Our Programs
Once Upon A Time Early Learning Center offers high quality care and education for students 2 weeks-12 years.
All families, regardless of their income level, should have access to the same level of quality care.
Child Care
Once Upon A Time provides high quality child care and education for students 2 weeks-12 years old.
We offer child care programs for:
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Infants - ages 2 weeks - 12 months
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Toddlers - ages 13 - 36 months
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Preschoolers - ages 37 months - first day of Kindergarten
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School Agers (summer only) - first day of Kindergarten - 12 years
Our program is certified annually by the Department of Human Services.
Once Upon A Time is additionally licensed annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a Pennsylvania Private Academic School (Nursery 3-4).
Child Care Subsidy
The subsidized child care program helps qualifying families pay their child care tuition. The state and federal governments fund this program, which is managed by the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) office.
If you meet the guidelines:
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The ELRC will pay a part of your child care cost. This is called a subsidy payment.
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You will pay a part of the cost. This is called the family co-pay.
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The subsidy payment and the family co-pay go directly to the child care program.
NOTE: If your child care subsidy does not pay the full amount that your child care program charges, the provider may ask you to pay the difference between the subsidy payment and their private charges.
For more information or to apply for child care subsidy, visit these links.
PA Pre-K Counts
Once Upon A Time has our own independent PA Pre-K Counts classroom.
The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program:
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is a high quality pre-kindergarten program for children three to four years old
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is free of charge to qualifying families earning up to 300% of the federal income poverty level
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operates at our center during the academic year from 8:15am-3:15pm
Download an application for PA Pre-K Counts 2022-2023
Early Head Start
Once Upon A Time is proud to partner with Blueprints to provide Early Head Start.
Early Head Start:
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is a high quality early education program for children birth - three years old
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eligibility is generally based on family income at or below the poverty level. Children in foster care, homeless children, and children from families receiving public assistance (TANF or SSI) are eligible regardless of income.
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operates at our center year-round
Contact Kathy Catalano, Family & Community Manager at Blueprints, to apply for the Early Head Start program at 724.225.9550, ext. 463.
PA Infant Toddler Contracted Slots
The commonwealth of Pennsylvania is piloting a new funding model for child care. The PA Infant Toddler Contracted Slots (ITCS) Program helps qualifying families pay their child care tuition. The state government fund this program, which is managed by the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) office.
If you meet the guidelines:
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The ELRC will pay 100% of your child care cost for a qualifying child aged 0-3.
For more information or to apply for the ITCS program, contact your local ELRC.
Keystone STARS
Keystone STARS is a state-funded quality rating system that promotes quality improvement in early learning and development programs and school-age child care. The program assigns stars based on increasingly challenging levels of quality, and Once Upon A Time holds four stars - the highest possible in the system.
A Keystone STARS designation informs parents that their children are in a safe, respectful environment in which they are learning new things every day to support their current and future successes in school and in life.
Through Keystone STARS, centers receive a modest amount of funding to increase the compensation of teachers who meet educational requirements.
Once Upon A Time takes pride in having been the first STAR FOUR
(non-accredited) center in Washington County, PA.
CACFP
Once Upon A Time participates in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
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Hot, nutritious meals and snacks are provided to all children in care at no extra charge to all families
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Infant formula (Similac Advance) and rice cereal, as well as baby food are provided as well
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Our menus are seasonal and rotate every 4 weeks
Admissions are made on a first-come, first-served basis, based on availability, with a preference for already enrolled families (i.e. new siblings) and full time clients.
Nondiscrimination in Services Policy
Admissions, the provision of services and referrals of clients shall be made without regard to race, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin (including limited English Proficiency), age or sex.
Program Services shall be made accessible to eligible persons with disabilities through the most practical and economically feasible methods available. These methods include, but are not limited to, equipment redesign, the provision of aides and the use of alternative service delivery locations. Structural modifications shall be considered only as a last resort among available methods.
Any individual/client/parent/student (and/or their guardian) who believes they have been discriminated against, may file a complaint of discrimination with:
Once Upon A Time
925 Henderson Avenue
Washington, PA 15301
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania PA Human Relation Commission
Department of Human Services Pittsburgh Regional Office
Bureau of Equal Opportunity 301 Fifth Avenue
Room 225, Health & Welfare Building Suite 390, Piatt Place
P.O. Box 2675 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania US Department of Health & Human Services
Department of Human Services Office for Civil Rights
Bureau of Equal Opportunity Suite 372, Public Ledger Building
Western Regional Office 150 South Independence Mall West
301 Fifth Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19106-9111
Suite 410, Piatt Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1210