interactions and relationships of students in their natural environment and record these observations in a meaningful and useful way. Additional ways to gather information will be explored so practitioners can broaden their understanding of data collection. Participants at the Institute will learn how to use the information gleaned from observations to develop, implement and monitor a responsive plan for improving student achievement. Building the capacity of teachers to read, analyze and interpret assessment data to inform their planning and make effective decisions for students will be explored. In addition, the importance of knowing child development milestones and using the Academic Standards as a framework will be emphasized during the week. After participating at one of the Governor’s Institutes, early childhood practitioners will better understand why making planning decisions based on data collected helps to improve the quality of services provided to our young learners.
One-Credit On-line Course - June 6 - July 2
Clarion University and the Northwest Regional Key are providing an opportunity to take a one credit on-line course available to any provider who has received their CDA Certificate or School-Age Credential. The course is: ECH 233 Puppetry in Early Childhood Curriculum, June 6 to July 2, 2009 with Instructor Dr. Jocelynn L. Smrekar. Contact the Northwest Regional Key to discuss admission processes.
Please provide the following information: Your Name, address, phone number, email address and a copy of your CDA or School-Age Credential.
Also needed will be the Quick Admit form (pdf), which when completed, can be faxed to Chuck Lytle at 814-836-9615. For additional information, please contact Charles E. Lytle, SAC Specialist with NW Regional Key/NWIR at 800-860-2281 ext 132 or chuckl@nwir.org.
Resources for Early Learning Professionals
Applications for Head Start and Early Head Start now available online
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) included funding for both Head Start and Early Head Start. Nationally, approximately 16,600 new Head Start and 55,000 new Early Head Start slots will be funded.
The applications for Head Start and Early Head Start Expansion have been released. The documents and links to the applications are available on the Pennsylvania Head Start Association web site.
Head Start applications due June 23rd. Early Head Start applications due July 9th.
Ready Kids, Ready Schools, Ready Communities Opportunities Planning Grants
Ready Kids, Ready Schools, Ready Communities has announced their funding opportunity to support Community Applications for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Application deadline is Friday, May 29, 2009, with awards in early June.
The purpose is to provide modest planning support through a series of planning grants to help nonprofit community organizations and agencies collaborate on the preparation of applications for ARRA funding for activities and projects that result in linking early care and learning to early grades to assure a stronger foundation for success.
A series of planning grants of up to $10,000 each will be made through a new opportunity program of the Communications Consortium Media Center under a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Those eligible to apply are community organizations, agencies and nonprofit partnerships that provide and support quality early learning opportunities for vulnerable children ages 0-8 both in early learning settings and early grades. Organizations involved in the Linking Ready Kids to Ready Schools national forum on March 30-31, 2009 are encouraged to apply.
For additional information, please visit the Ready Kids, Ready Schools, Ready Communities website.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice Guidelines
The National Association for the Education of Young Children has long been the leading voice in defining, disseminating, and recognizing best practice in the care and education of children, birth through age 8. In 2009, the Association released the much-anticipated third edition of its principles and guidelines for teachers and others in the field of early childhood education. These principles and guidelines describe what is called Developmentally Appropriate Practice — that is, teaching practices that ensure that young children learn and develop to their fullest potential. Well grounded in the research on child development and educational effectiveness, and carefully reviewed by experts, Developmentally Appropriate Practice serves as a fundamental guide for all who work with young children.
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Employment Opportunities
Pre-School Program Specialist, PA Key - Philadelphia area
The Berks County Intermediate Unit is seeking a dynamic individual with experience in providing technical assistance and monitoring to pre-school programs in a variety of early learning settings in Philadelphia. In addition, this position requires strong computer skills and an interest in working on the development of an online ECE reporting system. Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills are also necessary.
Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree, preferred in early education or child development; Master’s degree in early education, child development or administration preferred. Minimum of 5 years of high level work in the field of early learning with experience in partnership work and administration.
Send cover letter and resume to Kelly Hollenbach, BCIU, 1111 Commons Blvd., P.O. Box 16050, Reading, PA 19612-6050 or email to kelhol@berksiu.org. Online application available at http://www.berksiu.org/. Deadline: June 5, 2009. EOE
Executive Director - SUMCD, Inc.
Snyder Union Mifflin Child Development Inc (SUMCD), a progressive, private non-profit agency in central Pennsylvania, seeks an executive director to lead the organization in providing high quality early childhood education services to children and parents in a service area exceeding 1000 square miles.
SUMCD, Inc. employs a staff of 260 and is headquartered in Mifflinburg, PA. More than 3000 children are served through five programs: Head Start, Early Head Start, Child Care, Program PEEK, and Child Care Information Services.
The executive director is the organizational leader for all programs and services. Duties encompass all administrative and financial components involved in managing a $12 million dollar multi-program early education organization. All responsibilities guide and support quality early care and education services as guided by the agency mission: “building the future through early care and education…one family at a time.”
The successful candidate must have a bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in management, education, or social services; be an experienced leader with at least five years of experience in an organization, with increasing responsibilities in fiscal and program management, and have an understanding of child development theories and practices.
For more information, including a more detailed description of required qualifications, and to apply, visit the SUMCD website at http://www.sumcd.org/. A confidential review of applications will begin on August 1, 2009. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
SUMCD, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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