The Pennsylvania Key has updated the Health & Safety Systems Support Plan to include Trauma-Informed Practices. The Pennsylvania Key and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) launched the COVID-19 Health and Safety System Supports for Providers in 2020 to establish easy access to technical assistance and resources related to health and safety practices in early childhood settings.
As the system support staff engage with the provider community on matters of health and safety, mental health and wellness has been identified as a critical component of the support. A trauma-informed lens can aid the support staff in engaging in an informed way while also building a foundation for the ongoing support. The update to the plan recognizes the real possibility of compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress on providers.
A series of trainings to address trauma-informed practices is being offered to providers throughout the year.
This is the first step in building a trauma-informed early childhood education community. This initiative is aligned with OCDEL’s enhanced focus on mental health for the workforce. The Pennsylvania Key continues to develop trainings and similar supports for the early childhood education provider community.