site map  |  search site  |  contact us  |  disclaimer
	Regional Keys (hover mouse over region for contact information) Central Central Regional Key 2138 Lincoln Street Williamsport, PA 17701 Ph: 800-346-3020 Fax: 570-323-7510 John LaRose, Director Northeast Northeast Regional Key 1520 Hanover Avenue Allentown, PA 18109 Ph: 800-528-7222 Fax: 610-437-6500 Raine Neal, Director Northwest Northwest Regional Key 3823 West 12th Street Erie, PA 16505 Ph: 800-860-2281 Fax: 814-836-9615 Elana Shively, Director PA Key Pennsylvania Key 301 Market Street, 8th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17101 Ph: 800-284-6031 Fax: 717-213-0585 Gail Nourse, Director South Central South Central Regional Key 13 West Market Street York, PA 17401 Ph: 800-864-4925 Fax: 717-843-4158 Maureen Murphy, Director Southeast Southeast Regional Key 1500 S. Columbus Blvd, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19147 Ph: 877-660-2273 Fax: 215-271-1607 Debra Lawrence, Director Southwest Southwest Regional Key 305 Wood Street Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Ph: 877-349-4850 Fax: 412-255-1178 Nedra Perkins, Director

 

Login to Intranet
E-mail Address 

Password 


Other Login Options

Welcome to The PA Keys to Quality!

The mission of the PA Keys to Quality is to create a quality improvement system in which all early learning programs and practitioners are encouraged and supported to improve child outcomes. Improvements in programming are designed to increase the capacity to support children's learning and development; increase educational attainment among practitioners; enhance professional skills and competencies in support of children's learning and development.

History

The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) established the Office of Child Development (OCD) September 2004. The creation of a new office focused on early care and education demonstrates DPW’s commitment to creating a seamless system to serve young children and their families. OCD quickly began to address the issue of streamlining the patchwork of loosely related programs currently used to develop high quality child care services and a well-trained set of early care and education professionals. The Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality (PA Keys to Quality) is a quality improvement system in which all early learning programs and practitioners are encouraged and supported to improve child outcomes.

Vision

All Pennsylvania families will have access to high-quality early care and education and school age child care opportunities for their children that foster success in school and in life.

Guiding Principles

• High Quality Benefits for Children
• Individually and Culturally Appropriate High Expectations for Children's Learning
• Leadership
• State and Regional Coordination
• Commitment to Quality Content
• All Practitioners Participate in Quality Improvement Activities
• Focus on Credentials and Professionalism
• Systems Coordination, Integration, and Accountability
• Compensation, Funding, and Financing
• Public, Stakeholder, and Community Engagement

Strategies

PA Keys to Quality brings together the numerous organizations and programs addressing quality improvement and professional development (e.g., Child Care Resource Developers, PA Pathways, STARS TA and Environmental Rating Scale Assessors) and closely works with DPW to reconfigure the Pennsylvania system of supports for early learning programs. PA Keys to Quality builds bridges across state government departments. For example, information developed in the Department of Education (e.g., Early Learning Standards) is used to inform interventions that are funded, at least in part, by the Department of Health (e.g., ECELS). These are blended with DPW early learning strategies, creating one vision for all early care and education programs, practitioners, children, and families.

To implement PA Keys to Quality, a central key has been established in Harrisburg to coordinate programming. Regional Keys to Quality Centers will be formed in six locations across the Commonwealth to provide general oversight and leadership for the system.

• The PA Key will create a comprehensive approach to a career lattice, research effective outreach to Relative/Neighbor Care, employ and supervise the Environmental Rating Scale Assessors, and generally provide technical assistance and support to the Regional Keys.
• The Regional Keys to Quality will develop regional quality improvement plans for professional development and technical assistance; encourage participation in Keystone STARS; assist programs in accessing financial supports for STARS; and conduct outreach campaigns.

Copyright © 2006 Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality. All rights reserved.