C-22-06

Updated Health and Safety Pre-Service and One-Hour Training

To:

  • All Department of Human Services (DHS) Certified Child Care Facilities;
  • Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs); and
  • Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) ELRC Program Representatives

From:

Tracey Campanini,
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning

Issue Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Effective Date: Oct. 4, 2022
End Date: N/A

Purpose

To issue updated required Health and Safety Pre-Service Training information for new hires and to advise that all child care staff must complete any additional health and safety professional development requirements as prescribed by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).

The following appendices are included in this announcement:

  • Appendix A- Updated Health and Safety Pre-Service and One-Hour Training Requirements: OCDEL Guidance Chart

This announcement replaces the Office of Child Care (OCC) Compliance Announcements Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) effective October 4, 2022.

Background

On February 2-5, 2021, a monitoring visit was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Office of Child Care (OCC) to determine compliance with Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). Based on the information gathered during Pennsylvania’s monitoring visit, OCC determined Pennsylvania is compliant with 28 of 34 regulations.

As part of Pennsylvania’s response to the areas of non-compliance and to maintain compliance with the Office of Child Care (OCC) federal requirements (relating to §98.41 health and safety requirements and § 98.42 Enforcement of licensing and health and safety requirements), OCDEL, in conjunction with Better Kid Care (BKC), made modifications to the existing Health and Safety Pre-Service Training for new hires, Get Started with Center-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality and Get Started with Home-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality.

Additionally, OCDEL and BKC created a new one-hour course, “Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022)” to provide updated information on required health and safety topics identified by OCC during the compliance review. 

Discussion

General

The reauthorized CCDBG states all staff in certified child care programs must have preservice or orientation training (to be completed within three months) and ongoing professional development in each of the health and safety requirements outlined in §98.41. Ongoing health and safety professional development must be maintained and updated at the discretion of the lead agency as outlined in §98.44. In Announcement C22-02, OCDEL notified the child care community of any health and safety professional development training updates listed at 55 Pa Code §3270.31(f); §3280.31(f); §3290.31(f), and that all child care staff will be required to take the updated professional development within a prescribed timeframe. Even if child care staff have obtained their annual minimum 12 clock hours of professional development training, they will still be required to complete any updated health and safety training topics defined by OCDEL and within the appropriate timeframe.

On-Going Annual Professional Development Training for all Child Care Staff- Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022)

Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022)” will be released on October 4, 2022. This one-hour health and safety training course provides updated information on the missing elements of the required health and safety training topics identified as a result of the OCC federal non-compliance review. The course highlights standards and practices that need to be in place in all child care settings to keep children healthy and safe.

The topics covered in the one-hour, updated health and safety training include:

  • Preventing exposure to infectious bodily fluids;
  • Emergency preparedness and response planning; and
  • Prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma (SBS/AHT).

This one-hour updated health and safety training course, Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022), meets the on-going annual professional development requirement and is the only module accepted by OCDEL for compliance. Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) is active and current until further notice or issuance of any other
updates from OCDEL.

The Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) training can be used only once toward the annual minimum 12 clock hours.

Health and Safety Pre-Service Training Modules

All current child care staff who completed the previous health and safety pre-service training modules, listed below, prior to October 4, 2022, are required to complete the Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) by December 30, 2022.

Previous versions of the health and safety pre-service training expiring on October 31, 2022, for child care staff currently enrolled are as follows:

  • Get Started with Center-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality; or
  • Versión en español: – Comience con Cuidado Basado en el Centro de Atención: Bloques para Construir la Calidador; or
  • Get Started with Home-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality; or
  • Versión en español: – Comience con Cuidado Basado en el Hogar de Atención: Bloques para Construir la Calidad

All new child care staff hired after October 4, 2022, will not be required to complete the Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) because they are required to complete the updated pre-service training within 90 days of hire, which includes:

  • Get Started with Center-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
  • Versión en español: Comience con Cuidado Infantil Basado en Un Centro –
    Revisión 2022; or
  • Get Started with Home-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
  • Versión en español: Comience Con Cuidado Infantil Basado En Un Hogar –
    Revisión 2022.

Beginning December 30, 2022, citations for non-compliance with any requirements to obtain health and safety professional development training updates required by OCDEL within the prescribed timeframe will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §3270.14, §3270.21, §3280.14, §3280.20, and §3290.18, all pertaining to compliance with “pertinent laws and regulations” and “general health and safety.”

Updated Pre-Service Training for Newly Hired Child Care Staff

In Announcement C-22-02, OCDEL outlined all the required Pre-Service Training Topics that all child care staff, in a certified child care program, must complete within 90 days of hire. The Better Kid Care (BKC) online health and safety pre-service training courses have been updated to meet the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety trainings topics.

BKC’s online health and safety pre-service training courses meet the CCDBG health and safety required training topics and are the only modules that meet the pre-service training requirements for all child care staff.

Previous versions of the health and safety pre-service training expiring October 31, 2022, are as follows:

  • Get Started with Center-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality;
  • Versión en español: – Comience con Cuidado Basado en el Centro de Atención: Bloques para Construir la Calidador; or
  • Get Started with Home-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality
  • Versión en español: – Comience con Cuidado Basado en el Hogar de Atención: Bloques para Construir la Calidad

Updated versions of the health and safety pre-service training effective October 4, 2022, for new child care staff hired after October 4, 2022, are as follows:

  • Get Started with Center-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
  • Versión en español: Comience con Cuidado Infantil Basado en Un Centro – Revisión 2022; or
  • Get Started with Home-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
  • Versión en español: Comience Con Cuidado Infantil Basado En Un Hogar – Revisión 2022

All current child care staff who completed the previous health and safety pre-service training modules, prior to October 4, 2022, do not need to retake the updated version of the health and safety pre-service training. Those staff are only required to complete Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) by December 30, 2022.

All current child care staff currently enrolled in the previous health and safety preservice training modules, must complete all modules in the series by October 31, 2022 and must also complete the Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) outlined in section “On-Going Annual Professional Development Training for all Child Care StaffPennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022)” by December 30, 2022.

All new child care staff hired after October 4, 2022, will need to complete the updated versions within 90 days of hire as follows:

  • Get Started with Center-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
  • Versión en español: Comience con Cuidado Infantil Basado en Un Centro – Revisión 2022; or
  • Get Started with Home-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
  • Versión en español: Comience Con Cuidado Infantil Basado En Un Hogar – Revisión 2022

The required health and safety pre-service training can be used only once toward the annual minimum 12 clock hours.

The citations for non-compliance with the pre-service health and safety training requirement will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §3270.31(f), §3280.31(f), and §3290.31(g).

Documentation and Verification of Pre-Service and Ongoing Professional Development Training

All child care staff must have documentation and verification of completion of preservice training and on-going annual professional development retained in the facility’s person’s file or maintained in an electronic PD Registry. The documentation must include, but is not limited to:

  • Signature of representative or trainer of the professional development entity;
  • Title of a representative or trainer of the professional development entity; and
  • Date professional development training was completed.

If child care staff change employers, they are not required to take the current version of the health and safety pre-service training again. If child care staff have taken the one-hour health and safety training course update, they are not required to complete again.

The child care staff needs to provide the necessary documentation and verification that they have completed the appropriate health and safety pre-service training or one-hour health and safety training course from their previous employer.

The citations for non-compliance with documentation and verification of pre-service and ongoing professional development training will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §3270.31(g), §3280.31(g),  §3290.31(h).

Next Steps

DHS Certified child care providers must:

Certified child care facilities must:

  1. Read this Announcement and share the updates with appropriate staff.
  2. Develop, communicate, and implement policies and procedures to adhere to regulations regarding professional development in health and safety topics.
  3. Ensure all current child care staff have completed and documented the required one-hour health and safety trainings updated outlined in section “On-Going Annual Professional Development Training for all Child Care Staff- Pennsylvania Health and Safety Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022)” by December 30, 2022.
  4. Ensure all current child care staff currently enrolled in the Get Started with Center-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality or Get Started with Home-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality, must complete all modules in the series by October 31, 2022, and must complete the Pennsylvania Health and Safety
    Update 2022 (Versión en español: Actualización de Salud y Seguridad de Pennsylvania 2022) by December 30, 2022.
  5. Ensure all new child care staff hired after October 4, 2022, have completed and documented the required updated health and safety Pre-Service training within 90 days of hire:

o Get Started with Center-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
o Versión en español: Comience con Cuidado Infantil Basado en Un Centro – Revisión 2022; or
o Get Started with Home-Based Care-Revised 2022; or
o Versión en español: Comience Con Cuidado Infantil Basado En Un Hogar – Revisión 2022

6. Appropriate documentation and verification of pre-service and ongoing professional development training of all child care staff is retained in the facility person’s file or maintained in an electronic PD Registry.

View full announcement as a PDF.