Child Care Centers & Group Child Care Homes

Staff of a Child Care Center or a Group Child Care Home and any owner/operator opening a Child Care Center or Group Child Care Home who have not completed an acceptable previous version of Health and Safety Training are required to complete the following health and safety pre-service training courses:

• PA Required Health and Safety for Centers-Group Child Care Part 1 (Requisitos de Salud y Seguridad para Centros-Grupos de Cuidado Infantil en PA Parte 1) (3 hours).
• PA Required Health and Safety for Centers-Group Child Care Part 2 (Requisitos de Salud y Seguridad para Centros-Grupos de Cuidado Infantil en PA Parte 2) (3 hours).

Family Child Care Homes

Staff of a Family Child Care Home and any owner/operator opening a Family Child Care Home who have not completed an acceptable previous version of Health and Safety Training are required to complete the following pre-service training courses:

• PA Required Health and Safety for Family Child Care Part 1 (Requisitos de Salud y Seguridad para Cuidado Infantil Familiar en PA Parte 1) (3 hours).
• PA Required Health and Safety for Family Child Care Part 2 (Requisitos de Salud y Seguridad para Cuidado Infantil Familiar en PA Parte 2) (3 hours).

Requirement to care for children unsupervised

The following required health and safety training topics must be completed before child care staff can care for children unsupervised. This means child care staff who have not completed health and safety training must be supervised by a trained, qualified child care staff person until untrained staff have obtained training in the following areas:

• PA Required Health and Safety for Centers-Group Child Care Part 1, or PA Required Health and Safety for Family Child Care Part 1, which includes the following topics:
  • Safe sleep practices, including risk reduction of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SIDS/SUID)
  • Prevention and control of infectious diseases (including immunizations)
  • Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, and child maltreatment and
  • Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions.
• Pediatric First Aid & Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) 
  • Conducted by an approved Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) instructor using an OCDEL recognized curriculum. 
    • A complete listing of OCDEL recognized curriculums can be found at PA Key Approved Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR Providers and Curriculums
    • The PA PD Registry should be referenced to ensure an instructor is PQAS approved.
      • Select “Find Training” at the top of the page.
      • From the drop down, select “Instructor Directory”.
      • Under the Endorsements field select Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR then select Search Trainers.
      • Results will display at the bottom of the screen.
      • A comprehensive list of PQAS trainers will be displayed. 
        • You can narrow down your search by selecting a Training County.
• Recognition and Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (Mandated Reporter Training) 
  • Refer to Keep Kids Safe for a list of approved courses.
  • Please refer to the “Target Audience” column to determine if appropriate for child care employees or volunteers. Acceptable target audiences include: 
    • “Mandated and permissive reporters”
    • “All mandated reporters”
    • “Mandated and permissive reporters in Philadelphia County” (applicable only to staff in Philadelphia County)
    • “Educators”
    • “Human Services Professionals”
    • “Early education, childcare, and school-aged care professionals”
    • “Neighbor/relative childcare providers”
    • “Volunteers in childcare programs”
    • “All individuals indicated as mandated reporters, permissive reporters”
  • Mandated Reporter Training must be 3 hours.
  • Please refer to the column labeled “# of hours.”

Requirement to complete health and safety training topics within 90 days of hire

PA Required Health and Safety for Centers-Group Child Care Part 2, or PA Required Health and Safety for Family Child Care Part 2, along with the other required health and safety training topics outlined above, must be completed within 90 days of hire in addition to Part 1. Part 2 contains the following additional topics:

• Administration of medication, consistent with standards for parental consent;
• Building and physical premises safety, including identification of and protection from hazards, bodies of water, and vehicular traffic;
• Emergency preparedness and response planning for emergencies resulting from a natural disaster, or a man-caused even (such as violence at a child care facility), within the meaning of those terms under section 602(a)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5195a(a)(1)) that shall include procedures for evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place and lock down, staff and volunteer emergency preparedness training and practice drills, communication and reunification with families, continuity of operations, and accommodation of infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, and children with chronic medical conditions;
• Handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of bio-contaminants; and
• Appropriate precautions in transporting children.

Note: Both parts of PA Required Health and Safety for Centers-Group Child Care or PA Required Health and Safety for Family Child Care must be completed by applicants who have not completed an acceptable previous version of Health and Safety Training, prior to submitting an application to open a new child care facility.

Health and Safety Trainings (Part 1 and Part 2) or previously completed pre-service training can be used only once toward the annual minimum 12 clock hours.

Pediatric First Aid, Pediatric CPR and Mandated Reported Training can also count towards annual minimum 12 clock hours based on the renewal of the training certificate.

Note: Pre-Service training completed as part of initial application for a Certificate of Compliance may not be counted toward an annual minimum 12 clock hours.

• Citations will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §§ 3270.14/3270.21, 3280.14/3280.20, or 3290.18 in any of the following situations:
  • Staff person working unsupervised without having completed the pre-service training, including mandated reporter training and Pediatric First Aid and CPR.
  • Staff person working unsupervised with expired mandated reporter training; or
  • Staff person working unsupervised with expired Pediatric First Aid and CPR.
• Citations will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §§ 3270.31(f), 3280.31(f), or 3290.31(g) in any of the following situations: 
  • Staff person is employed for more than 90 days and has not completed pre-service training, including mandated reporter training and Pediatric First Aid and CPR.
  • Staff person completed Pediatric First Aid and CPR, but the trainer is not PQAS approved; or
  • Staff person completed Pediatric First Aid and CPR in a curriculum that is not PQAS approved.
• Citations will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §§ 3270.31(e)(4)(i), 3280.31(e)(4)(i), or 3290.31(f)(4)(i) in the following situation: 
  • Staff person has expired Pediatric First Aid and CPR.
• Citations will be issued under 55 Pa. Code §§ 3270.32(a), 3280.32(a), or 3290.32(a) in any of the following situations: 
  • Staff person has been employed more than 90 days and has not completed mandated reporter training; or
  • Staff person has expired mandated reporter training.