STEP tells commissioners ARPA-funded substitute aid pool has kept childcare programs open; transportation garage permit pending

Rochelle Abbott, president and CEO of STEP, told Lycoming County commissioners at their meeting that a substitute-aid pool funded by Lycoming County ARPA dollars has helped keep local child-care classrooms open and allowed parents to remain in the workforce.

Abbott said the substitute program, which STEP operates as the county’s Early Learning Resource Center partner, became operational in October and uses a mobile scheduling tool called Connect Teams. “Since October when this was operationalized, we've had 209 shifts posted, and 79 of them were filled,” Abbott said, adding that if those shifts are multiplied by about 20 children per class it represents a significant amount of child care that otherwise might have closed.

The program hires aides through STEP who pick up posted shifts via the app, Abbott said. The county funded the initiative with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, and STEP supplies administration and matching services; STEP does not itself operate child-care centers as a provider unless it creates a separate entity.

STEP also reported Head Start and related program statistics: the agency said last year it served about 19,379 people statewide, with roughly 12,000 of those in Lycoming County. Abbott said STEP’s Head Start program is fully enrolled, with about 684 children on a waiting list in the county and 436 enrolled. She said most families served by Head Start meet federal poverty thresholds.

On aging and transportation, Abbott told commissioners STEP operates eight centers for healthy aging and offers congregate meals and shared-ride transportation. She said STEP provided roughly 19,000 rides during January and February mainly for older adults or medical- assistance passengers. STEP also reported 87 elder- abuse hotline reports in January and February; protective-services staff follow up and may work with law enforcement or pursue guardianship when necessary.

Abbott described a planned transportation garage near Fairfield Ford that would provide secure vehicle storage and a small driver facility. She said STEP is awaiting a building permit from the city of Williamsport and expects construction to be funded by PennDOT and to be operational in March 2026. The garage, she said, should reduce vandalism and catalytic-converter thefts that have affected STEP vehicles.

Commissioners asked several operational questions, including about a YMCA childcare license appeal. Abbott said the YMCA’s license for a particular location has not been returned and that childcare licenses are location-specific; other YMCA sites in Williamsport continue to operate under different licenses. Abbott offered to discuss the licensing and appeal process with a commissioner outside the meeting.

The presentation closed with commissioners thanking Abbott; a public commenter later asked STEP to include a future report on housing repairs for seniors.

The information item was provided as a quarterly update; no formal county action was taken on STEP programs during the meeting.