FAMILY CHILD CARE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Currently, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will begin the process of revising the Family Child Care Performance Standards. Family Child Care Practitioners will have an opportunity to comment and to provide feedback during the course of the process. In addition, OCDEL will be collecting feedback from the Regional Keys, the STARS Advisory Committee, and other interested parties. OCDEL projects to release an updated version of the Family Child Care Performance Standards in the beginning of 2010 with implementation on July 1, 2010.
GROUP CHILD CARE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The 2009-10 Group Home Performance Standards have been released and posted to the PA Keys website. The Group Home standards will be effective July 1, 2009.
The 2009-10 STARS Performance Standards for Group Homes have been updated using feedback from Group Home practitioners, the STARS Advisory Committee and the Regional Keys. In the 2007-08 fiscal year, the Northeast Key had conducted a focus group with Group Home practitioners to gain feedback regarding the updates, as well as to understand the successes, challenges, and barriers to the implementation of the STARS Performance Standards. The results of the regional keys focus groups, along with other feedback from the STARS community, influenced decision-making for the 2009-10 revisions.
- Group Home practitioners will need to meet the new standards at their annual designation date beginning July 1, 2009.
- Because many of the standards have moved to a lower STAR level, Group Home practitioners who are renewing at their current STAR level will have the option to meet the standard with an Action Plan. The Action Plan is a mutually agreed upon plan developed by the Group Home practitioner with their STARS Manager.
- In an effort to move towards continuous quality improvement, staff qualifications have been increased at many of the STAR levels. Although many of the qualifications do not take effect until future years, a Staff Qualifications Action Plan (SQAP) will be developed with your STARS Manager to assist you in achieving those standards.
- For Group Homes using the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS), the current FCCERS professional development covers the following two requirements in the Performance Standards: “Complete professional development on Foundations of the Environment Rating Scale (ERS) at STAR 1 and complete professional development in the ERS scales appropriate to age groups in the facility at STAR 2.
- Group homes that use the ECERS, ITERS and SACERS will need to complete the professional development separately as indicated in the performance standards.
The Northeast Key will be hosting Meetings throughout the region to review the standards and answer questions. If you are unable to attend the meetings please call your STARS Manager to review at your convenience. Please refer to the Group Standards Meeting flier that is attached with a variety of meeting dates and locations.
CENTER PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Minor updates to the 2009-10 Center Performance Standard have been released and posted to the PA Keys Web site.
The revisions to the Center Standards in Fiscal Year 2006-07 included major improvements, many of which included extended year requirements. In 2007-08 and 2008-09, changes to the resources and system that support the field necessitated a small number of updates. In 2009-10 STARS Performance Standards for Centers have been updated using feedback from the STARS Advisory Committee, the Early Childhood and School Age Community, and the Regional Keys.
The minor revisions for the 2009-10 STARS Performance Standards for Centers are listed below and will be in effect July 1, 2009:
- Staff Qualifications and Professional Development: Director Qualifications
STAR 3
Removed: “Effective 7/1/09 language for STARS Orientation Part 2 standard.Modified the Career Lattice footnote to include the italicized text below:
“To assist a facility in meeting STAR 3, this Director’s Career Lattice Standard may be extended to 7/1/10, if the director develops a Detailed Staff Qualifications Action Plan (SQAP). The SQAP will be reviewed annually at designation and it must plan for completion by 7/1/10. In addition, the director must take a minimum of 6 credits per year.”
Please refer to your Regional key for further information.
- Staff Qualifications and Professional Development: Director Development
STAR 3
Modified the PA Director’s Credential footnote to include the italicized text below.
“To assist facility with director turnover, this standard may be extended for 2 ½ years from the directorship start date. If director enrolls in PA Director’s Credential and develops a Detailed SQAP for completion with 2 ½ years. This is for maintaining a current STAR level only. Please refer to your Regional Key for further information.
- Learning Program: Child Observation/Curriculum/Assessment
STAR 3
Removed: “Effective 7/1/09” language from the Ounce/Work Sampling System standard.
Related Field Footnote: Replaced “Pediatric Nursing” with “Nursing”
STAR 4 column:
Removed: National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) as an accepted accreditation for STAR 4.
The Northeast Key will be hosting Informational Meetings in July throughout the region to review the standards and answer questions and discuss updates. Please refer to the STARS Informational meetings flier that is attached with a variety of meeting dates and locations.
Please call your STARS Manager if you have questions or are unable to attend an Informational Meeting.
Child Care Providers, Inc.
Service Area: Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, Wyoming Counties
Marty McGurrin - 800-982-4036
Northampton Community College
Service Area: Berks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties
Joyce Lang - 610-861-4561