Renewal Inspections for Child Care Facilities Resume

This article was updated on July 27, 2020 to include Department of Human Services guidance for annual licensing inspections during COVID-19.

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced annual renewal inspections for child care facilities will begin Monday, June 22, 2020. All certified child care providers in Pennsylvania are subject to an annual renewal inspection.

Learn More

After halting renewal inspections in March due to COVID-19, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has resumed activity for counties in the “green phase” of the state’s reopening plan.

OCDEL Certification representatives will be contacting child care providers regarding their renewal inspection. Child care providers who have questions or concerns about the inspection process should contact the regional OCDEL office at:

Western Region OCDEL
11 Stanwix Street, Room 240
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Telephone: (412) 565-5183
Toll Free: (800) 222-2149
Fax: (412) 565-2658

On July 27, 2020 the DHS announced that it may apply alternative techniques for annual inspections that don’t require an on-site presence in the licensed setting and when an in-person presence in the facility may contribute to the spread of COVID-19 — for example, if a participant, consumer, or staff person has tested positive or is suspected to have COVID-19 in the past 21 days.

Alternative techniques include, but are not limited to, the use of video conferencing and file-sharing applications that will allow for real-time observations of conditions at the licensed setting. Use of these techniques will ensure that regulatory compliance is maintained in a manner that does not contribute to the spread of COVID-19. Additional information regarding the application of these techniques for annual inspections will be communicated to the field by DHS program office before the inspections takes place.