Ruby Martin, Director

The Bureau of Certification Services is responsible for licensing of both for-profit and non-profit entities implementing child care for more than four children not related to the provider. There are close to 7,000 child care providers in the Commonwealth that fall into three categories – child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes.​

Certification staff are located at OCDEL Headquarters in Harrisburg and five regional offices across the state. Each regional office includes one Regional Manager, multiple Supervisors, Certification Field Representatives, and clerical staff. Certification Field Representatives inspect all child care facilities to ensure they are following the child care regulations authorized by 55 Pa Code Chapters 3270, 3280, and 3290. Certification staff support initial licensing requirements for new providers and complete an unannounced inspection annually for all providers and conduct complaint investigations. Certification staff also review, approve, and conduct follow up inspections for all plans of correction related to provider non-compliance.

Lisa Parker, Director

Early Intervention services are provided to eligible children from birth to five with developmental delays and disabilities. Infant Toddler Early Intervention Services and Family Supports are funded through the Department of Human Services. Preschool Early Intervention is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. ​

Within the Infant Toddler EI program, the Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports is responsible for managing the allocation of state and federal funding to 48 County/Joinders Early Intervention programs, providing guidance to local programs regarding compliance with Act 212, IDEA, and Pennsylvania regulations, verifying compliance with state and federal Early Intervention requirements, providing families with required supports and protections (including investigating formal complaints) and collecting, managing, and reporting data regarding child count, compliance, and other information.​

Family Support Programs include, but are not limited to, state and federally funded Evidence-Based Home Visiting programs, community-based Family Centers and Children’s Trust Fund child abuse prevention/positive parenting programs. ​

Within the Preschool EI program, the Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports is responsible for managing the allocation of state and federal funding to 34 local Preschool Early Intervention programs, providing guidance to local programs regarding compliance with Act 212, IDEA, and Pennsylvania regulations, verifying compliance with state and federal Early Intervention requirements, providing families with required supports and protections (including investigating formal complaints) and collecting, managing, and reporting data regarding child count, compliance and other information.

The Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development develops and implements standards for early childhood education programs and professionals to improve the quality of early learning for young children and provides financial support and technical assistance for programs and professionals. The Bureau is also responsible for establishing and maintaining the rules, regulations, and procedures for the subsidized child care program, Child Care Works (CCW) and for Child Care Certification. This bureau also oversees the prekindergarten investments for PA Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. The bureau also supports alignment with the K-12 system for child and family transition.

The Bureau of Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Operations and Monitoring is responsible for oversight and program integrity for the 19 regional business partners known as the Early Learning Resource Centers. The ELRCs are the hub of child care information within each region across the commonwealth and provide families with information on quality child care and personalized child care referrals to child care providers, based on their specific needs or preferences. ELRCs administer the Child Care Works (CCW) subsidized child care program and the Keystone STARS quality program and are the payees to child care providers on behalf of OCDEL for CCW, Keystone STARS, and various grant initiatives. The Bureau of ELRC Operations and Monitoring ensures program fidelity and reporting and serves as a liaison to the federal Region III Office of Child Care for program integrity activities.

Christine Baldini, Director

All fiscal, administrative support, automation planning, business analysis functions for OCDEL are consolidated under the Bureau of Finance, Administration and Planning. The Bureau is responsible for preparation of the annual OCDEL budget for inclusion in the Department budget request to the Governor’s Office of Budget. Staff in this bureau are also responsible for the fiscal portion of federal grant applications, renewals, and amendments. The management of OCDEL personnel, which includes 247 permanent positions (234 DHS and 13 PDE) is the responsibility of the Bureau. In addition, the management of the overall information technology needs and statistical data collection occurs within the Bureau. That includes the planning, development, implementation and ongoing maintenance of systems such as PELICAN, OCDEL’s systemic information system.