Yes, all child care staff must complete PD trainings (also known as Pre-Service Training in Announcement C-22-02) within 90 days of hire.
Current child care staff who have completed the entire Pre-Service training, (Get Started with Center-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality (PA residents only) or Get Started with Home-Based Care: Building Blocks for Quality (PA residents only) course after June 30, 2018 or Health and Safety Basics: Requirements for Certification prior to June 30, 2018) have completed the trainings needed to care for children unsupervised and no additional Pre-Service training is needed.
OCDEL recommends new child care staff complete the BKC Pre-Service training modules as the quickest and easiest way to meet the Pre-Service training requirement.
For new child care staff still within their 90-day new hire window, the following six (6) required health and safety training topics must be completed before a child care staff can care for children unsupervised:
- Pediatric First Aid & Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR);
- Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) & Use of Safe Sleep Practices;
- Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (including immunizations);
- Prevention of and Response to Emergencies due to Food and Allergic Reactions;
- Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, and Child Maltreatment; and
- Recognition and Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (Mandated Reporter Training).
Child care staff do not need to duplicate the six (6) above trainings as those will count towards the PreService health and safety training topics. The child care staff are still required to take the remaining five (5) health and safety topics within the 90 days of hire, which include the following:
- 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 event (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
- Appropriate precautions in Transporting Children
All child care staff in a certified child care program must complete an annual minimum of 12 clock hours of child care PD training. Child care staff hired on or before December 19, 2020, will use that date as their anniversary date to assess compliance with annual minimum of 12 clock hours of child care PD training. Child care staff hired after December 19, 2020, will use their actual hire date to assess compliance with annual minimum of 12 clock hours of child care PD training.