​PACCA Launches New Website

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new website. After months of development while the new site includes many of the features that we had on the old site, it now fully integrates member services and our membership database online. The look is cleaner and interface is a bit different from the old site. While we are still tweaking the site and adding information and resources, we wanted to share some of the new and improved features:

• A new Members-Only portal
• Online job listings
• Online classified ads
• New event calendar
• Members-Only online message boards
• Coming soon ... lose your membership certificate? Online download will soon be available.

As you visit and use the site, please let us know what other kinds of resources you would like to see available. https://pacca.org.

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2017 Board Of Directors Nominations

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) is seeking nominations for positions on its Board of Directors. Nominees must be PACCA members. Affiliate or Associate members are not eligible for nomination.  No more than one individual from the same agency or organization may serve on the Board. The term of service for directors is two years, with a maximum of three terms. A FAQ on Board membership is available HERE. Nominations are being accepted at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018_Board_Nom through June 9, 2017.

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Nominate a Colleague for a PACCA Award

PACCA is accepting nominations for the 2017 Educator of the Year and the Award of Excellence. The awards recognize contributions made by PACCA members to the early care and education profession. Members and non-members may make nominations. The winners receive complimentary registration and hotel accommodations for the Early Childhood Education Summit, October 16-18, 2017 in State College. Nominations must be made online by July 15, 2017 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PACCA2017. Winners will be notified by August 30, 2017. Awards will be made at the Early Childhood Summit, October 16-18, 2017 in State College, PA. All nominees will be notified of the Awards Committee’s decision. More information is available HERE.

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​PACCA Membership Survey -- We want to hear from you

As a statewide non-profit organization, PACCA exists to be a strong and effective advocate for quality early care and education programs, and to give leadership and support to those organizations that assist the ECE community, families, and children in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In keeping with our core value of respect and sensitivity to the needs of providers as they serve children from all income levels, abilities and cultures, we are seeking our membership's input on how PACCA can best serve you.  Please take a few minutes to thoughtfully answer the following questions; results will be shared with all PACCA members and used to inform our activities in the coming year. The survey is HERE.

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PACCA Members in the News

Congratulations to Maddy Malis, President & CEO of Federation Early Learning Services, Philadelphia who was celebrated on May 25, for her nearly half a century of advocating for young children and quality child care. When she was 12 years old, young Maddy operated her own day camp in the backyard of her parent’s Northeast Philadelphia home. Fifty-three years later she is a respected child care advocate, has served on innumerable local, regional, and state committees and boards and is the recipient of prestigious awards. She has helped shape public policy decision-making in the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) in the Commonwealth. Maddy's ability to bring people with opposing viewpoints together, foster open communication and reach consensus has promoted dialogue between providers and state officials in Philadelphia and Harrisburg. Maddy is also a long-time PACCA Board member. 

Diana Verbeck, Danville Child Development Center, writes in the Daily Item on May 17, 2017, "In response to Monday’s editorial, “Pre-K puts kids in better place”, (May 15) I would most certainly agree that the commonwealth is lagging in its Pre-K funding compared to other states and that a high quality pre-k experience is beneficial for children in the long run. However, I would like to call attention to the silent partner in pre-k education: child care." Diana is the past Chair of the PACCA Board.

In the spotlight, PACCA member Zion Education Center, Sharon hosted an event for Pre-K for PA that honored Rep. Mark Longietti earlier in May with the Pre-K Champion Award, one of a handful of legislators so designated organization. Rep. Longietti is the co-chair of the Pennsylvania ECE Caucus in the General Assembly. Zion's Pre-K Counts program serves 30 children.

PACCA members what's happening in your programs? Has your program recently been accredited, earned a STAR 4, hosted a visit with a policymaker, conducted a fun event? Send your news to info@pacca.org or better yet add us to your email list. We will post to the PACCA’s Facebook page and include in the PACCA e-news. Let us help celebrate your accomplishments!

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Staff Openings

PACCA members can list their job openings FREE on the PACCA website (http://bit.ly/2rBfhgZ). To submit your staff openings log-in to the members-only section of the website, click on Resource/Job Board/click on the employer option, and then request access.

Human Resource Director, Allentown, PA
Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers (LVCC), a growing non-profit early education & child care organization, is seeking a Human Resources professional to direct a comprehensive employee relations program for 200+ employees.

Early Head Start Assistant Coordinator, Mifflin County, PA
Middle management position will manage and oversee the daily functioning of EHS services.

Child Care Director, Norristown, PA
Prestige Play and Learn Child Care Center currently hiring for child care director.

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​PACCA on Facebook

PACCA regularly posts timely information, links to research and news on early care and education on our Facebook page. Have you liked PACCA on Facebook? (http://www.facebook.com/PAChildCareAssociation?ref=hl). 

Administration
5/26 | Surprising results in study of child care hiring practices
5/18 | How to say "no" without damaging morale -- growing leaders

Child Development
5/27 | Boys benefit more from high-quality child care than girls
5/22 | Why play is important
5/16 | Todders' aren't 'bad' -- they're little scientists and explorers
5/15 | How can we help kids with self-regulation?
5/10 | 5 ways to read aloud to babies and reap later school success
5/9 | Toddler's screen time linked to slower speech development, study finds
5/5 | Not naughty: 10 Ways kids appear to be acting bad but aren't

Professional Development
5/24 | Why 4 year colleges may want to rethink their early childhood programs

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New PACCA Facebook Group -- PACCA's Directors' Exchange

Are you a PACCA member? PACCA has started a new group just for you. The PACCA Directors' Exchange is a Facebook group just for PACCA members. Connect with colleagues, brainstorm challenges and new ideas, share your discoveries of what works. https://www.facebook.com/groups/PACCAExchange/
 

T.E.A.C.H. Funding STILL available retroactively for Fall 2016 & Spring/Summer 2017 semesters!

Were you or your staff enrolled in courses over the last year and would like to receive reimbursement for tuition and other expenses?  T.E.A.C.H. funding is available to support students who did not utilize the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program (RSTAP). Financial support is also available for employers who provided leave or release time for those students.

Have questions or need more information?  Contact a T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Counselor at (717) 657-9000 or teachinfo@pacca.org.  Ready to apply? Download an application at https://www.pacca.org/how_to_apply.php.

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T.E.A.C.H. Preauthorization Forms for Summer & Fall 2017

If you currently have a T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship and are planning to enroll for Summer 2017 courses, be sure to submit a Pre-Authorization Form to have your class(es) approved.  PACCA cannot authorize direct billing for tuition until we have this document and information on file.  Recipients should submit completed Pre-Authorization forms directly to their T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Counselor by e-mail, fax or mail.

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T.E.A.C.H. Higher Education Partners

T.E.A.C.H. relies on our partnerships with PA Colleges and Universities to deliver the essential coursework, credentials and degrees that working early childhood professionals need.  PACCA establishes an agreement with each partnering institution to arrange for direct billing of tuition (at a negotiated rate) and most fees for T.E.A.C.H. scholarship recipients.  This allows T.E.A.C.H. recipients to register for courses without having to pay out of pocket while still maintaining their course registration.
 
T.E.A.C.H. higher education institutions also agree to complete a Higher Education profile, which details more information about the institution’s degree program(s) and course offerings in addition to more information about admissions requirements and articulation agreements.  Completed profiles are posted to PACCA’s website to help inform students regarding their higher education options. For more information on T.E.A.C.H. partnering higher education institutions or the status of a particular college or university, visit our website at www.pacca.org.  

Interested in becoming a T.E.A.C.H. partnering college/university?  Please contact Laurie Litz, T.E.A.C.H. Director at (717) 657-0916 or laurie.litz@pacca.org.  

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T.E.A.C.H. on Facebook

Did you know that T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® PENNSYLVANIA is on Facebook? Have you "liked" T.E.A.C.H.   T.E.A.C.H. is also on Twitter @TEACHEC_PA.
 

Call for Presenters
We're now accepting on-line workshop proposals!

The 2017 ECE Summit Planning Committee is now accepting on-line workshop proposals for the Early Childhood Education Summit to be held October 16-18, 2017 at the Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA. The Early Childhood Education Summit is a cross-systems professional development opportunity for early learning professionals across Pennsylvania. Since 2008, the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA), the Pennsylvania Head Start Association (PHSA), and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) have partnered to deliver this 3 day event. We're proud to be able to say that past Summits were great successes that stemmed largely from the variety of high quality workshops presented each year.  As we work to develop this year's program, we would like to invite you to consider submitting a workshop proposal now through June 13, 2017. To submit a proposal on-line, please visit the Summit website at www.earlychildhoodsummit.org and click on "Presenter" tab in the bar under the banner.  You'll see that our site has a new look with added features that will help us better communicate with you during the RFP process.

Should you have any questions about submitting a proposal, please feel free to contact Karen Grimm-Thomas at karen@paheadstart.org.

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Summit Registration for Exhibitors & Attendees to Open June 1, 2017

Summit registration is prepped and ready to open June 1, 2017 at earlychildhoodsummit.org. 

Early Bird Fees Registration until August 1, 2017

Days Attending	*Member	Non Member
Full Conference	$295	$345
2-Day	$260	$310
Single Day	$130	$180

*Member: Pennsylvania Child Care Association and Pennsylvania Head Start Association
 

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Penn Stater Conference Center Room Block Now Open

Planning on coming to Summit. Book you room now at the Penn Stater or Nittany Lion. Single and double rooms are $107 per night. A limited number of suites are available for $207 per night. Please reference GROUP CODE: EARJ17A. 
 

Has Your Organization Signed-on?

Have you signed-on your organization to the letter to members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate, as well as Governor Wolf to protect existing and proposed investments in child care? PACCA  is working with state and regional level early childhood education providers and advocates organizing a sign-on letter to the members of the General Assembly and Governor Wolf urging them to support proposed investments in the Child Care Works subsidy program. 

State investments in child care have eroded significantly since 2009. The budget currently under consideration would cut $28 million from existing programs and eliminate the Governor's $35 million increase for child care.

We need your organization to sign-on because ...

• ​Over 14,000 children are on the child care waiting list today and if funding is not restored expected to rise to nearly 20,000 by September 

• By September, waiting lists are expected to be on average OVER A YEAR

• Child care rates that have not increased in a DECADE

• Child care staff earning on average $9.42 per hour

• Child care subsidy determination and resource & referral services could be transferred from the CCIS to the County Assistance Office

PLEASE JOIN us TODAY by adding your organization’s name to the sign-on letter to the members of the General Assembly and Governor Wolf by clicking on this link.  

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STARS Revisioning Webinars

The wait is over! OCDEL has scheduled three public webinars in anticipation of the new Keystone STARS July 1 launch.  During these webinars, attendees will preview the new Performance Standards, new coaching and financial supports, and the process for moving up the Keystone STARS ladder. If you cannot attend, recordings and materials will be posted on the PA Keys website. 
Click on the links below to register. 

Monday, June 5, 2017, 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Wednesday, June 7, 2017, 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Friday, June 9, 2017 from 10:00 -11:00 am
 

President Trump's Budget Outline Concerning for Children

President Trump submitted his FY2018 budget to Congress on Tuesday, May 23. As expected, there are large increases in defense spending and large cuts in non-defense spending.

There are large multi-billion dollar cuts affecting Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, and other programs would be eliminated such as the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG, sometimes referred to as Title XX), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program to name a few.

Large tax cuts (rate reductions) are proposed and deficits are not projected to balloon due to optimistic economic projections (e.g., the rate reductions are estimated to fuel economic growth at 2.9% per year compared to much lower growth estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)). 

The budget would fund the Child Care and Development Block Grant at FY 2016 levels and does not include the increase contained in the FY 2017 final Omnibus Appropriations bill for CCDBG or Head Start. It eliminates the CAMPIS program for mothers enrolled in college. TANF is cut by $21 billion over a decade which not only could impact families’ basic income supports but could have an impact on child care since 17 percent ($5.4 billion) of federal TANF and state MOE funds were used for child care (including transfers to CCDF), and another 6 percent ($1.9 billion) went to prekindergarten or Head Start programs in FY 2015. 

Traditionally, Presidential budgets serve as guidance and a starting point for Congressional budget discussions. It is expected that, as in the past, Congress will set priorities through the appropriations process. The President's budget has had a mixed reception on the Hill.  

The Food Trust Farm to Early Care and Education Provider Survey

The Food Trust is conducting a survey to understand how "farm to early care and education" practices are being carried out across the state.  This survey will gather information from ECE providers serving children from birth through age five. The goal of the survey is to understand barriers and facilitators to “farm to early care and education” practices. In appreciation of their time, participants may select to be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. Data collected from this survey will be used for informational purposes only. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Jamese Kwele at Jkwele@thefoodtrust.org. The survey is available HERE.

 

New Recommendations on Juice from AAP

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) revised policy on juice recommends children less than 1 year of age should not have fruit juice.  The rationale for this policy is that fruit juice offers no nutritional benefit to children less than 1 year of age. In addition, the evidence is clear that over-consumption of juice can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. 
The AAP’s website for families has many tips and tools about juice and healthy food choices.  The website is in English and Spanish.  For more information go to AAP's Healthy Children Website.

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Many U.S. Child Care Centers May Lack Plans for Pandemic Flu

Fewer than one in 10 U.S. daycare center directors have taken concrete steps to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak, a recent study suggests. Researchers surveyed directors of licensed child care centers in 2008 and again in 2016, to assess flu prevention measures before and after the 2009 pandemic outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 influenza. Among other things, they looked at flu prevention activities like daily health checks for kids, infection control training for staff, communicating with parents about illness and immunization requirements for children and staff. After adjusting for factors that might influence preparedness efforts, the only things that independently influenced whether directors had pandemic flu plans in place were their years of experience, use of heath care consultants to help create plans and perceived barriers to putting plans in place. “Making sure everyone is immunized against seasonal flu every year is a great first step,” Coffin, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “Additionally it is worth teaching children the behavioral things they can do to lessen their risk of acquiring infections such as washing hands regularly, throwing away used tissues and covering their coughs or sneezes.” (Lisa Rapaport, Reuters)
 

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Join PACCA and All Staff are Members
When an organization joins PACCA, every staff member is automatically granted member status and privileges. Join HERE.
 

Child Care Information Exchange

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Cuties Care

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 Teaching Strategies GOLD®

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Keystone

Early Care & Education Consortium

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Do you shop at Amazon.com? Visit http://smile.amazon.com/ch/25-1324912 to register and help support PACCA with each purchase you make at smile.amazon.com.
 

Pennsylvania Child Care Association
20 Erford Road, Suite 302 | Lemoyne, PA 17043
Phone 717.657.9000 | Fax 717.724.9520