Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
An Official Pennsylvania Government Website
Translate
Begin Main Content Area

​DHS COVID-19 PROVIDER GUIDANCE // OCDEL

Announcement C-20-13: Reopening of Certified Child Care Facilities Temporarily or Permanently Closed Due to COVID-19
Issued: November 24, 2020; Sunset: September 30, 2021

Audience

Certified Child Care Facilities, Early Learning Resource Centers, Office of Child Development and Early Learning Staff

Purpose

To provide protocols on the reopening of certified child care facilities temporarily or permanently closed due to COVID-19; and to announce the Department of Human Services’ (Department’s) renewal inspection process for child care facilities that temporarily closed due to COVID-19, whose licenses have not expired, and that plan to reopen.

Background

Due to COVID-19, some child care facilities remain temporarily closed and some have permanently closed. The Department acknowledges the need for further guidelines on reopening of facilities that have temporarily or permanently closed due to COVID-19. This announcement provides protocols and timeframes to child care providers based on different circumstances that may apply to facilities planning to reopen during the current Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued by Governor Tom Wolf on March 6, 2020, and most recently renewed on August 31, 2020 (“Disaster Proclamation”).

Discussion

Since the issuance of the Disaster Proclamation, some child care facilities’ certificates of compliance expired during the temporary closure. The Department's intent is to support child care facility efforts to reopen to the greatest extent possible, and to continue to support their efforts to provide a safe and healthy environment for the children they serve.

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 the regional office to communicate the facility’s plan to reopen and follow the protocols outlined below. 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.

The protocols below address different circumstances that may apply to child care providers and steps providers must take to reopen a facility that is temporarily or permanently closed and plan to reopen due to COVID-19.

Table of License and Operational Status and Applicable Protocol for Reopening​
Scenario​​Protocol
​Facility did not surrender its certificate and ...
​The facility will reopen before the certificate expires, and the facility has been closed for no more than six months.
​PROTOCOL #1
​The facility will reopen before the certificate expires, but the facility has been closed for more than six months.
​PROTOCOL #2
The facility will reopen after the certificate has expired (length of closure irrelevant)
​PROTOCOL #3
​Facility did surrender its certificate
​PROTOCOL #4

1. PROTOCOL #1: The facility will reopen before the certificate of compliance expires, and the facility has been closed for no more than six months due to COVID-19:

A child care facility that is temporarily closed for no more than six months and plans to reopen within the effective period of its certificate of compliance (i.e., the certificate of compliance has not expired) must complete the following steps prior to reopening:

      • The legal entity/operator must notify the regional office two weeks prior to the date they plan to reopen the facility.

2. PROTOCOL #2: The facility will reopen before the certificate of compliance expires, and the facility has been closed for more than six months due to COVID-19:

A child care facility that temporarily closed for more than six months and plans to reopen within the effective period of its certificate of compliance (i.e., the certificate of compliance has not expired) must complete the following steps prior to reopening:

      • The legal entity/operator must notify the regional office two weeks prior to the date they plan to reopen the facility.
      • The legal entity/operator must also review and sign the Notification of Reopening Attestation statement (see Appendix A-1) and return it to the regional office prior to reopening the child care facility.
      • These steps are the steps that are to be completed if the facility plans to reopen before the end of the Disaster Proclamation or before March 19, 2021 (whichever is later).
      • The legal entity/operator should contact their regional office for further guidance if they plan to reopen after the end of the Disaster Proclamation or March 19, 2021 (whichever is later), or after their certificate of compliance has expired.

3. PROTOCOL #3: The facility closed due to COVID-19 and will reopen after its certificate of compliance has expired (length of closure irrelevant):

A child care facility that temporarily closed and plans to reopen after its certificate of compliance has expired must complete the following steps prior to reopening:

      • The legal entity/operator must notify the regional office by Dec. 11, 2020, or within 10 days after the expiration of the certificate of compliance (whichever is later) that they plan to reopen the facility.
      • The legal entity/operator must review and sign the Notification of Reopening Attestation statement (see Appendix A) and return it to the regional office.
      • The legal entity/operator must submit a renewal application to the regional office via email, postal service or Provider Self Service.
      • A certification representative will conduct a renewal inspection.1
          • For school age programs in a school building, compliance with regulations at 55 Pa. Code § 3270.241(b), and § 3280.221(b), relating to requirements specific to school-age programs, will be assessed.
      • A provider may not begin operation until the Department has issued a renewed certificate of compliance.

4. PROTOCOL #4: The facility surrendered its certificate of compliance and plans to reopen:

A child care facility that surrendered its certificate of compliance due to COVID-19 must complete the initial application process for a certificate of compliance. The legal entity/operator should contact their OCDEL regional certification office to discuss the next steps in their reopening process.

The contact information for the appropriate regional office can be found here.

Next Steps

Child care providers:

    1. Read this Announcement and share with appropriate staff.
    2. Align plans to reopen with the protocol in this Announcement.
    3. Contact the regional office with any questions regarding reopening their facility.