Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Expansion
“Help curb out-of-pocket costs for quality childcare” “Allow co-parent to go back to work full- time” “Helping families connect to early learning programs”
The Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) program is a federal model that brings together the strengths of child care and Early Head Start programs. DCI recognizes that children under three, especially those who are impacted by opioid use disorder, both need and deserve high-quality child care and early learning services. An additional 40 EHS-CCP slots are created through this pilot program in communities across Allegheny County. Through the targeted use of funds resulting from legal settlement with pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers, DCI can support greater equal access to high- quality early learning services for some of the most vulnerable children in our community. This pilot program expands the existing federal EHS-CCP programming in Allegheny County to serve additional children and communities. The funded expansion of EHS-CCP classrooms creates dedicated classrooms located in existing child care programs for those children impacted by substance use disorders. This program is contracted through The Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center.
Workforce Analysis for Early Care and Education and Out-of-School Time Sectors Early learning and out-of-school time (OST) workforce shortages continue to apply real pressure to both programs and families in Allegheny County as it impacts the number of program slots available at any one time. Nationally, child care job recovery remains stagnant, with the workforce 11% smaller than it was at the start of the pandemic according to the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. DCI identified the need for a robust workforce analysis to quantify the specific early learning and OST workforce gaps in Allegheny County, including both recruitment and retention challenges across the workforce. To develop a clearer understanding of the current reality of Allegheny County’s early learning and OST sectors, DCI is engaged in a workforce analysis to identify the most efficient and effective policy interventions to respond to the current post- COVID challenges, while positioning Allegheny County to capitalize on any upcoming policy or funding opportunities.
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