Continued Suspended Child Care Certification Regulations Until July 1

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced some child care certification regulations relating to indoor child care spaces, child growth and development reports, and school-age children continue to be suspended until July 1, 2022.

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On March 31, OCDEL released the Announcement C-21-09 Updated March 31, 2022 Reinstating and Extensions of Child Care Certification Regulation Suspensions Due to Act 73 and Act 14.

Governor Wolf Tom signed Act 14 into law, which further extends a number of regulatory suspensions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some that are “related to federal exemptions granted under the federal public health emergency declaration.”

The following regulations continue to be suspended until July 1, 2022:

• A facility shall provide indoor childcare space for individual and group small muscle activity.

• Indoor child care space may not be used simultaneously as play space.

• Measured indoor space excludes space occupied by halls, bathrooms, offices, kitchens, and locker rooms.

• The services to be provided to the family and the child, including the Department’s approved form to provide information to the family about the child’s growth and development in the context of the services being provided. The operator shall complete and update the form and provide a copy to the family in accordance with the updates regarding emergency contact information in §3270.124(f); §3280.124(f); §3290.123(f) (relating to emergency contact information).

• If a child is required to be enrolled in public or private school under the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 1-101— 27-2702) and if the child is not enrolled and if the child is not exempted from enrollment under the Public School Code, a child day care facility may not admit the child for care during the hours when the child is required by law to attend public or private school.

Details can be found in OCDEL’s announcement.