The Bureau of Certification Services is responsible for the regulation of all child care centers, group day care homes and family day care homes in Pennsylvania. Masking should be maintained for 10 days after exposure. emergency in the opinion of the Sign up for one or more newsletters available from OCDEL and/or Pennsylvanias Promise for Children. OCDEL Releases Updated Child Care Guidelines During COVID-19 | June 28, 2021 safety guidelines. In all instances when reporting to DHS, provide: The CDC COVID resource pages are recommended as the primary source of up-to-date and Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Consultation. compliance with the Order. "Face covering" means covering of the nose For additional information on quarantine, please access Acting Secretary of Health issued an Order for all individuals 2 years and older in school entities to Parents should screen their children for symptoms daily, including screening for fever, symptoms, and exposure. All symptomatic students who test negative and are able to must mask until resolution of symptoms. The Department will consult with you on management issues for your facility. The CDC continues to support implementation of diagnostic COVID-19 testing programs in schools and supports and encourages program participation among parents and staff regardless of community transmission level or vaccination status. OCDEL developed this guidance based on recommendations from the CDC and DOH and it is Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Human Services | Office of Child Development and Early Learning 333 Market Street | 6th Floor | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17126 | 717.346.9320 | If using the nurses office, this area should be at least six feet apart from where other children or staff use the nurses office. Recommendations for 1 to 2-day closures may be provided when schools need additional time to identify, notify, and exclude close contacts. The Pediatric Partnerships team hopes that timely reporting of cases, in addition to other layers of mitigation, and accurate data reporting, will reduce the rates of transmission in your ECE community and keep families and children safer. Further, research Keystone State. Early Learning Standards Because these children cannot mask, they will need to be tested. Please note, isolation and quarantine are official public health terms and directives issued by DOH or CMHDs. (See definition of "isolation" below.) All COVID-19 cases (student or staff) must be reported to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Those individual cases who cannot maskbecause they are under 2 years of age or have a medical condition which prevents them from maskingmust isolate for a full 10 days. School entities should comply entities unless they meet one of the following exceptions in Section 3 of the Order: On Aug. 28, 2020, OCDEL launched the Licensed Facility COVID Data Collection Tool. communication. The Pediatric Partnerships team hopes that timely reporting of cases, in addition to other layers of mitigation, and accurate data reporting, will reduce the rates of transmission in your school community and keep families and children safe. Screening testing can also be considered for unique events such as prom, return from break, or an outbreak. Some children have different abilities or neurodivergences that make it impossible for them to tolerate masking. programs are required to report positive COVID-19 cases utilizing the DHS Licensed Facility COVID Strongly encouraging universal and correct use of face masks when indoors for all staff and students 2 years of age and older: when staff and students return from 5-day isolation and masking is strictly required on days 6-10. for 10 days when staff and students are exposed. Page was created on July 10, OCDEL released an Announcement to provide support of Canada Travel testing. As OCDEL identifies updates to the CDC guidance, the weekly Certification RECAP will be used to flag new information for providers. Pennsylvanias Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL): Pennsylvanias Promise for Children Keystone STARS Re-Visioning staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Schools do not need, and should not require, a quarantine order to take this action to protect the health and safety of students and staff. Exclude school children and staff from having contact with other school children or staff showing symptoms of a communicable disease. To stay up-to-date,subscribe to the PA Early Ed News. Staff should practice hand hygiene before and after preparing food and drinks and before and after any medication administration. disability. MAIN PHONE: 1-844-569-7253 (toll free) As the COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia evolves, there may be additional changes to the guidance, so please connect to the COVID-19 texts (text COVIDPHL to 888-777) to have the most up-to-date information. For more information on staying home when sick with COVID-19, including recommendations for isolation and mask use for people who test positive or who are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, seeisolation and precautions for people with COVID-19. Epidemiological links between cases are considered in the process of determining outbreaks. pertinent laws and regulations and general health and safety.. As OCDEL identifies updates to the CDC guidance, the weekly Certification RECAP will CDC and DOH also recommend a 10-day If you have received a waiver to remain open, the IECMH Consultation Team is offering support during this difficult time via distance technology. As we adapt to the ever-changing pandemic, we know more and have more tools to help us let teachers teach and students learn with fewer disruptions. the Department of Transportation, Conditions at the facility may not pose a An official website of the City of Philadelphia government. Schools and ECEs should take advantage of all ventilation strategies available to them especially when transmission in the community is high or there is an outbreak in the school. Anyone who is eligible should be vaccinated and receive all recommended doses. For more information, see cleaning and disinfecting your facility. Guide for Responding to a Positive COVID-19 Case in Schools, Responding to a COVID-19 Outbreak in Schools, Steps for Determining Close Contact and Quarantine in K-12 Schools. Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) When a child/student is participating in a sports practice activity or event, whether indoors or It emphasizes layered preventative measures for spread of COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases, such as influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus, to support safe and healthy learning environments for all. The detailed guidance is categorized by the following key practices: Vaccination, including booster shots, remains the best strategy to protect students and staff and the community and reduce interruptions in learning. Anyone at high risk for severe illnessshould consider wearing a mask indoors in public and takingadditional precautions. *Testing is recommended but not required. Checking that the external air inlet duct is not blocked and that it is at least 15 feet from persons. To assist child care providers with continued compliance with these requirements, OCDEL has symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should isolate and be evaluated for COVID-19 by a health care provider. Currently the Health Department is not recommending school or class-wide pauses and will only do so in exceptional circumstances. If students develop symptoms, they should be brought to a designated isolation room while waiting to be picked up. with applicable Federal and State laws and Read more aboutstaying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Anyone who is eligible should be vaccinated and receive all recommended doses. Where authorized, the Health Department may direct pausing or closure of centers with notification of credentialing agencies, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), and the Early Childhood Education Division of the Philadelphia Office of Children and Families. The Health Department will continue to provide support in the case of outbreaks in K-12 and childcare settings. When necessary to confirm the individuals identity. The guidance developed by the CDC continues to highlight the importance of public health prevention strategies. If test results are negative, they must continue to mask for full 10-day period. Sunset: Sept. 30, 2021, ELRC 20-#14:Keystone STARS Designation Process for FY 2020-2021 September 1, 2020, ELRC 20-#13:Updates to the Child Care Works School-Age Blended Rate Payment Policy for the 2020-21 School Year The Acting Secretary of Healths Order will be effective Sept. 7, 2021. Only government entities in the U.S. can end in .gov, It looks like your device language is set to, Diversity, inclusion, accessibility & immigration, Resources for schools and early childhood education. Encourage staff and parents to talk to their own and their childrens physicians about their individual risk factors for COVID-19 and the risks of working at or attending ECE. In order to best meet our community's diverse needs, we have created a set of baseline or minimum recommendations based on guidelines from the Health Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that serve as best practices within the school setting for mitigating the risk of The citations for non-compliance with the Order will be issued under 55 In addition to this guide, schools may refer to CDC's be used to flag new information for providers. Copyright 2018 THE PENNSYLVANIA KEY ~ All Rights Reserved, CERTIFICATION INSPECTION INSTRUMENT (CII), INFANT/EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH (IECMH), PROMOTING INCLUSION & REDUCING EXPULSION AND SUSPENSION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS (PDOs), BRIGHT START, BRIGHT KIDS, BRIGHT FUTURE ENEWS AND ARCHIVE, PENNSYLVANIA QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM (PQAS), PENNSYLVANIA PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) PROFESSIONALS & PROGRAM DIRECTOR RESOURCES, PQAS INSTRUCTORS & PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ORGANIZATIONS (PLOs) RESOURCES, LETS TALK QUALITY: PROGRAM QUALITY IN PENNSYLVANIA BLOG, RESOURCES ON COVID-19 IN PA FOR ECE PROGRAMS & PROFESSIONALS, General Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information, Recorded Webinars for Child Care Providers. People who are quarantining should stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days after the last contact with a person who has COVID-19 and wear a General Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Recorded Webinars for Child Care Providers See afull list of COVID-19 symptoms.