To:

• All DHS Certified Child Care Facilities  
• Early Learning Resource Centers
• Office of Child Development and Early Learning Staff

From:

Shante’ A. Brown,
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning

Issue Date: June 18, 2025
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
End Date: N/A

View this full announcement as a PDF. >

The purpose of this announcement is to notify providers that access to free Pediatric First Aid and CPR training from the ECE PDOs will no longer be available effective July 1, 2025.

As of July 1, 2025, Announcement C-22-01 Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Training Requirements and Access to Free Training through Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations (ECE PDOs) will be obsolete.

The Child Care Development Block Grant (CCBG) Fund requires all staff in certified child care facilities to be certified in Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR. 

DHS child care regulations at 55 Pa. Code §§ 3270.31, 3280.31, and 3290.31 require all staff persons to complete professional development in Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR within 90 days of hire and renew their certification in Pediatric First Aid/CPR on or before the expiration of the most current certification. Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR must be completed before a child care staff can care for children unsupervised.

To comply with certification requirements, Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training must be conducted by an approved Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Instructor using an OCDEL recognized curriculum, as referenced in the table below. 

On January 11, 2022, Announcement C-22-01 was released which explained that ECE PDOs would provide access to free Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training to support compliance to the above referenced regulations.

Beginning July 1, 2025, the ECE PDOs will NO LONGER provide access to free Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training.  The focus of PDOs is to provide credit-bearing professional preparation for the ECE workforce.  Providers are responsible for securing appropriate training. 

All Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR trainings must:

• be conducted by an approved PQAS Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training instructor, using OCDEL approved curriculum;
• include a hands-on session to be compliant with certification requirements; and
• offer a training card or certificate that lists, at minimum, the participant’s name and full title of the offered course for it to be accepted by DHS Certification.

An up-to-date list of approved Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR providers and curriculum is available at pakeys.org/firstaid-cpr.  The PD Registry is used as the method for registering and tracking participants.

OCDEL will explore future opportunities to support providers with the required Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR trainings. Any relevant updates will be shared when available.  

1. Review staff Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training cards to identify staff in need of training.
   • Ensure the training is focused on Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR.
   • Ensure the card was issued by an OCDEL approved PQAS curriculum and program.
   • Ensure new staff are trained within 90 days of hire.
2. Contact your Regional OCDEL Certification Office with any questions.

View full announcement as a PDF. >