June 29, 2010

Dear Early Learning Program Directors, Administrators, and/or Board Members,

We need your input! 

The Pennsylvania Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning has embarked on a planning process to help early learning programs to become as environmentally healthy and friendly as possible.  This planning process is funded by the Heinz Endowments’ Children, Youth & Families grant making area.  Before this plan is finalized, we want to hear from you and learn from your experience and expertise.

By taking approximately 10 minutes to fill out the survey,  you will not only be able to help shape this planning process, but you will also be able to register to win a free copy of Redleaf Press’ recently published, Go Green Rating Scale and Handbook for Early Childhood Settings authored by Phil Boise. 

Please take 10 minutes of your busy day to help inform this exciting planning process by clicking on this link and taking this survey! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PAECEGreenInitiative

Thank you,

The Pennsylvania Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning

Early Learning Network

Training for Keystone STARS 3 & 4 Family & Group Child Care Providers

July & August 2010

What is the purpose of the training? This training is designed to provide Keystone STAR 3 & 4 Family and Group child care programs with an understanding of the 1) ELN data collection system known as Pelican, 2) how to enter demographic information into the ELN Pelican system, and 3) how to enter child outcomes data into the Work Sampling and/or Ounce Online systems.

What will the training cover? The 6-hour training session will provide Keystone STAR 3 & 4 Family and Group child care program participants with the skills needed to use PELICAN, and the skills needed to enter child outcomes data into Work Sampling and/or Ounce Online.  The training will be computer-based, allowing participants an opportunity to practice entering data into these systems. The sessions will also describe data collection requirements, ideas for talking with families about ELN, and strategies for efficient data entry. A number of resource materials including flyers describing ELN for families, frequently asked questions and responses, and tips for using computers will be provided.

What will participants learn? Participants will be provided with:

• an overview of the Early Learning Network;
• information on data collection requirements;
• hands-on opportunities for working in Pelican and in the Work Sampling/Ounce Online systems;
• strategies for managing data; and
• information on additional ELN, Work Sampling and Ounce resources and supports that are available to programs

Who should participate?   These sessions are designed for owners and operators of Keystone STARS 3 and 4 Family and Group child care programs.

What time are the sessions?  Evening sessions are comprised of two back to back evenings, both 3 hours in length, 6:00pm – 9:00pm, for a total of 6 hours.  Saturday sessions run from 9:00am– 3:45pm with 45 minutes for lunch, a total of 6 hours.  Lunch is not provided.

How do I register?   Visit the PA Keys website, www.pakeys.org, and access the professional development calendar to register.  You will receive a confirmation e-mail indicating that you are registered for the event.

If you have questions or problems registering please contact Ashley Bricker: abricker@pattan.net 

Training dates and locations are listed below.  Evening sessions are comprised of two back to back evenings from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM each night.  Saturday sessions are all day from 9:00 AM – 3:45 PM .

The 2010/2011 Keystone STARS Standards for Centers, Groups and Families are posted!

Click on Douments to check them out.

Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renovating six square feet or more of painted surfaces in a room for interior projects or more than twenty square feet of painted surfaces for exterior

projects in housing, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.

·         Homeowners and tenants: renovators must give you this pamphlet

before starting work.

·         Child care facilities, including preschools and kindergarten classrooms, and the families of children under the age of six that attend those facilities: renovators must provide a copy of this pamphlet to child-care facilities and general renovation information to families whose children attend those facilities.

Also, beginning April 2010, federal law will require contractors that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and schools, built before 1978

to be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. Therefore beginning in April 2010, ask to see your contractor’s certification.

EPA Requirements

www.epa.gov/lead

Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.

To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

Information for Tenants and Families of Children under Age 6 in Child Care Facilities and Schools

As a tenant or a parent or guardian of children in a child care facility or school, you should know your rights when a renovation job is performed in your home, or in the child care facility or school that your child attends.

·    Before starting a renovation in residential buildings built before 1978, the contractor or property owner is required to have tenants sign a pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K), which indicates that the tenant received the Renovate Right lead hazard information pamphlet.

·    Beginning in December 2008, the contractor must also make renovation information available to the parents or guardians of children under age six that attend child care facilities and schools, and to provide to owners and administrators of pre-1978 child care facilities and schools to be renovated a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) lead hazard information pamphlet (20 pp, 3.3MB).

Information for Contractors

As a contractor, you play an important role in helping to prevent lead exposure. Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create dust that contains lead. By following the lead-safe work practices, you can prevent lead hazards.

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities must, before beginning work, provide owners, tenants, and child-care facilities with a copy of EPA's lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB) | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB). Contractors must document compliance with this requirement EPA’s pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K) may be used for this purpose.

Understand that after April 22, 2010, federal law will require you to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. To become certified, renovation contractors must submit an application and fee payment to EPA.

·    Application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 642K)

o  Example application for a renovation firm (PDF) (2 pp, 299K)

o  Example combination application for a renovator and abatement firm (PDF) (2 pp, 211K)

EPA will begin processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application. Read more about EPA's rules and lead-safe work practices in EPA's pamphlet Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) color, in English (2 pp, 826K) | color, en español (PDF) (2 pp, 334K) | HTML version | Other formats

Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs should also:

·    Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.

o  List of training providers that have been accredited by EPA to provide training for renovators under EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Program.

o  Please note that if you previously completed an eligible renovation training course you may take the 4-hour refresher course instead of the 8-hour initial course from an accredited training provider to become a certified renovator. Click here for a list of eligible courses.

·    Provide a copy of your EPA or state lead training certificate to your client.

·    Tell your client what lead-safe methods you will use to perform the job.

·    Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning in April 2010.

·    Ask your client to share the results of any previously conducted lead tests.

·    Provide your client with references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978.

·    Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you followed lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample recordkeeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 58K) that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that will take effect in April 2010.

·    Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB) | en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).

·    Read about how to use lead-safe work practices in EPA's Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting (PDF) (36 pp, 878K) | en español (PDF) (36 pp, 1.5MB).