Pa. to provide $3 million for preschool early intervention pandemic-related supplies
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With the start of the first full school year of the covid-19 era getting closer and concerns about safety increasing, Gov. Tom Wolf is taking preemptive measures to keep Early Intervention preschoolers safe.
The governor announced he is setting aside about $3 million for Preschool Early Intervention Programs serving children 3 to 5 years old to buy personal protective equipment and other pandemic-related supplies.
“Early Intervention services are essential to young children and families in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said.
The services are provided at no cost to families. Wolf said his administration is committed to making sure the funding continues.
Pennsylvania’s Early Intervention program provides support and services to families with children from birth to age 5 who have developmental delays and disabilities.
According to the Center for Parent Information and Resources, the term “developmental delay” refers to a child being delayed in some area of development such as cognitive development, communication development, and social or emotional development.
About 13,700 children are enrolled in Early Intervention classrooms across the commonwealth.
The Early Intervention program provides vital services to young children, said state Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera.
“It promotes collaboration among caregivers, service providers and other important people in the child’s life to enhance the child’s development and support the needs of the family,” Rivera said.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act gives governors the ability to allocate Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds as they see fit.
Preschool Early Intervention Programs offering classroom services to children who have developmental delays and disabilities can request GEER money to pay for PPE, sanitization and disinfecting supplies as well as additional staff to support covid-19 mitigation.