March 31, 2021 Free Pediatric CPR, AED, & First Aid Training The City of Pittsburgh and Trying Together are offering free in-person Pediatric CPR, First Aid, and AED Training on Saturday, April 10, 2021. This training is open to child care staff and early learning professionals who work or reside within the city limits of Pittsburgh. About Participants will receive hands-on Pediatric CPR, First Aid, and AED training from a virtual instructor at two locations in Pittsburgh. Individuals who complete the course will receive a two-year American Heart Association HeartSaver certification. A limited number of participants will be scheduled at each location and assigned to each mannequin to maintain the safety of all participants. Face masks must be worn at all times. Masks, hand sanitizer, and other sanitation items will be available at all site locations. Each program location is eligible to receive informational posters. Course Overview Training Date: Saturday, April 10, 2021 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Locations: City of Pittsburgh Training Academy 900 N Lincoln Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 City-County Building, Citistats Room, 6th Floor, Room 646 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Instructors: City of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services Staff Two-Step Registration Step One Participants must live or work in the City of Pittsburgh. To register, complete the online registration form. Registration closes on Thursday, April 8 at 11:55 p.m. Space is limited. After the course is full, individuals who register will be added to a waitlist. Individuals on the waitlist will be contacted when additional training opportunities become available. Step Two After completing the course, participants will be asked to complete a sign-in sheet and answer questions on the American Heart Association website to receive their certification cards. These cards will be sent digitally but can be printed by request. For more information on claiming your card, visit the American Heart Association website. More Information For questions, contact Judy Graca at judy@tryingtogether.org. For questions about registration, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
March 30, 2021 Vaccine Toolkit Developed for Child Care Programs The CDC has developed a COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit that highlights tips and strategies on how to communicate with staff, plan staff vaccination, and distribute other communications (letters, newsletters, presentations, etc.). About With teachers, school staff, and child care professionals now eligible (and prioritized) to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC designed a COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit to provide vaccine information to staff in schools and child care programs. This includes teachers, child care professionals, teaching assistants, paraprofessional educators, office staff, bus drivers, school nurses, school counselors, custodians, and more. Education leaders can use the toolkit ideas to communicate with their staff. What’s Included The COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit includes a range of online and printable resources, including: a COVID-19 vaccine presentation template (English and Spanish), key messages and information to share with staff, links to find locations offering vaccines, letter and email templates, posters, factsheets, stickers, and infographics, and more. Access the Toolkit To access the toolkit, visit the CDC website.
March 29, 2021 Study Provides Free Uber Rides for Mothers Are you a mother who does not have regular access to a reliable car? You may be eligible for a Carnegie Mellon University research study that offers free Uber rides to eligible women! About the Project This study is offering at least $200 worth of free trips on Uber anywhere in the Pittsburgh area to eligible women. The goal is to see if women with children earn more income if they have access to convenient, low-cost transportation. Results of this study ay help Allegheny County develop better transportation solutions for working families with children. When you take an Uber trip during the study, Uber will share your trip pickup location, drop-off location, and trip times with the researchers. Study Expectations To be eligible, interested mothers must: be at least 18 years old; have one or more children who are under the age of 18; lack regular access to a reliable car; and be looking for a job, looking for a better job, or seeking to work more hours. Participation is completely voluntary and is expected to last for about six months. Participants will also have to complete short online surveys on a regular basis. Responses are kept strictly confidential. Participants will receive $10 for each monthly survey they complete. Join the Study To apply, complete the online application. For questions, contact the Carnegie Mellon University team at 412.228.0564 or ridehailing@heinz.cmu.edu. Share this flyer with your network.
March 25, 2021 Homewood Father Funds His Son’s Future Through the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, families participated in Fund My Future – a program in which all families in Pennsylvania save for college and other post-secondary goals. This program provides sessions for caregivers related to financial goals and open savings accounts for their children. Fund My Future offers monthly prizes as an incentive for participating in this program. Mark, a single father of 11-year-old Elijah, completed the Fund My Future Three-Part Saving Series in December 2020. He was a participant of the first cohort hosted by the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center, where he is involved in the weekly program, Fathers Trying Together. Through Fund My Future, Mark learned about opening a PA529 account for his son, accessing his credit reports during the COVID-19 pandemic, how to receive one-on-one financial counseling, and the importance of saving for his son. In an interview with Fund My Future, he stated that he “will use the information he learned to help his son manage his money so that when he gets older he will have developed the habit of saving and managing money.” More Information For more information about The Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center and participating in Fathers Trying Together, please visit the Trying Together website.
UPMC Offering COVID-19 Vaccine for Pregnant Women In the coming weeks, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital will be holding special vaccination clinics for pregnant women only. Appointments are required. COVID-19 Vaccine With tens of thousands of pregnant women vaccinated across the United States, there is currently no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines cause any harm to pregnant women or their babies, including the development of the placenta. The CDC established the v-safe COVID-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry to continue to collect data and learn more. Pregnant women are encouraged to speak to their healthcare provider to discuss the benefits and potential risks of receiving the vaccine before scheduling. While these conversations may be helpful, they are not required. Schedule An Appointment You must be 18 years old or older to receive a vaccine. You do not need to be a UMPC patient to qualify. To schedule an appointment at one of UPMC Magee’s clinics for pregnant women, call 833.653.0519. COVID-19 vaccination is provided at no cost to the patient. More Information For more information about COVID-19 vaccination use in pregnant women, visit the CDC website.
ECE Jobs: March 25 – March 31, 2021 Are you looking to transition your career in the early childhood field? You’re in luck! Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are looking to fill positions. To view this week’s featured job descriptions, see the list below. Featured Jobs Multiple Child Care Positions Love, Learn, and Play Child Care and Learning Center is currently hiring for multiple child care positions, including Director, Assistant Director, Preschool Assistant, Early Head Start, and School-Age Teachers. The Center is open from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. To apply, send your resume via email to llpchildcare@yahoo.com. Preschool Teacher Kiddyland Daycare is looking to hire an energetic Preschool Teacher to implement lesson plans, maintain a safe and clean environment, and supervise children. To apply, email mykiddylanddaycare@gmail.com. Assistant Group Supervisor Ms. M’s Happy Tots Daycare is looking to hire an Assistant Group Supervisor. This professional will assist the Group Supervisor with lessons, learning centers, observations/assessments, cleaning, and supervision of all children in the classroom. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED, a clean criminal background history, a health assessment with T.B. test results, and one year of experience working with children. To apply, email your resume to tarasmith15235@gmail.com. Early Childhood Teachers Sewickley Valley YMCA is looking to hire full-time and part-time Early Childhood Teachers. Positions include flexible scheduling, competitive pay, and excellent benefits. To apply for open early childhood positions or other YMCA positions, complete the online form. Submit a Job Description Each week, Trying Together publishes a news post that features employer-submitted job positions from early learning programs across Pennsylvania. Trying Together shares these posts online through our website, social media channels, and newsletter. To make it into next week’s post, please submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Tuesday, March 30. This form is intended for positions in the early childhood field. Job descriptions not related to the early childhood field will not be included. All job descriptions submitted after March 30 will be published in the next week’s news post. Please note that publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Search Additional Jobs Are you interested in starting or shifting your career in early childhood care and education? Visit the ECE Hire website or sign up for their weekly newsletter for current job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. To stay up to date on our featured positions and more, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
March 23, 2021 American Rescue Plan Includes Relief for Families On March 12, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law to provide direct relief to Americans, rescue the American economy, and implement a national COVID-19 vaccination program. The plan includes funds to provide direct relief to families. About Since March 2020, American families and the American economy have been struggling. Millions of Americans, many of whom are people of color, immigrants, and low-wage workers, continue to put their lives at risk to keep the country functioning. Additionally, more than 9.5 million workers have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, four million of whom have been out of work for six months or more. To address the economic and public health crisis, and provide direct relief to American workers, the American Rescue Plan was signed into law. According to a fact sheet provided by the White House, “the plan will build a bridge to an equitable economic recovery and immediately reduce child poverty.” More than two-thirds of the tax cuts and direct payments included in the plan will be distributed to families making less than $90,000 per year. What’s Included The American Rescue Plan will: Mount a national vaccination program, contain COVID-19, and safely reopen schools. Roughly $160 billion will be invested to provide supplies, emergency response, testing, and public health workforce to stop the spread of COVID-19, increase the distribution rate of vaccines, and address racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. $130 billion will be invested to help schools serve all students, no matter where they are learning, and help achieve President Biden’s goal to safely open the majority of K-8 schools within the first 100 days of his Administration. Funds have been set aside at the state and local levels to ensure states and districts can address learning loss and the social-emotional needs of students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities. Deliver immediate relief to American families who bear the brunt of this crisis. The Child Tax Credit will increase from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age six) and make 17-year-olds qualifying children for the year. Families will receive an additional tax credit to help cut child care costs. Families will receive a refundable tax credit for as much as half of their spending on child care for children under the age of 13. Families will be able to receive a total of up to $4,000 for one child or $8,000 for two or more children. Expanded child care assistance will help child care providers cover their costs and increase tax credits to help cover the cost of child care. Working families will receive a $1,400 per-person check. More than 85 percent of households will receive a check. For the first time, adult dependents are entitled to a check as well. Track the status of your payment with the Internal Revenue Service’s Get My Payment Tool. Current employment insurance benefits and eligibility will be extended to September 6, which will save 11 million Americans from losing benefits, provide a $300 per week supplement, and help protect Americans from surprise tax bills on 2020 unemployment insurance. Emergency aid will be available to cover back rent and provide assistance to help struggling homeowners catch up on their mortgage payments and utility costs through the Homeowners Assistance Fund. Additional funding will also be provided for families and individuals who are recovering from or at risk of homelessness. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will increase by 15 percent through September 2021. The bill also funds partnerships with restaurants to feed American families and keep workers in the restaurant industry on the job. Additional nutritional assistance funding is available to U.S. territories like Puerto Rico. An additional $1 billion will be provided to states to cover additional cash assistance that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients needed as a result of the crisis. Health insurance premiums will be lowered for millions of lower- and middle-income families enrolled in health insurance marketplaces. The plan also subsidizes premiums for continuation health coverage (COBRA). The Earned Incom Tax Credit for 17 million workers will increase by as much as $1,000. Support communities that are struggling in the wake of COVID-19. Emergency grants, lending, and investments will be provided to hard-hit small businesses to help them rehire and retain workers and purchase necessary health and sanitation equipment to keep workers safe. More than $360 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments will be distributed to ensure they can keep frontline workers on the job and paid, while also effectively distributing the vaccine, scaling testing, reopening schools, and maintaining other vital services. Help hard-hit public transit agencies avoid layoffs and service reductions, which disproportionately harm workers who are more likely to be dependent on public transportation. More Information For a full overview of the American Rescue Plan, view this document (PDF). For more information, visit the White House website. Information provided by the White House.
Trying Together 2021-2022 Public Policy Agenda Released Trying Together released its 2021-2022 Public Policy Agenda, which prioritizes fair, just, and inclusive policies and practices that address the inequities impacting children, families, and educators. Policy Agenda Overview For more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the fragility of and inequities in the child care system. Families were already struggling with a lack of accessible and affordable high-quality child care options while programs fought to retain a quality workforce that was sorely undercompensated and undervalued. Now programs face loss of enrollment, along with new federal and state health requirements. With an explicit focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in its 2021-2022 Public Policy Agenda, Trying Together is calling upon all caregivers, community members, and early childhood educators to embrace the responsibility to ensure that each child and family is safe from racism and discrimination, and has equitable opportunities to thrive. The agenda outlines 16 priorities to: Invest significantly in and strengthen the early learning infrastructure. Focus on equitable and developmentally appropriate care and learning. Elevate the early childhood workforce. Build connections and leverage partnerships to support health, wellness, and the community. In order to achieve its policy goals at the state, federal, and local level, Trying Together collaborates with public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders to mobilize and demand change. Download the 2021-2022 Trying Together Public Policy Agenda (PDF). Public Policy Alerts To join Trying Together in advancing these priorities and supporting the work of early childhood, please sign-on to receive public policy alerts via email.
March 19, 2021 Free Tax Assistance Available in Pittsburgh Need help filing your taxes? Just Harvest is offering free, virtual tax filing support from IRS-certified tax experts. No appointment is necessary. About Families must earn less than $66,000 per year, answer a series of questions about their tax returns, and take photos of their tax documents when prompted to send them securely to Just Harvest. Once those documents are received, you will be contacted by phone to complete your return. To participate in these services, families must have a phone number that Just Harvest can reach you at; a computer or smartphone; an email address; and internet access. Request Support If you have used this service in the past to file your taxes, please choose the site you accessed last year for the fastest service. If not, please choose the site closest to your home or work. Each site link will take you to a new webpage with options to file your taxes yourself, receive assistance in filing from a filing expert, or ask a question. To receive assistance, select the “File Taxes with Help” option and IRS-certified tax experts will prepare and review your taxes. Bedford Hope Center 2305 Bedford Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Monroeville Public Library 4000 Gateway Campus Boulevard, Monroeville, PA 15146 (previously at CCAC Boyce) Just Harvest 16 Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 More Information For more information, visit the Just Harvest website.
Pediatric CPR, AED, First Aid, and Fire Safety Training Are you interested in receiving a certification in Pediatric CPR, AED, First Aid, and Fire Safety? Join The Life Safety Pro Founder Jeremy Manke for a blended (online and in-person) Pediatric CPR, AED, and First Aid Training course. Completion of this module meets the required hours of professionals in Pennsylvania plus mandated health and safety education requirements. Course Overview Please read the Full Course Details before registering. Instructor: Jeremy Manke, Founder, The Life Safety Pro Cost: $45 for Pediatric CPR, AED, and First Aid Training $55 for Pediatric CPR, AED, First Aid, and Fire Safety Training Online Training Session (Required) Registrants will receive the online training link in their email after registration. Must be completed at least two days prior to the in-person session (by Thursday, April 15). Includes approximately four hours of self-paced, online training content. In-Person Training Session (Required) Date: Saturday, April 17, 2021 Location: Kinder Academy, 1005 Beaver Grade Rd, Moon Twp, PA 15108 Available Times: 10 – 11:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m., 1 – 2:15 p.m., or 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. Full Course Details The certification received through this course is PA Keys Approved and meets the CPR and First Aid requirements for child care professionals in Pennsylvania. This training includes two parts: Part One: Online Training Part One includes a self-paced, asynchronous online training session. After registering, you will receive a training link via email to complete the required CPR and First Aid online videos. This portion will take approximately four hours to complete. While participants can complete the training videos at their own pace, all online training must be complete at least two days before attending the in-person training session. If not completed, participants cannot participate in the in-person training. Part Two: In-Person Training Part Two includes a one-hour in-person skills training session where participants will demonstrate CPR and First Aid skills from the online training. The instructor will walk participants through the session and answer questions. Hands-on fire extinguisher training and a Fire Safety PowerPoint presentation will be available to participants that added Fire Safety to their registration. Timeslots will be used to limit the number of participants. A limited number of participants will be assigned to each mannequin. Masks must be worn at all times unless asked to remove for brief demonstration purposes. Two-Step Registration Step One Register for this course using the online registration form. Pediatric CPR, AED, and First Aid Training will cost $45. Attendees can choose to add Fire Safety Training for an additional $10 ($55 total). Registration closes on Thursday, April 15 at 11:55 p.m. Limited timeslot spots are available. Step Two You will receive a confirmation email to the email you included in your online registration. Please click on the training link in that email to access the online training sessions. All online sessions must be completed by Thursday, April 15, 2021. More Information For questions about the course, contact Jeremy Manke at jeremy@thelifesafetypro.com. For registration questions, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.