August 24, 2021 COVID-19 Vaccine Recommended for Pregnant People The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination to all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to become pregnant. COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy With growing evidence on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, the CDC recommends that pregnant, recently pregnant, and people trying to get pregnant get vaccinated. Vaccination: reduces a pregnant person’s likelihood of experience severe illness from COVID-19 (hospitalization, need for a ventilator, intensive care, death, etc.), reduces the risk of pre-term birth and other pregnancy outcomes in comparison to a pregnant person who becomes infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy, may build antibodies that can protect the baby from COVID-19. There is no evidence that any vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, cause fertility problems. COVID-19 vaccines do not cause infection in anyone, including the birthing parent. More Information To learn more, visit the CDC website. For more news, visit our News page.
Suspended OCDEL Regulations To Be Reinstated Per Act 21 of 2021, the suspension of various regulatory provisions under the state disaster emergency declaration will expire on September 30, 2021. Some regulations will be reinstated. OCDEL Regulations Reinstated in September The September 30 expiration date only affects state regulations that were suspended under the Pennsylvania disaster emergency declaration. Federal flexibilities provided through the federal public health emergency will remain in place as long as the federal public health emergency remains in effect. As of August 25, the federal public health emergency is effective through October 17, 2021. Impacted Offices and Regulations Regulations under the following offices have been impacted: the Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning (OCDEL); the Office of Childen, Youth, and Families (OCYF); the Office of Developmental Programs (OPD); the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS); and the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL). These changes will impact inspections, health assessments, certificates of compliance, physical site requirements, staff requirements, pick-up and drop-off requirements, and more. View the Full List To view the list of regulatory provisions, view the full announcement or visit the PA DHS website. For more news, visit our News page.
August 19, 2021 Open Early Childhood Education Jobs in Pittsburgh Are you looking for early childhood education jobs? Early learning programs in Pittsburgh are hiring directors, child care teachers, assistant teachers, youth development professionals, and more! Education Jobs in Pittsburgh Child Care Teachers Bright Beginnings of South Park is seeking teachers to work with children ages eight weeks to five years old. Opportunities are available for all classrooms. Apply: To apply, complete an application and send it to BrightBeginningsSP@gmail.com, or complete an online application through Indeed. Location: 626 Cochran Mill Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 Lead Preschool Teacher Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA is seeking a Lead Preschool Teacher to work hands-on with youth to implement curriculum and programming on a day-to-day basis, supervise and ensure the safety of all program participants, and build relationships. This position requires warmth, patience, an understanding of youth between the ages of three and five years of age, and an inspiration to assist youth in being lifelong learners while promoting social, physical, verbal, and cognitive development. Experience with Creative Curriculum preferred. Apply: To apply, email your resume and cover letter to hr@bgcwpa.org or complete an online application through Indeed. Locations: 5432 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 and 33 Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Youth Development Professional Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA is seeking a Youth Development Professional to work hands-on with youth to implement curriculum and programming on a day-to-day basis. This role is responsible for the supervision and safety of all program participants as well as relationship building. This role will ensure that they follow all DHS Chapter 3270 Regulations and BGCA Safety requirements. Apply: To apply, email your resume and cover letter to hr@bgcwpa.org or complete an online application through Indeed. Locations: 5432 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 and 33 Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Youth Development Coordinator Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA is seeking a Youth Development Coordinator to work hands-on with youth to implement curriculum and programming on a day-to-day basis. This role is responsible for the supervision and safety of all program participants as well as relationship building. This role will ensure that they follow all DHS Chapter 3270 Regulations and BGCA Safety requirements. Apply: To apply, email your resume and cover letter to hr@bgcwpa.org or complete an online application through Indeed. Locations: 5432 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 and 33 Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Assistant Teachers Hilltop Children’s Center is looking to hire a full-time Preschool Assistant Teacher with a minimum of a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential and a part-time Preschool Assistant Teacher with a minimum of a high school diploma and two years of experience working with children, but who is willing to pursue a CDA Credential. Apply: To apply, email your resume to admin@hilltopccc.org. Location: 201 Orchard Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 Toddler Caregiver Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a Toddler Caregiver to care for children ages one to two years of age. Apply: To apply, call the Forest Hills location at 412.271.4840 and ask for Laura. Location: 2140 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 Infant Caregiver Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking an Infant Caregiver to care for infants ages six weeks to one year of age. A full-time position is available. Apply: To apply, call the Forest Hills location at 412.271.4840 and ask for Laura. Location: 2140 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 Part-Time School-Age Opener / Closer Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a part-time School-Age Opener / Closer to care for school-age children from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. or 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Apply: To apply, call the Forest Hills location at 412.271.4840 and ask for Laura. Location: 2140 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 Director Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a Director to oversee the daily operations of the child care center. Apply: To apply, send a resume to mefmckay@gmail.com. Location: 2140 Ardmore Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 Older Toddler Caregiver Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking an Older Toddler Caregiver to care for children ages two to three years old. Apply: To apply, call the Penn Hills location at 412.798.2600 and ask for Donna. Location: 12134 Frankstown Rd, Penn Hills, PA 15235 Pre-School Caregiver / Teacher Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a Pre-School Caregiver / Teacher to create lesson plans to prepare children ages three to five years old for kindergarten. Apply: To apply, call the Penn Hills location at 412.798.2600 and ask for Donna. Location: 12134 Frankstown Rd, Penn Hills, PA 15235 Part-Time School-Age Caregiver Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a Part-Time School-Age Caregiver to care for school-age children between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Apply: To apply, call the Penn Hills location at 412.798.2600 and ask for Donna. Location: 12134 Frankstown Rd, Penn Hills, PA 15235 Part-Time School-Age Caregiver Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a Part-Time School-Age Caregiver to care for school-age children between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This professional must have a current and clear driver’s license. Apply: To apply, call the McKinley Center in Verona at 412.828.0788 and ask for Andrea. Location: Center Ave & 7th St, Verona, PA 15147 Cook Cynthia K Franck’s ChildCare, Inc. is seeking a Cook to prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks according to a posted menu, clean items used to serve children, and prepare a weekly list of food needed for the following week. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Apply: To apply, call the McKinley Center in Verona at 412.828.0788 and ask for Andrea. Location: Center Ave & 7th St, Verona, PA 15147 Submit a Job Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Tuesday, August 24. All jobs submitted after August 24 will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Other Early Childhood Education Jobs See More Job Descriptions For more early childhood education jobs in Pittsburgh, view our news posts from previous weeks: August 12 – August 17 August 5 – August 11 July 29 – August 4 July 22 – July 28 ECE Hire Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. Submit a Job to PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
August 18, 2021 PA Receives $1.2 Million to Promote Maternal and Child Health Pennsylvania was awarded more than $1.2 million in federal funding to support work towards better health, well-being, and long-term outcomes for families. Promoting Maternal and Child Health The Department of Human Services announced that Pennsylvania was awarded more than $1.2 million in federal funding to support work towards better health, well-being, and long-term outcomes for pregnant and parenting families of young children. This grant funding will be used to build a comprehensive system of care that will ensure accessible, appropriate, and effective care to young families during the critical prenatal to three-year-old period of child development. What is included in the continuum of services? This grant funding, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, will help the Office of Child Development and Early Learning connect families to a continuum of services that promote positive parenting, early developmental health, and family well-being, including: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs; Early Intervention programs; Children’s Health Insurance Program; and other programs that are overseen by state departments. How will the funds be used? This grant provides OCDEL with $255,600 per year for five years, totaling $1,278,000. They will use the funding to hire an Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) program leader and an ECCS family leader to increase the capacity of health, family, and child service systems; coordinate services; and identify gaps in these services for families. Program and family leaders will also promote an understanding of equity, trauma-informed care, family engagement, and other positive parenting programs and resources available across the state. Read the Full Release For more information, read the full press release on the Pennsylvania Pressroom website. To read more news, visit our News page or subscribe to our digital newsletters.
80% of Pennsylvanians 18+ Received First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine On August 16, Governor Tom Wolf announced that 80 percent of Pennsylvania’s 18 and older population have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 Vaccinations in Pennsylvania During the announcement, Governor Wolf thanked Pennsylvanians for their commitment to the health and safety of themselves and their neighbors, stating that “the pandemic has been predictable and unsettling throughout the last 18 months, but Pennsylvania has remained steadfast in our vaccination efforts.” Pennsylvania ranks ninth for first doses administered and fifth for total doses administered among all 50 states. To date, 64.3 percent of the 18 and older population are fully vaccinated. As COVID-19 variants spread, it is vitally important that partially vaccinated individuals receive their second dose. Individuals who have not been vaccinated are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Who is eligible to receive a vaccine? All adults in Pennsylvania are eligible to be vaccinated. Adolescents ages 12 and older are currently eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. To learn more about the vaccines, visit the FAQ page. How can I get vaccinated? COVID-19 vaccines are provided at no cost, with many locations accepting walk-in appointments. To find a vaccine provider near you, visit: vaccines.gov Ask A Question To ask a question or receive assistance in finding a vaccine near you, call 1.800.232.0233. Individuals who are deaf, speech-impaired, or hard of hearing can call 1.888.720.7489 (TTY). For the Disability Information and Access Line, call 1.888.677.1199 or email DIAL@n4a.org. Read the Full Release To read the full release, visit the Governor Tom Wolf website. For more news, visit our News page or sign up to receive our email newsletters.
Plans to Expand Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Period Pennsylvania plans to extend the postpartum coverage period for eligible birthing parents who are eligible for Medicaid because of their pregnancy from six months to one year. Medicaid Postpartum Coverage The Wolf Administration joined leadership from the Women’s Health Caucus, the Maternity Care Coalition, and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network to announce Pennsylvania’s intent to extend the postpartum coverage period for birthing parents eligible for Medicaid because of their pregnancy. This will allow thousands of birthing parents to access physical and behavioral health care that is necessary to keep themselves healthy and their families on a path to good health and well-being. During the announcement, Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Meg Snead stated, “As our nation seeks to reverse rising trends in maternal mortality, [extended Medicaid] coverage can help us save lives and is a necessary investment in maternal-child health across Pennsylvania.” How long is the postpartum coverage period? Federal law requires Medicaid, or Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania, to extend eligibility for birthing parents with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level for 60 days following the birth of a baby. Under the American Rescue Plan Act, states can implement a new state plan option beginning April 1, 2022, to expand the postpartum coverage period to one year following the birth of a baby. Why does it matter? According to an analysis of 2018 data, the United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among 10 similar nations. Data for 2019 shows that the trend is growing – up to 20.1 deaths per 100,000 live births from 17.4 per 100,000 in 2018. Maternal mortality is significantly more common among Black women as compared to White and Latinx women in the United States. Medicaid covers four in 10 births nationally and about three in 10 in Pennsylvania and was the primary payer in Pennsylvania in about 53 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths. Nearly 60 percent of all pregnancy-associated deaths came between six weeks and one year after giving birth, largely outside of the 60-day limitation on coverage. When will the expansion take effect? The postpartum expansion will be available to states to take effect in April 2022. A formal declaration of intent to expand the postpartum coverage period will be submitted to the federal government once guidance is issued to states from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. More Information For the full press release, visit the Pennsylvania Pressroom website. To apply for Medical Assistance and other assistance programs, visit: www.compass.state.pa.us. For more news, visit our News page.
August 17, 2021 New Tools for Allegheny Child Care Providers An update to the Allegheny Child Care Finder Tool added new features for child care providers, including tour scheduling, managing interested families, profile analytics, and more. What is Allegheny Child Care? Allegheny Child Care was developed to support the child care needs of families. Through this online tool, parents and caregivers can search for available child care spots at all Allegheny County early learning programs, including after-school, out-of-school, summer camps, and virtual programs. How does this apply to early learning providers? If your organization provides child care, after-school, out-of-school, summer, or virtual programming, update your listing as soon as possible on the Allegheny Child Care website. By doing so, you promote and market your programs to families which expedites the process of getting children enrolled. New Features for Providers A recent update to Allegheny Child Care added new features to help child care providers fill openings faster. These features include: Tour scheduling: Allow families to schedule a tour at your location. Set the time, days of the week, length of the tour, and wait for your tour requests to be sent to your email! Showcasing your enrollment process: Families are interested in learning how to enroll in your school. Add any steps and relevant documents so they can take the first steps to enroll. Analytics about your profile performance: Have you ever wondered how many families are favoriting or viewing your profile? Now you can view your stats in the overview section. Review the 5-minute video below to learn more. Managing your interested families: Once families message you or schedule a tour, they will appear in your interested families list. Don’t have openings right now? That’s no problem. When you do you can refer back to your interested families and message them to see if they’re interested in enrolling. Watch how to use these features: Try It Out Yourself To try the tool, visit providers.alleghenychildcare.org. For questions or additional support, email info@alleghenychildcare.org. Visit our News page to read other important updates.
August 12, 2021 Start Your Education Career: Jobs in Pittsburgh Are you looking to start or transition your education career? Programs and organizations in Pittsburgh are hiring for several positions including Pre Toddler Teacher, Spanish Immersion Preschool Educator, Manager of School and Community Programs, and more! Education Jobs in Pittsburgh Pre Toddler Teacher Mount Washington Children’s Center is looking to hire a Pre Toddler Teacher who has a happy personality, loves working with children, and has the desire to have fun while keeping children under their care safe. Apply: To apply, email your current resume to mwcc15@yahoo.com. Location: 200 Southern Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 Temporary Preschool Teacher Mount Washington Children’s Center is looking to hire a Temporary Preschool Teacher to work with children ages three to five years old starting August 16, 2021. This is a temporary position. Apply: To apply, email your current resume to mwcc15@yahoo.com. Location: 200 Southern Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 Spanish Immersion Preschool Educator La Escuelita Arcoiris is looking to hire a Spanish Immersion Preschool Teacher who will work as a part of a teaching team, help develop and implement an ongoing program of activities in accordance with La Escuelita Philosophy and Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, and lead indoor and outdoor learning experiences. This educator will help manage behavior, overall classroom environment, and, with the active participation of other team members of the teaching team, work with parents to assess the needs of individual children. The daily routine may vary slightly day to day but will always include consistent diaper changing/bathroom breaks, snack times, and napping. Apply: To apply, complete an online application or email directora@laescuelitapgh.org. Location: 5915 Beacon St, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Manager of School and Community Programs The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is looking to hire a Manager of School and Community Programs to serve as a key member of the Trust Arts Education team. This professional will work with teachers, school districts, teaching artists, and partner organizations to implement and manage arts integration residencies and workshops led by teaching artists and serving local school districts (K – 12) and community organizations. This individual will also oversee the Trust’s summer arts enrichment programs in the community. Apply: To apply, send a cover letter and resume to: Director of Human Resources, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, 803 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or shannon@trustarts.org. No phone calls, please. Location: 803 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Submit a Job Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted early childhood jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Tuesday, August 17. All jobs submitted after August 17 will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Other Early Childhood Jobs See More Job Descriptions For more teaching jobs in Pittsburgh, view our news posts from previous weeks: August 5 – August 11 July 29 – August 4 July 22 – July 28 July 14 – July 21 ECE Hire Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. Submit a Job to PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
August 11, 2021 Imagination Library Sends 75,000th Free Book in Pittsburgh The Office of Equity has announced that the City of Pittsburgh’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library has distributed 75,000 free books to local children. Sign up your child to receive books as well! Dolly Parton Imagination Library The City of Pittsburgh’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a free program for any child aged birth to five that lives in the City of Pittsburgh that provides one free book per month in the mail until their fifth birthday. Upon their fifth birthday, each child will have their own library of up to 60 books! Enroll Your Child Any child under age five that lives in the City of Pittsburgh is eligible. Enroll your child today. More Information The program launched in February 2019 and is affiliated with the national initiative started by music legend Dolly Parton. To learn more, visit the program website. For more news, visit our News page.
August 10, 2021 Paid Training Available, Jobs Start at $50K/Year Peoples Natural Gas and the Energy Innovation Center Institute have partnered together to offer a free two-week Pipe Fitter training program to prepare participants for full-time work at Peoples Natural Gas. Pipe Fitter Training Through the Pipe Fitter training program, Peoples Natural Gas and the Energy Innovation Center Institute (EICI) are offering a pathway to a high-paying full-time career at Peoples Natural Gas. Participants who are hired make a starting salary of $50,000 per year with benefits. The next cohort begins in mid-September, with training starting on August 30, 2021. Apply today to save your spot! What does the training offer? 1 week of success skills and equity training. 1 week of utility construction safety training. Successful graduates will be interviewed by Peoples Natural Gas for immediate openings. Hired graduates will start at $24 per hour with full benefits, plus overtime and union membership. Am I eligible? To be eligible, you must: be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, pass a DOT 5 panel drug test, submit to background criminal, motor vehicle, education, and past employment review, be capable of doing physical work in various weather conditions and in people’s homes, have a Pennsylvania Driver’s License, and pass skill-related assessments after training. There is a preference for candidates with experience with heavy equipment, working outdoors, and a willingness to work overtime. Space is limited, with only 10 spaces available in the next cohort. Save Your Spot To apply or learn more, contact Dan Esterly at desterly@eicpittsburgh.org or 412.440.7167. For more news, visit our News page. Share this flyer with your network.
