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STEP says substitute-aid pool kept hundreds of child-care shifts open; warns LIHEAP crisis referrals paused
Summary
STEP reported its substitute-aid pool has kept more than 400 classroom shifts open across Lycoming County, credited ARPA funds for start-up, and warned that the LIHEAP crisis program will not begin taking referrals Nov. 1, a pause STEP officials said would put older and female-headed households at risk.
Joanna, a representative of STEP (the county’s community action agency), told Lycoming County commissioners on Wednesday that a year-old substitute-aid pool has kept more than 400 classroom shifts open at local child-care sites and helped address local early-education staffing shortages.
The program connects trained, vetted substitute aides with licensed child-care providers through a scheduling app, Joanna said, and currently serves eight providers representing 13 sites in Lycoming County. STEP reported 13 active substitute aides, one additional aide in onboarding, and an average of roughly 41 shifts filled per month; those shifts, Joanna said, keep classrooms open for groups typically serving 15 to 18 children.
The substitute-aid pool was launched with Lycoming County ARPA funds, Joanna…
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