Pennsylvania Code › Title 4 - ADMINISTRATION › Part I - GOVERNOR's OFFICE › Chapter 6 - ADDITIONAL COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES › Subchapter OOO - PENNSYLVANIA STATE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE COUNCIL › Section 6.792 - Responsibilities

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
The Pennsylvania State Advisory Council on Early Childhood
					 Education and Care shall have the following responsibilities, consistent with
					 Federal law:
(1) Perform a periodic
				  Statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early
				  childhood learning and development programs and services for children from
				  low-income families from birth to school entry.
(2) Identify opportunities for, and barriers
				  to, collaboration and coordination among Federally-funded and
				  Commonwealth-funded child care, child learning, development, and education
				  services, and early childhood programs and services.
(3) Develop recommendations for the Child
				  Care Development Fund State Plans to increase the overall participation of
				  children in existing Federal, Commonwealth and local child care and early
				  childhood learning, education, and development programs aimed at ensuring a
				  continuum of care from birth through kindergarten entry and to facilitate
				  enrollment in these programs for underrepresented and special
				  populations.
(4) Develop
				  recommendations to expand access to quality care and education opportunities
				  for children experiencing homelessness.
(5) Advise on the continuous improvement of
				  the Pennsylvania Statewide Child Care Emergency Plan to address the needs of
				  all children in Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings.
(6) Advise on the alignment of policies and
				  funding across ECE programs to encourage healthy child development,
				  comprehensive developmental and behavioral screening, linkages to services and
				  follow up.
(7) Develop
				  recommendations to streamline enrollment for families who are eligible for
				  multiple public benefits.
(8)
				  Develop recommendations to align the Office of Child Development and Early
				  Learning's (OCDEL) child care facility licensing requirements and monitoring
				  efforts with program and regulatory requirements for other early learning
				  programs such as Head Start, PA Pre-K Counts and Early Intervention.
(9) Provide recommendations to OCDEL and
				  institutions of higher education on implementation and continued enhancement of
				  the standards for professional development and qualifications for early
				  childhood educators as well as the established markers for career advancement
				  through the Pennsylvania ECE Career Pathway at
https://www.pakeys.org/career-pathway/
to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of ECE teachers and
				  administrators.
(10) Develop
				  consistent policies and training across ECE settings to include all of the
				  following:
(i) Reduce suspension and
				  expulsion of young children.
(ii)
				  Increase inclusion opportunities.
(iii) Support children and families who are
				  dual language learners.
(iv)
				  Promote trauma-informed care.