April 12, 2022 Tree Pittsburgh Hosting Adoption Event in Homewood Tree Pittsburgh is hosting a tree adoption event on May 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Homewood. About The tree adoption event is going to be held at 7351 Frankstown Avenue. Families can adopt two trees per household. Available Trees The majority of the trees will be 2 quart sized, 3″ diameter and 9″ deep. Available species include: Riverbirch Musclewood Eastern Redbud Persimmon Eastern Red Cedar Sweetbay Magnolia If you are interested in picking up a tree, RSVP online and note the species of tree you want. If you do not have access to transportation or are someone who experiences mobility restrictions, contact odera@treepittsburgh.org or 412.781.8733 to discuss alternative ways to receive a tree.
April 11, 2022 New Social-Emotional Wellbeing Resource for Parents Trying Together has released a new social-emotional wellbeing resource for parents through the Parenting Together Pathway. About The new video, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, provides an overview of what social-emotional wellness is in early childhood and includes topics of why it’s important, and how you and your child can work together to encourage your child’s social-emotional growth forming close, secure, meaningful relationships. The Parenting Together Pathway is a video-based learning series to provide high-quality information on early childhood development to parents and caregivers in Allegheny County and surrounding areas. Launched in April 2021, the Parenting Together Pathway provides families the opportunity to learn more about: brain development; play; interactions and relationships; technology; child care; advocacy; early intervention; and safety to better support their children’s healthy growth. Additional Information Please visit the Trying Together website to view all video content for the Parenting Together Pathway.
April 7, 2022 Certification Rewrite Subcommittee Members Announced The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced the members of the Early Learning Council (ELC) Certification Rewrite Ad Hoc Subcommittee. These individuals were selected to represent the larger child care provider community and provided direct feedback on drafts of the rewritten child care certification regulations. About the Subcommittees The Subcommittee has been divided into five Subchapter Workgroups: Purpose and Authority – includes the introduction to the regulations, and outlines their purpose, applicability and definitions. Family and Community – includes regulations related to family engagement, communication with parents, procedures for admission, parent consent and services to a child with a developmental delay, disability, or special healthcare need. Professional Development Training and Requirements – includes regulations related to facility persons including suitability, age, qualifications, responsibilities, professional development and preservice training. Early Childhood Education Program – includes regulations related to staff: child ratio, physical site, equipment, fire safety, the program, elements of child and adult health, nutrition, transportation, and adult records. Certification and Oversite – includes regulations related to general requirements related to applications, appeals & waivers, building codes and insurance, child abuse reporting, departmental access, emergency plans, and the handling of child records. Lindsey Ramsey, Assistant Director of Public Policy and Practice at Trying Together, is a member of the Purpose and Authority Subcommittee. More Information To learn more about these Subchapters, to find out who are the Ad Hoc Subcommittee members, and learn what to expect from this next phase of the project, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. Visit the Certification Rewrite Page on the Pennsylvania Key’s website for details about the project.
2022 Pennsylvania’s Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award Winners The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced winners of the 2022 Pennsylvania Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Awards. The award, provided from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), brings awareness to and highlight the equity work being done within Pennsylvania’s early childhood education and afterschool settings, and by child care, evidence-based home visiting and early intervention professionals, as it aligns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Equity and Inclusion Toolkit, and with the position statement of the National Association for the Education for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement. Equity in Early Childhood Education Champion Award Winners Several Early Childhood Education Champions are from Western Pennsylvania: Gold Recipients Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh La Scuola d’Italia Galileo Galilei in Pittsburgh Silver Recipients HOST (Heritage Out of School Time) in North Braddock Heritage 4 Kids Early Learning Center in Braddock Bronze Recipients Rutledge Institute for Early Childhood Education in California The Village of FPC (California, PA) in California Jessie Bucci in New Castle Honorable Mentions Melissa Judy in Connellsville Grand Beginnings Children’s Center, Inc. in Indiana The Growing Garden Child Care Center, LLC in Tarentum A full list of winners and information about Equity and Early Childhood Education in Pennsylvania is available on the PA Keys website.
April 6, 2022 Early Childhood League Develops Resources for Families Trying Together has released a new policy report and early intervention guide for families developed by the Early Childhood League. About the Early Childhood League Trying Together teamed up with a group of parents and caregivers to launch the Early Childhood League in 2021. The League aimed to connect parents, caregivers, and community organizations and empower them to advocate for positive changes in early learning policies that affect them and their children. From January through September, members met monthly to discuss communications techniques, community organizing strategies, early childhood education principles, and public policy processes. League members connected to campaigns, such as Start Strong PA, Pre-K for PA and Childhood Begins At Home. Members joined one of the following committees: Mobilization Committee: The Mobilization Committee focused on grassroots policy issues for children and families. They learned about the three ELPA campaigns and community organizing strategies. Their main projects focused on forming a call to action campaign. Tool Kit/ Early Intervention Committee: The toolkit committee compiled an Early Intervention Resource Guide to support families with children with developmental concerns. Policy Committee: The policy committee developed a policy report that outlined the collective advocacy focus of the ECE League. Resources Members of the Early Childhood League created the following guides for the community: Early Childhood League Policy Recommendations – This report highlights short-term and long-term policy recommendations focusing on wages and retention for the ECE workforce. Early Intervention Resource Guide – This guide lays out numerous local and national resources that can be utilized by parents, caregivers, educators, and health professionals.
April 4, 2022 Continued Suspended Child Care Certification Regulations Until July 1 The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced some child care certification regulations relating to indoor child care spaces, child growth and development reports, and school-age children continue to be suspended until July 1, 2022. Learn More On March 31, OCDEL released the Announcement C-21-09 Updated March 31, 2022 Reinstating and Extensions of Child Care Certification Regulation Suspensions Due to Act 73 and Act 14. Governor Wolf Tom signed Act 14 into law, which further extends a number of regulatory suspensions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some that are “related to federal exemptions granted under the federal public health emergency declaration.” The following regulations continue to be suspended until July 1, 2022: A facility shall provide indoor childcare space for individual and group small muscle activity. Indoor child care space may not be used simultaneously as play space. Measured indoor space excludes space occupied by halls, bathrooms, offices, kitchens, and locker rooms. The services to be provided to the family and the child, including the Department’s approved form to provide information to the family about the child’s growth and development in the context of the services being provided. The operator shall complete and update the form and provide a copy to the family in accordance with the updates regarding emergency contact information in §3270.124(f); §3280.124(f); §3290.123(f) (relating to emergency contact information). If a child is required to be enrolled in public or private school under the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P.S. §§ 1-101— 27-2702) and if the child is not enrolled and if the child is not exempted from enrollment under the Public School Code, a child day care facility may not admit the child for care during the hours when the child is required by law to attend public or private school. Details can be found in OCDEL’s announcement.
