Now available are the updated Keystone STARS Performance Standards and Program Manual, effective July 1, 2018. On July 1, 2017, the revised Keystone STARS Performance Standards were released. During the 17/18 Fiscal Year, Early Child Care and Education programs had the opportunity to become familiar with the revised STAR Standards during a “Hold Harmless” Year. Also during FY 17/18,...Read More

OCDEL Budget Overview Listen to the June 29, 2018 call with OCDEL Deputy Secretary, Suzann Morris. Click here to view the 2017-18 and 2018-19 comparison.  On Friday, June 22, 2018, Governor Wolf signed the 2018-19 budget into law. The 2018-19 budget continues to build on the governor’s commitment to high-quality early learning services. Thank you to all...Read More

Suzanne Glenn Through my life of involvement in youth education, as a teacher, a parent, and a program quality assessor, I know that there is no greater goal than to develop activities that hold the children’s attention while combining fun and learning. One suggestion I can make is a year-round activity that combines science, math,...Read More

Pennsylvania early learning professionals now have more options for furthering their education as part of a partnership with institutions of higher education. As part of the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC), Pennsylvania developed a mini-grant program to provide institutions of higher education (IHE) with financial resources to align their Early Childhood...Read More

Leah Zabari During my preschool teaching days, I was lucky enough to work at a child care center that was set back in the woods. Many mornings, I would look out the window and see a flock of wild turkeys passing by, deer, and the occasional groundhog. My classroom had big, low windows, so of...Read More

One of the options programs have for quality assessment in Keystone STARS is the Environment Rating Scales (ERS). There are two important companion documents that programs should become familiar with to understand how best practice is assessed using the ERS tools – the authors’ Notes for Clarification and the PA Position Statements. The ERS authors’...Read More

Regina Wright At school, home, or play children often hear, “Good Job!” Praise at times can be powerful even magical to a child, but when used repeatedly it can also have negative effects on children. Suppose you repeatedly say, “Good job!” to a child after he finishes his vegetables during dinner. Are you suggesting that...Read More

Lisa Mulliken           This graphic is adopted from Let’s Go! www.letsgo.org   5210 Let’s Go! is an obesity prevention program of The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. This obesity prevention program focuses on daily physical activity and healthy eating for children from birth to 18 years of age....Read More

An infographic, Educating Pennsylvania’s Youngest Learners, from the PA Key shares a snapshot of the expenses related to child care in Pennsylvania. All families in Pennsylvania deserve access to quality early care and education programs, but quality programs can come with a hefty price tag. The infographic is based on information from a recent study, Examining Child...Read More

Erin DelRegno What is a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential? The CDA is a credentialing program for Early Childhood Educators working with children ages birth to five years old. It doesn’t just look at the knowledge you’ve learned through trainings; it allows candidates to demonstrate their skills and abilities used in their work to meet...Read More