News

May 10, 2023

May 12 Proclaimed Provider Appreciation Day

Friday, May 12, 2023, has been proclaimed as Provider Appreciation Day in Allegheny County.

About Provider Appreciation Day

National Provider Appreciation Day is recognized on the Friday before Mother’s Day to celebrate essential workers providing care to young children and thanking child care providers for their work.

Allegheny County Proclamation

Allegheny County Councilwoman Anita Prizio officially recognized this year’s Provider Appreciation Day with a proclamation at the Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 Staff Appreciation Luncheon on April 21.

News

May 8, 2023

PADHS and ACDHS Renewed Recommendations for End of Public Health Emergency

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration, which allows families and individuals to get COVID-19-related benefits and automatic coverages, will expire on May 11, 2023.

Many PHE benefits have already been terminated, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency allotments, which expired at the end of February 2023, and continuous Medical Assistance eligibility and enrollment, which ended April 1, 2023.

To better support families through this continuing transition, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PADHS) issued the following recommendations:

(This article was updated on May 10, 2023 to include new information on renewing coverage via mail).

How should families and individuals in Allegheny County respond to the end of PHE?

Continuous Medical Assistance eligibility and enrollment ended April 1, 2023.

Everyone on Medical Assistance and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will need to renew their application.

In April, PADHS began sending renewal information to recipients. Attempts to contact recipients regarding renewals will span a 12-month period.

Recipients will get information in the mail about renewing their Medicaid or CHIP coverage. When this packet arrives, they must complete and return it by the date printed on the packet. They can return it by mail or deliver it in-person at any local County Assistance Office. Recipients can also complete the renewal by phone at 1-866-550-4355 or online at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS.

PADHS may contact recipients through other means as well, including by phone. Regardless of how they are contacted, recipients will need to:

  1. keep their contact information up-to-date, and
  2. respond quickly to any correspondence that they receive, even if nothing has changed. Not responding will result in a loss of coverage.

This will affect everyone in Allegheny County who receives Medical Assistance and CHIP.

SNAP benefits ended in February 2023

During the PHE, all SNAP households received at least an additional $95/month. Without this additional support, more than 166,000 people receiving SNAP benefits in Allegheny County may need food assistance.

How can families and individuals prepare for this transition?

Families and individuals receiving Medical Assistance or CHIP:

Families and individuals receiving Medical Assistance or CHIP should update their contact information in COMPASS. The Department of Human Services will send important notices in the mail about renewals, so it is very important that contact information be up-to-date.

Log into dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS to update your contact information, or call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930, if you prefer not to use the online portal.

Families and individuals receiving SNAP benefits:

SNAP benefits have decreased, so some families and individuals may be struggling to secure enough food.

Anyone who needs food assistance can call 2-1-1 or look at the food bank’s food locator tool.

Households with pregnant individual(s) or children under the age of 5:

If someone in your household is pregnant or under the age of 5, WIC can help connect you to food resources.

Learn more about WIC at PAWIC.com and, if you are interested in WIC resources, fill out the pre-application on that page.

Additional Resources

Medicaid and CHIP

Community Care Behavioral Health is available to assist members and providers with eligibility questions and support. Members can call 1-844-488-5336. Providers can call 1-888-251-2224.

SNAP

Just Harvest can help people apply for SNAP, as well as other benefits.

For more information about SNAP Emergency Allotments, the February change, and how to report changes to benefits, visit dhs.pa.gov/SNAPCares.

Food Resources in Allegheny County

ELRC Region 5 has curated a list of food resources provided by organizations in Allegheny County.

To find the food list, visit https://elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/news/2023-food-resources.

News

Child Care Providers Invited to Participate in ‘Imagine a Day Without Child Care’

Throughout the month of May, the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Provider Advisory Board (PAB) is inviting Pennsylvania child care providers to participate in Imagine a Day Without Child Care. 

Presented in conjunction with the national Day Without Childcare movement on May 8, Imagine a Day Without Child Care offers advocacy activities for providers to engage their teachers, staff, and families in their early learning programs.

About PAB and Imagine a Day Without Child Care

Since 2022, the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Provider Advisory Board has aimed to elevate the influence of early care and education providers by strengthening the policy-to-practice feedback loop, and growing the network of providers willing to mobilize and advocate on behalf of the early childhood field.

Inspired by the Day Without Child Care movement, PAB introduced Imagine a Day Without Child Care to enable child care providers unable to close on May 8 to advocate for their programs and encourage families to raise awareness around the workforce crisis, as they care for children. 

This year, Imagine a Day Without Child Care will address the following themes:

  • Families on the waiting list aren’t forgotten, and we’re trying everything to get you in our doors. 
  • What will higher wages mean for our early childhood educators?
  • How can we give our families and staff an outlet and opportunity to share their stories?
  • Connecting the workforce crisis to those who are affected by it — but might not otherwise realize it — such as business owners.

Participate in Imagine a Day Without Child Care

To support provider participation in Imagine a Day Without Child Care, PAB developed a toolkit with posters, stickers, social media posts, and an action alert for families—both currently enrolled and on waitlists.

Access the toolkit on the Start Strong PA website and join PAB in Imagine A Day Without Child Care.

Learn More

May 8, and throughout the month of May, Strong Strong PA and Pre-K for PA encourage child care providers to use their voices to advocate for increased funding in the state budget to address higher wages for early childhood educators. Please tag Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA when posting, so these organizations can elevate provider posts and ensure elected officials hear this collective message.

To learn more, visit the Start Strong PA website.

News

May 4, 2023

Pennsylvania Key Launches Healthy Minds @Work Program for ECE Professionals

The Pennsylvania Key recently launched its Healthy Minds @Work Program and is encouraging early childhood educators to participate in a four-week, kick-off challenge.

Interested individuals can sign up for the program and enroll in the challenge until Friday, May 12.

About the Healthy Minds @Work Program and Kick-Off Challenge

Healthy Minds @Work is a virtual, self-paced, workplace well-being program and research study developed by Healthy Minds Innovation (HMI). Available at no cost to all early learning professionals through the Pennsylvania Key, it helps participants train their minds in skills associated with mental well-being and resilience. Additionally, the program aids HMI in better understanding experience with well-being through simple participant surveys.

The core of the program is an initial, four-week challenge consisting of several, short activities, personalized by user readiness. Activities center around HMI’s four pillars of well-being:

  • mindful moments
  • the power of appreciation
  • noticing troublesome expectations and beliefs
  • connecting to values

All activities are conducted via the Healthy Minds Coach, an online platform accessible on a smart phone or computer.

Upon completion of the four-week challenge, participants will have access to the Healthy Minds application, where they can continue their wellness journey with additional, 2-10 minute sessions which reduce stress and anxiety, decrease burnout, and increase connectivity.

Sign Up and Enroll in Healthy Minds @Work and Kick-Off Challenge

Sign up for Healthy Minds @Work on the HMI website or by visiting https://hmc.hminnovations.org/login.

Once users set up an account and complete the research survey, they will automatically be enrolled in the challenge and receive access to the Healthy Minds Coach.

However, interested individuals must sign up before Friday, May 12 to engage in the experience with other early childhood professionals.

Learn More

To learn more about Healthy Minds Innovation, Healthy Minds @Work, or the Kick-Off Challenge, view the Healthy Minds @Work PA Key Kick-Off Call.

News

Live Well Allegheny Launches “Rethink Your Drink” Campaign to Promote Healthy Water Drinking Habits

Live Well Allegheny has launched a campaign to promote healthier beverage choices called “Rethink Your Drink.” The campaign provides education on the effects of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, like sodas and most juices, and encourages water as the best drink option to build healthy habits in children and teens.

How To Participate in the Campaign

Allegheny County residents, schools, municipalities, afterschool programs, child care centers or providers, and community partners are encouraged by Live Well Allegheny to get involved in the campaign through a variety of methods.

Visit the Rethink Your Drink campaign webpage to find more resources and information, including a campaign toolkit. The toolkit includes:

Those interested in participating can access free campaign materials, including water bottles, through the Rethink Your Drink Campaign Request Form.

About Live Well Allegheny

Live Well Allegheny, an initiative of the Allegheny County Health Department, is a county-wide campaign to improve the overall health and wellness of Allegheny County residents.

Visit the Live Well Allegheny website to learn more about the program and the Rethink Your Drink campaign.

News

May 3, 2023

Ultimate Play Day Returns to Pittsburgh on Sunday, May 7

Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, alongside event partners Trying Together, Citiparks, and ZeroFossil, will host its annual Ultimate Play Day from 1 – 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 7. Ultimate Play Day is an opportunity for people throughout the Pittsburgh region to gather together, play together, and raise awareness of the benefits of play for everyone.

This year, Ultimate Play Day will be held at Lower McKinley Park in the Beltzhoover/Knoxville area of Pittsburgh.

Local partners and community organizations offer play activities for all ages each year. This year, more than 28 vendors are participating with hands-on playful activities, entertainment, and refreshments. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of “playful” activities from vendors, including ultimate frisbee, basketball, soccer, imagination/dramatic play with costumes, bean bag toss, oversized classic games like Connect 4 and Jenga, and plenty of arts and crafts projects.

Share the Ultimate Play Day flyer with your friends, family, and neighbors!

Ultimate Play Day is a part of Remake Learning Days. Remake Learning Days returns to Southwestern PA May 4 – May 23, 2023. A special thank you to Remake Learning for providing a mini-grant to The Collaborative for Ultimate Play Day.

SLB Radio Ultimate Play Day Interview

Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative was a special guest on the Neighborhood Voices show, hosted by The Saturday Light Brigade, to talk about Ultimate Play Day!

Assistant Director of Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative Adam James and Nicole Stevens from Beltzhoover Consensus Group joined SLB Radio to talk about this special day of play, why play is important for everyone, and how this event will connect neighbors throughout the City of Pittsburgh.

Visit the Ultimate Play Day webpage to listen to this interview.

Getting to Ultimate Play Day

Ultimate Play Day is the same day as the Pittsburgh Marathon. That means there will be adjusted traffic patterns to be aware of, but that won’t stop the fun!

You can find additional directions to get to Lower McKinley Park on the Ultimate Play Day webpage.

Check out this map provided by the Pittsburgh Marathon to check the rolling road closures and openings on Sunday, May 7.

Lower McKinley Park

Learn more about Lower McKinley Park and its history before Ultimate Play Day.

Check out this informational flyer on McKinley Park from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

Remake Learning Days

Remake Learning Days hosts 1200+ learning events reaching 150,000 families. The festival features events across the southwestern PA region for youth, families, grandparents, caregivers and educators to explore creative and fun ways of learning. For more information, visit remakelearningdays.org/southwesternpa.

Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative

Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative is a group of organizations dedicated to advancing the importance of play in the lives of children, families, and communities in the Pittsburgh region by raising awareness on play being a critical life element for people of all ages, educating decision-makers (from parents to legislators) to support access to play for all, and modeling play through various recreational and professional activities. For more information, visit playfulpittsburgh.org.

News

ELRC Requiring All Subsidized Child Care Providers to Submit Closed Days

Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC) are requiring all in- and out-of-state child care providers participating in the ​Child Care Works (CCW) Subsidized Child Care Program to provide their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 closed days.

CCW is managed by local ELRC offices, and closed days must be provided to them by May 15.

About Closed Days

The ELRC pays subsidized child care providers for a limited number of days that their facilities are closed, when those providers also charge private-pay clients for their closed days. During FY 2023-24 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), CCW will pay up to 15 closed days. However, these closed days must be provided to ELRC by the May 15 deadline. In no case will the ELRC pay for more than 15 closed days per year.

In-state and out-of-state providers using Provider Self-Service (PSS) have more flexibility to manage closed days than those not using PSS. Providers with PSS access may add, delete, or change closed days that occur in the current month, are planned for a future month, or that occurred in a prior month (even if the day is not an emergency closure), if the change is entered before the 6th of the current month. Requirements for changing closed days by providers not using PSS are described below.

Child care providers can register for PSS at pelican.state.pa.us/provider. If you have questions when registering for or using PSS, call the PELICAN Help Desk at 1-877-491-3818.

Providing Closed Days to the ELRC

Providers Using PSS

Providers using PSS must update closed days online. The ELRC will NOT enter the closed days for you. After accessing your PSS account:

  • Click “Provider Profile,” then “Manage Closed Days.” On the “Location Closed Days Summary” page, select “2023.”
  • Large, state-observed holidays will be prepopulated. Please indicate whether private-pay parents pay you for these closed days. If you are open on a prepopulated closed day, delete that day.
  • Enter the remainder of your closed days by clicking the “Add Closed Day” button, and indicate whether private-pay parents pay you for the closed days you enter.
  • Closed days must be entered into PSS by May 15.

Providers Not Using PPS

Providers not using PSS must complete Provider Agreement Appendix B and return their completed appendix to the ELRC by May 15. To find your local ELRC, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website.

Please note:

  • Once providers not using PPS identify their closed days, they may not change them.
    • Since providers not using PPS cannot change their closed days once submitted, you may want to limit the number of closed days you declare at the beginning of the year, in case you need to add closures later in the year.
  • If you initially choose fewer than 15 closed days and need to increase closed days at a future date, you may only do so by:
    • Notifying the ELRC at least two weeks prior to adding closed days.
    • Notifying the ELRC within three (3) days of reopening your facility following an emergency closure, such as a snow day.
  • If you do not return Provider Agreement Appendix B by May 15, all the commonwealth holidays will be entered as paid closures and will not be changed if you are open for business.

Learn More

Provider Profile

Providers located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who use PSS are encouraged to update their provider profile information through PSS. This information about your facility includes rates you charge your private-pay families, closed days, hours of operation, and activities offered. It is presented to the public through internet searches in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS). In-state providers who do not use PSS can contact the ELRC to update their profile information.

Out-of-state child care providers do not have a provider profile.

Additional Information

If you have any questions, please contact your ELRC at 412-350-3577.

News

May 2, 2023

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Releases 2023 Best Books for Babies List

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) recently released its 2023 Best Books for Babies list.

About the CLP Best Books for Babies List

Created by a panel of local librarians and child development experts, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s annual Best Books for Babies list serves as a nationally recognized guide assisting parents, teachers, and caregivers in selecting quality materials to share with their babies.

The list is meant to encourage parents and other caregivers to read to babies and to recognize the authors, illustrators, and publishers who create exemplary books for babies ages birth to 18 months.

Typically a list of 10 books, the 2023 list features 16 titles, with several book sets included. Boasting books on babies, animals, nature, relationships, language, and sleep, the list offers topics for every early learner.

Access the CLP Best Books for Babies List

To access the list, visit the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh website.

News

May 1, 2023

Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 Partnering to Offer First Aid & CPR Training

Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 are partnering to provide First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and automated external defibrillator (AED) training to early childhood professionals throughout June, July, and August.

Participants will receive training through a single, six-hour, in-person course offered on multiple dates and at varying times throughout the summer.

About the Course

This course emphasizes hands-on learning and provides life-saving skills in alliance with The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs.

Certification will be issued upon successful completion of the course. This certification is valid for 2 years.

Course Offerings

Courses are available:

Register via the links above.

Learn More

The cost of the course is $35. The course is PQAS certified and must be paid for in full before registrants can participate. Registered individuals will receive additional course information prior to the start of their registered session. Please make sure to read all information before the start of the course.

For questions about the sessions, contact Holly Cessna at holly.cessna@alleghenycounty.us. For credit questions, contact Paige Kizior at paige@tryingtogether.org.

News

EITA Offering Professional Development Opportunity on the Growing Brain

Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) is offering early childhood professionals a professional development opportunity to learn about brain growth in children from birth to five years of age.

Aptly named, “The Growing Brain: From Birth to 5 Years Old,” this virtual series details child brain development and shares ways to encourage healthy growth in young children.

About “The Growing Brain”

Decades of research indicate that the early years of life are a period of exponential brain development, characterized by great opportunity and vulnerability dependent on child relationships and environment.

In this series, participants will develop skills and strategies to:

  • understand the architecture and neurobiology of brain development
  • support language, cognition, prosocial behavior, and social-emotional development
  • and reduce toxic stress that can negatively influence brain development in very young children

Session Details

“The Growing Brain” is offered in several, progressive sessions. Each session is offered twice, and interested individuals can register and attend as many or as few sessions as they like. One PQAS credit is available for each session. Sessions include:

Factors Affecting Brain Growth & Development

In this session, participants will identify factors that negatively impact brain development, understand the impact of stress on the developing brain, and learn about strategies for supporting healthy brain growth and development.

Offered:

  • Thursday April 27 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday April 28 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Communication & Language Development

In this session, participants will understand communication milestones, learn strategies for supporting early communication skills, and understand multi-language learning.

Offered:

  • Thursday May 4 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, May 5 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Cognition & Executive Function

In this session, participants will review and summarize key cognitive milestones in brain development, as well as explore the layers of executive function and its importance in child development.

Offered:

  • Thursday, May 18 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, May 19 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Social-Emotional Development

In this session, participants will review key social emotional development milestones in children, as well as connect which areas of the brain are involved in social interactions and examine the role that relationships and attachment play in social-emotional development.

Offered:

  • Thursday, May 25 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, May 26 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Understanding Behavior

In this module, session leaders will discuss approaches for identifying the root cause of young children’s behavior and demonstrate effective strategies to address challenging behaviors in very young children.

Offered:

  • Thursday, June 1 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, June 2 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Everyday Play

In this session, participants will learn to understand the stages and types of play that unfold in early childhood, the role of the brain in this process, and how to maximize children’s learning through play.

Offered:

  • Thursday, June 8 | 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Friday, June 9 | 8 – 9 a.m.

Register for any or all sessions on the PD Registry.

Learn More

This series is presented by EITA Consultants certified in “The Growing Brain” curriculum, which was developed by Zero to Three Professional Development and Workforce Innovations (PDWI). PDWI aims to elevate the knowledge skills and abilities of early childhood professionals.

For additional information on this offering, view the flyer. For additional information on “The Growing Brain,” visit www.zerotothree.org/growingbrain or the PD Registry.