Department of Human Services Selects Allegheny County, Philadelphia Regional Centers to Support Child Care Services

The Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the selection of two regional Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC) to serve Allegheny County and Philadelphia. The Caring People Alliance was selected as the ELRC in Region 18 (Philadelphia) and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services was selected to serve Region 5 (Allegheny County).

“The Wolf administration believes that all families should have access to high-quality early learning services and child care to give children a strong start,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “I look forward to partnering with Allegheny DHS and the Caring People Alliance in our combined effort to support integration and innovation as they increase access to and build upon quality early learning programs in Allegheny County and Philadelphia.”

Beginning July 1, 2019, Allegheny County DHS and the Caring People Alliance will provide a single point-of-contact for families, early learning service providers, and communities for information on and access to early learning services.

ELRCs were created in 2018 to improve early learning services and help families identify the best child care options that meet the needs of the child(ren), and offer connections to more services, such as a child care subsidy. The ELRCs were developed as a result of stakeholder feedback and to consolidate the current work of Child Care Information Service Agencies and the Regional Keys to create an enhanced resource and referral system for communities seeking early learning services and supports.

Beginning in 2018, Pennsylvania successfully transitioned to the ELRC model in 17 of 19 regions statewide. Building on that success, DHS’ Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will support the final phase of implementation in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties.

Through the ELRC, child care professionals can obtain support in building quality outcomes for children by working with quality coaches to achieve Keystone STAR 3 and 4 status, building connections with community partners, and supporting children and families in accessing additional services, such as PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start, home visiting, and early intervention.

Find more information about ELRCs on the DHS website.

For questions regarding this press release on the selection of ELRC partners in Allegheny County and Philadelphia, please contact Ali Fogarty at 717-425-7606.