The YMCA of Greater Brandywine is honored to have received a $200,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) that will provide a cross-sector Rapid Response Team (RRT) deployed to early childhood education programs when those programs are struggling with the challenging behavior of a child who is at immediate risk of suspension or expulsion.
Since this need is increasing year over year, the RRT works closely with childcare staff, families, and children to help develop relationships and address environmental considerations. The team’s goal is to help all children become successful in these earliest social settings.
The RRT is meant to enhance the system of support available within Pennsylvania’s early childhood system and is a piloted, short-term triaging support to enhance the early childhood system of support in each ELRC region throughout Pennsylvania.
Individual Support Class-wide Support
In general, the role of RRT's is to:
- respond within 48 business hours to any early learning center program
- facilitate the development of a case-based collaborative plan of action
- provide short-term support to the ECE workforce and families
- provide efficient warm handoffs to additional community supports, as necessary