The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Announcement, Reporting Early Learning Programs Closings Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) . The announcement specifies the method for reporting to OCDEL closure of early learning programs, including child care, Early Intervention, PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start and Home Visiting programs due to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) may require an early learning program to close to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Child care centers and other early learning programs may experience a high number of child or staff absences due to COVID-19. As a result, some programs may choose to close based on the inability to sustain operation.
OCDEL needs information about program closures in order to gain information about the impact of COVID-19 and to assess areas of COVID-19 spread.
The Announcement includes the procedure for reporting early learning programs that choose to or are directed to close due to COVID-19.