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SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL KEY |
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News and Notes
New for School-Age Child Care (SACC) Directors and staff: South Central Regional Key is pleased to present Independent Professional Development Modules (IPDMs) - Current best-practice information for learning at your own pace and at times that work best for you. Please click for more information and instructions - Introduction to IPDMs Modules available (click each to download)- • SACC in Family Child Care Homes Now Available! Revised Early Learning Standards Use this link for information about upcoming Webinars and to learn how to get copies for your facility! (11/2) 2009/2010 STARS Tiered Reimbursement Rates for subsidized child care announced The new daily add-on amounts per child are as follows:
Good/Better/Best: PA's CQI Guide to Best Practices Use this link to download this optional tool, which can be used by providers to assist in developing a Continuous Quality Improvement plan and to determine at what point in the spectrum a Keystone STARS standard is being met. IMPORTANT ELN INFORMATION! "Early Learning Network: A Guide for Parents" ("Red de Aprendizaje Temprano: Una Guía para los Padres") is now available in Spanish! Click here to download this document. (12/1) STAR 3 and STAR 4 Child Care Centers ELN Message of the Day (10/28): It's not too late to learn more about the Early Learning Network! Additional ELN Training sessions for STAR 3 & 4 child care centers have been scheduled for November, December and January. These sessions repeat the information provided in ELN training sessions in August. For sites and dates, please see the flyer on the PA Key website at www.pakeys.org ELN Message of the Day (10/19): On October 9th, some programs were having difficulty in adding the address for the child’s legal guardian into ELN. Other programs were running into problems when trying to enter attendance data on children. Both of these issues were resolved on Wednesday, October 14th! This means that you will now be able to enter complete child data into ELN and it will be transferred to Work Sampling and/or Ounce. Remember that the child data takes overnight to get from ELN to Work Sampling and/or Ounce Scale Online. ELN Message of the Day (10/8): Tips for ELN/Work Sampling/Ounce issues: * You do not yet have ELN username or password - Call HelpDesk at 1-877 and leave your information. When you hear that if you are calling about work sampling and ounce you need to email, do not send an email, continue with your call. That is for problems with logging into or entering information on the Pearson Work sampling /Ounce website, not ELN. * You have username and password but have not been able to login - Call password reset number-1-800-281-5340 * You have policy questions regarding ELN - Email earlylearningnetwork@pattan.net * You can login and enter info into ELN, but cannot access or are having difficulty with Pearson Work Sampling and Ounce websites - Email earlylearningnetwork@pattan.net (Please note - you WILL have a different username and password for ELN and for Pearson Work Sampling/Ounce) Some Keystone STARS 3 & 4 programs are still working on getting access to PELICAN/Early Learning Network and Work Sampling System Online and Ounce Scale Online. Providers will actually end up with 2 usernames and passwords; one for PELICAN/ELN and one for Work Sampling System Online and Ounce Scale Online. Most usernames and passwords have been sent out through email. If you have not yet received your username and password, please contact the following resources:
Fall 2009 ELN Update Newsletter is now available - Click here to view and download! If you are a STAR 3 or STAR 4 child care center and you need assistance with ELN, Work Sampling, or Ounce, please note the following: *If you do NOT have a PELICAN/ELN username or password, please contact your STARS Specialist regarding the forms required for access or click on the Account Request link below. Parent Flyer - Click here to access a flyer that is designed to describe ELN for parents. All STAR 3 and STAR 4 sites are encouraged to download and use this flyer in communications with parents. Additional important information about passwords and technical assistance can be obtained by clicking here. Attention STAR 4-Accredited Centers and Group Homes! (9/19) Please note the following change in the scheduling of ERS Assessments... *Provisional Certificate of Compliance *Provider type changes *Director turnover *50% or greater turnover in full-time staff *More than 1/3 of classrooms have lost a lead teacher *Enrollment patterns (i.e. number of classrooms/classroom types) do not reflect the original ERS sample assessed Grant Request Documents Grant Request documents are now available and will be sent out (electronically to providers with an email address; hardcopy to others) to South Central Regional Key Keystone STARS facilities on August 31. Click for cover letter and general information regarding 2009/2010 Financial Awards. Grant documents can be accessed here: • 2009/2010 Keystone STARS Award Structure • Best Practices in Financial Award Spending (Updated) • Site Environment Checklist and Start with STARS Grant Request - Family Child Care Homes • Support Grant - Family Child Care Homes • Merit and Education and Retention Award - Family Child Care Homes • Site Environment Checklist and Start with STARS Grant Request - Centers and Group Child Care Homes • Support Grant - Centers and Group Child Care Homes • Merit and Education and Retention Award - Centers and Group Child Care Homes Early Learning Network (ELN) Is your program funded by one of the following sources?
Click here for important information about the Early Learning Network - the ELN Update. This is a new monthly newsletter, designed to introduce and inform the above programs about the Early Learning Network. The ELN Update will include a general overview of a topic and responses to frequently asked questions. Upcoming topics include: Work Sampling/Ounce Online, new ELN data fields and information on the ELN system. (6/15) STAR 3 and STAR 4 Child Care Centers: The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) developed PELICAN-ELN, a secure web-based system as a comprehensive unified data system that allows authorized users to assess individual-level child outcomes across multiple programs. PELICAN-ELN links existing data systems and will collect additional information on child and family services across program areas. When fully implemented, the data will be used to inform state policy decisions, investments and improvement efforts for early educational programs. In order to meet these goals, all Legal Entities must provide the necessary information through PELICAN-ELN. Click on the following links for these important documents: New Core Series Professional Development - The STARS Orientation Part 2 is a new class which is part of the Core Series. Centers and Group Homes moving to STAR 3 in 2009/2010 are required to meet this requirement prior to being designated at STAR 3; current STAR 3 and STAR 4 Centers and Group Homes must meet the standard in order to be renewed at their current STAR level in 2009/2010. Center and Group Home Directors/Owners are the only primary staff persons required to take this 3-hour class. For information and to register, go to the online calendar at www.pakeys.org Early Childhood Education college courses Are you interested in taking Early Childhood Education college courses or having a CDA Assessment? Need Financial Assistance? Click here to access the SCRK informational flyer regarding possible funding sources!
Lego Children's Fund - Grant Opportunity for Eligible Non-Profit Organizations! The LEGO Children’s Fund will provide quarterly grants for programs, either in part or in total, with a special interest paid to collaborative efforts and in providing matching funds to leverage new dollars into the receiving organization. We will give priority consideration to programs that both meet our goals and are supported in volunteer time and effort by our employees.
There are no restrictions on grant amounts up to the quarterly allocation. Typical awards, however are between $500 and $5,000. For more information, or to apply, click here. (7/8) School-Age Care New Staff Orientation Fee Announcement (7/23) Effective immediately a $5.00 per person fee will be required to review completed School-Age Care New Staff Orientation packets. Click here for more information. PDE Act 49-2 Final Form Regulations for Teacher Certification have been approved - Please visit the following links for information! • Chapter 49-2 Final Form Regulations 2009/2010 STARS Standards for Child Care Centers Please contact your STARS Specialist to discuss any questions that you have about the standards. (3/16) Click here for a summary of changes to the Center standards Click here for the full 2009/2010 Center standards Click here for a letter describing the process followed in updating the Group Child Care Home standards Click here for the full 2009/2010 Group Child Care Home standards It is very important that you keep your agreed-upon ERS window! A facility that cancels an assessment, reschedules an assessment window, or denies access at the time of a previously scheduled ERS assessment without just cause might still participate in an ERS assessment. Prior to the visit and/or window being rescheduled and completed, the facility will be charged and must pay $700 per day for each day that was cancelled, rescheduled or denied unless just cause is established. (2/17) |
Current PA Child Care Regulations for Family Child Care Homes, Group Child Care Homes, and Child Care Centers are available using this link
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COPYRIGHT® 2010 CHILD CARE CONSULTANTS, INC. DISCLAIMER |
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