History

The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) established the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) in September 2004. The creation of this new office focused on early care and education and demonstrated DPW’s commitment to creating a seamless system to serve young children and their families. OCDEL quickly began to connect related programs used to develop high quality child care services and a well-trained set of early care and education professionals. Out of this work, the Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality (PA Keys) was created.

To implement the work of PA Keys to Quality, a central PA Key office was formed in Harrisburg to coordinate programming. Six Regional Keys to Quality Centers also cover the Commonwealth to provide general oversight and leadership for the system. The six areas are charged to develop and implement a regional quality improvement plan for professional development and technical assistance; encourage participation in Keystone STARS; administer Keystone STARS standards and offer guidance through the self-study process; assist programs in accessing financial supports for STARS; conduct outreach campaigns; and provide professional development opportunities and funding.