COVID-19 Update from PHMC

PHMC and ELRC 19 continues to monitor information on COVID-19/coronavirus. We are focused on quality care for all participants and ensuring organizational preparedness, including our employee’s health and wellness. We are continuing to provide services to our clients and are ensuring extra preventive and precautionary measures are in place based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. If you have a specific question about ELRC 19 services, please contact us.

2020 Keystone STARS Performance Standards

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Announcement: ELRC-20 #12 , 2020 Keystone STARS Performance Standards and Program Manual.

This Announcement provides information to child care programs regarding the 2020 Keystone STARS Performance Standards. This is an updated policy, providing additional information and replaces ELS-KS-18 #02 Keystone STARS Performance Standards and Program Manual and accompanying documents. Along with the official policy announcement are:

As a result of current and ongoing conditions of COVID-19, the following temporary changes have been made to the role Program Quality Assessment (PQA) has in the Keystone STARS Performance Standards for the 2020-21 program Year*:

Integrate a program’s Facility COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan into CQI activities (EC 2.1 and EC 3.4.5)
Transition from the use of a formal external PQA to an internal Assessment process that will guide programs in their CQI activities (EC 3.4.5)
Provide programs the opportunity to consult with a Program Quality Assessor at the completion of their internal assessment process (EC 3.4.6)
Replace “self-assessment” with the term “internal assessment”
Remove PQA minimum threshold scores for STAR 3 and 4 programs

* Changes to temporarily suspend the requirement for an external PQA (ERS or CLASS Assessment) in the 2020-21 Keystone STARS Performance Standards are related to best practices in the mitigation of the spread of COVID-19. In future renewal cycles beginning after June 30, 2021, programs may be required to have an external program assessment and meet threshold scores to continue designation at STAR 3 or STAR 4. OCDEL will issue an announcement and revised STAR Standards when any expectations regarding the designation process changes which will align with new program years.

A recorded webinar will be available to providers the week of Aug. 10, 2020 which will provide an overview of the 2020 Keystone STARS Performance Standards. More information and instructions for viewing will be provided soon.

Special Announcements

For the most up to date information from ELRC 19, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, the PAKey, and PHMC please read our latest edition of the newsletter. You can also go to https://www.pakeys.org/ for a listing of OCDEL released announcements.

The Staff at ELRC 19 will remain available to you during this time via email, phone calls, and some video chatting platforms. Please contact ELRC 19 staff for more information.

Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization

ECE PDO, one of two statewide Professional Development Organizations across Pennsylvania who supports the early childhood education (ECE) workforce in Philadelphia and surrounding counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery) while Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania operates in the Central, Northeast, Northwest and Southwest regions of the state.

In partnership with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, they support direct access for the ECE workforce to pursue career pathways that lead to degrees or credentials. By coordinating with Early Learning Resource Centers to improve the quality of ECE programs, they address the existing barriers to degree attainment. Participants can choose between online, face-to-face, and hybrid options.

https://ecepdo.phmc.org/