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2021-22 Enacted Budget Overview, Office of Child Development and Early Learning

The enacted 2021-22 budget continues to demonstrate Governor Tom Wolf’s commitment to supporting early childhood care and education in the commonwealth.
 
Below are details regarding OCDEL’s program budgets for 2021-22. In addition, available summary level detail regarding the amounts and uses of all federal stimulus dollars received related to the COVID-19 pandemic are included for each program. Included in red text is high level summary information regarding COVID-19 stimulus dollars made available to each program.
 

Department of Human Services

 
Early Intervention
 
Early Intervention Birth-3 (negative supplemental of $27.958 million, total 2020-21 appropriation of $150.469 million; AND increase of $22.188 million, total 2021-22 appropriation of $172.657 million)
 
Early Intervention experienced a temporary decline in service delivery to eligible children during 2020-21 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but expects to rebound in 2021-22.
 
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Early Intervention Birth-3 program also received federal relief. In 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22, the program received $3.5 million, $5.509 million and $2.724 million, respectively, to support the enhanced FMAP rate. In addition, the program received $7.023 million of American Rescue Plan funds to support a 3% rate increase effective July 1, 2021.   
 
Child Care Works
 
Child Care Services (level-funded, total appropriation of $156.482 million) to support low income families.
 
Child Care Assistance (level-funded, total appropriation of $109.885 million) to support families receiving TANF, Former TANF and SNAP benefits.
 
Child Care Works (CCW) is also supported by federal funding sources including Child Care Development Block Grant, Social Service Block Grant and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The Corona Virus Relief Act, the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act have made additional federal funding available to support child care.
 
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, child care has received substantial and continued supports from the federal and state government, including:
 
    • 2019-20 – $106 million – Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus Act (CARES Act) – stabilization grants to providers (Rounds 1 and 2)
    • 2019-20 – $116 million – CARES Act via Act 24 – stabilization grants to providers (Round 3)
    • 2020-21 – $303 million – Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act (CRRSA) million – stabilization grants to providers (Round 4), to support increased MCCA rates in 2021-22, and $600 grants to Early Childhood Educators.
    • 2020-21 – $455 million – American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) – discretionary funding available for various initiatives. Planning not yet finalized.  
    • 2020-21 – $18 million – ARPA – Support for Child Care Assistance
    • 2021-22 – $728 million – ARPA – $655 million for stabilization grants to providers and $73 million for various initiatives. Planning not yet finalized. Application for funding will begin in September 2021. 
 
Evidence Based Home Visiting and Family Supports
 
Community-Based Family Centers (level-funded, total appropriation $19.558 million) to continue Family Support, Evidence Based Home Visiting, Family Centers, and Promoting Responsible Fatherhood services for approximately 10,500 families.
 
Nurse Family Partnership (increase of $132,000, total appropriation of $13.131 million) to adjust for a decrease in the estimated FMAP savings and continue Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) Evidence Based Home Visiting services for approximately 2,831 pregnant women and families.
 
As of July 2021-22, DHS plans to release a competitive Request for Application (RFA) to re-compete for all OCDEL overseen federal and state funded Evidence Based Home Visiting (EBHV) and Family Support Programs, All current OCDEL grantees will be required to re-compete for funding through the RFA process. New grants awarded through this RFA process are anticipated to begin Oct 1, 2021.
 
Home Visiting Programs also received the following COVID-19 resources through ARPA: 
 
$8.787 million via Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. Funding will be awarded through the upcoming Family Support RFA. 
 
$2.739 million via Promoting Safe and Stable Families. OCYF is appropriated this funding and will transfer $1 million to OCDEL. Funding will be awarded both to existing grantees to support current contracts and through the upcoming Family Support RFA. 
 
$1.369 million for Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program via ARPA. 
Approximately $340,000 will be awarded to current MIECHV grantees providing Evidence-based home visiting services to be used between 7/1/21 and 9/30/21 (the current expiration date of all contracts). The remainder will be awarded to new MIECHV grantees determined through the RFA. These funds have restrictions and can only be used to support MIECHV funded families and staff through technology for families to access home visiting services, emergency supplies for families and staff, and training for home visitors based upon the 19 performance measures required by MIECHV.
 
In addition, in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22, the home visiting programs received $80,000, $90,000 and $47,000, respectively, to support the enhanced FMAP rate. 
 

Department of Education

 
Early Childhood Education
The 2021-22 Enacted Budget continues to build on the state’s investment in PA Pre-K Counts and Heads Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
 
PA Pre-K Counts (increase of $25 million, total appropriation of $242.284 million)
 
·    $25 million to serve an additional 2,800 children.
 
Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (increase of $5 million, total appropriation of $69.178 million)
 
·    $5 million to serve an additional 471 children.
 
Since 2014-15, Governor Wolf has secured $175 million in increased funding for Early Childhood Education. Funding for PA Pre-K Counts increased $145 million or nearly 150% and will serve more than 29,000 children in 2021-22. Funding for Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) increased $30 million or 77% and will serve approximately 8,260 children in 2021-22.
 
OCDEL is currently reviewing applications for expansion slots.
 
In 2020-21, $9 million of federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act) was distributed to Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (PA PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) grantees to support increased costs from March 1 to November 30, 2020. 
 
Early Intervention
Preschool Early Intervention, 3-5 (increase of $11 million, total appropriation of $336.5 million) to serve an additional 2,000 children or 63,000 total children.
 
In 2020-21, $7.302 million was awarded to the Pre-School Early Intervention program to alleviate costs associated with COVID-19. This funding was disbursed to established grantees.

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