Reopening Facilities After Long-Term COVID-19 Closure 

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement, which outlines protocols on the reopening of and the renewal inspection process for certified child care facilities temporarily or permanently closed due to COVID-19.

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Any child care facility that has temporarily closed due to COVID-19, plans to reopen, and has a certificate of compliance that is expired as of Nov. 30, 2020, or thereafter, will be considered permanently closed unless they contact their regional OCDEL office to communicate the facility’s plan to reopen. The facility must contact the regional office before Dec. 11, 2020, or within 10 days prior to the expiration of the certificate of compliance, whichever is later.

OCDEL’s announcement details steps providers must take to reopen under the following circumstances:

  1. The facility will reopen before the certificate expires, and the facility has been closed for no more than six months.

  2. The facility will reopen before the certificate expires, but the facility has been closed for more than six months.

  3. The facility will reopen after the certificate has expired (length of closure irrelevant).

  4. The facility surrendered its certificate.

Providers can 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

The announcement can be read in its entirety at: Announcement C-20-13, Reopening of Certified Child Care Facilities Temporarily or Permanently Closed Due to COVID-19.

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