August 9, 2023 PA Keys Offering Virtual Coach Approach to Adaptive Leadership Trainings The Pennsylvania Key is offering virtual Coach Approach to Adaptive Leadership training sessions. Learn More Based on the ICF Core Competencies of Leadership Coaching for the PA Early Childhood System, this course will focus on the adaptive skills of aligning actions to values, and will build the critical thinking skills needed to support change and innovation in systems of care. Training Dates September 26-28, 2023 | Register 9/26/2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. 9/27/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 9/28/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. November 1 – 9, 2023 | Register 11/01/2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. 11/02/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 11/09/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. January 23-31, 2024 | Register 01/23/2024 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. 01/24/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 01/31/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. March 12-14, 2024 | Register 03/12/2024 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. 03/13/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 03/14/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The training is open to early learning program administration and staff, OCDEL, Pennsylvania Key, ELRC, Certification, and EITA staff. All participants will earn 15.5 PD hours. Topics include: Becoming and staying present, even in the midst of chaos and conflict. Identifying an engaged listener and how to become one. Asking powerful questions that unlock deeper responses to leadership challenges. Using communication and feedback to support adaptive work. Building personal and collaborative accountability within teams. Using leadership coaching skills in daily interactions. Creating ongoing opportunities for internal and cross-system collaborations. Increasing effectiveness with the Coach Approach. More Information For more information, view the course flyer or contact Barb Willier at barwil@pakeys.org or Rasheeda Coston at rascos@pakeys.org.
August 7, 2023 Imagination Library Restarted by Foundations, City of Pittsburgh Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a free book access program, is restarting in the City of Pittsburgh thanks to funding from the City and local foundations, including The Benter Foundation and the Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation. The free program sends one book per month in the mail to enrolled children ages birth to five at no cost to families. How to Enroll Families who reside in the City of Pittsburgh can enroll in the program by visiting the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library website. Families who were previously enrolled in the program will not need to re-enroll and should start receiving books again automatically. About the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Restart The program halted at the end of April 2023 for most city children after funding had run out. (A small group of children in three zip codes were still eligible to participate.) Reading Ready Pittsburgh, a local nonprofit that supports access to books and encourages family engagement through reading, will administer the program at the beginning of the restart period. Related Content & Resources Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Summer Reading Extravaganza 2023 2023 Summer Reading Programs for Young Readers Hill District Conducting Survey on Parent Engagement in Child Literacy Restaurants Add Books to the Menu with Summer Reading Programs Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Releases 2023 Best Books for Babies List 2023 Virtual Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip LDA of PA Offering Free Reading Tutoring to Children in Hill District Toolkit: Families and Schools Partnering for Children’s Literacy Success
Survey on New Proposed Rules for the CCDBG program The Office of Child Care in the Administration for Children and Families recently released new proposed rules for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, and early learning providers are invited to give feedback via a survey. About The proposed changes aim to lower families’ child care costs; improve child care provider payment rates and practices; and streamline eligibility and enrollment processes. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and PennAEYC will be submitting comments on the proposed changes. It is critical for those comments to center the wisdom, experience, and expertise of those in the early learning field. Thus, NAEYC created this 10-minute survey for the field. The survey provides some basic information about what the proposed changes would do and asks for feedback. The survey will close on Sunday, August 20.
Certification Rewrite Project Update The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) recently gave an update on its child care certification regulation rewrite project. About the Rewrite OCDEL launched the process for rewriting the child care certification regulations in October 2021. This rewrite is an opportunity for the early childhood and school-age community in Pennsylvania to co-create regulations in a way that builds stakeholder confidence in the process and: Increases alignment with quality improvement Promotes greater equity; and Decreases burden experienced by child care providers Get the updated project status in a recent video by Shante’ Brown, Deputy Secretary of OCDEL. Watch the video to find out when and where you can see a new draft of the regulatory package and have further input.
August 2, 2023 Trying Together CDA Program Available Looking to receive a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential? Trying Together is offering a CDA program at no cost to eligible early childhood professionals in Pennsylvania. A CDA Credential is the most widely recognized credential in the early childhood field and is a key stepping stone on the path to career advancement. The credential enables professionals to work in Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms, in addition to early learning programs across the United States, and provides opportunities for increased pay. Trying Together’s CDA Programs Trying Together is offering its Fall CDA program beginning August 29, 2023. A Spring CDA program will begin in February 2024. Participants can matriculate CDA program coursework into 9-12 college credits at Carlow University, CCAC, or Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC). Educators in the community based CDA program: participate in distance learning through in-person, online self-paced Schoology, and Zoom sessions complete 135 hours of professional development over six to nine months focused on the practice knowledge and skills needed to get credentialed receive individualized support from experienced instructors review current early childhood health and safety standards, ECE literature and resources, strategies on building positive relationships, strategies for implementing observations and assessments, etc. focus on the completion of CDA Credential Portfolio requirements, preparing for the exam, and completing the application process explore current early childhood theories, research, and best practices have access to laptop lending Apply Those interested in Trying Together’s CDA Credential Preparation Program should complete the CDA Credential Program Interest Form. NOTE: This form is for inquiry purposes only and is only available to professionals in Pennsylvania. After completing the form, a member of the Trying Together staff will contact you to determine your eligibility and identify a CDA pathway that works best for you. Learn More More information about the program and eligibility requirements can be found on Trying Together’s CDA webpage.
Summer Reminders from the Bureau of Certification The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) Bureau of Certification issued a newsletter with regulation reminders for child care providers to keep in mind during the summer months. About Though providers are required to comply with all regulations associated with their facility, the following regulation reminders addressed in the Bureau of Certification’s newsletter are specific to warmer temperatures and summer activities, such as: Ventilation Ensuring adequate hydration for children Indoor temperature requirements Water activity safety – swimming, wading, water play tables Supervision/ Child-staff ratios Transportation Read the full Summer 2023 newsletter for details.
Several OCDEL Announcements Deemed Obsolete Six Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Announcements issued in 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2017 are now obsolete. Learn More During 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2017 OCDEL issued Announcements to reflect requirements that evolved from trends at the time of distribution. Either the conditions that caused the Announcements to be issued no longer exist, the pertinent information has been added to the child care regulations, or is included in other document(s). The Announcements are: C-08-01: Capacity on Certificate of Compliance C-08-02: Proof of Liability Insurance C-08-05, Impact of Change in Equivalencies of CDA and CCP Credentials C-08-07, Compliance with Regulations Relating to Recalled Toys and Equipment and Affirmation Form (Attachment) C-11-02, Revised Child Care Staff Health Assessment C-13-01, Announced Renewal Inspections Scheduled within a 30-Day Range Read the full announcement for more details.
August 1, 2023 Wellness Grant Opportunity for Child Care Providers The Pennsylvania Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (PA NAPSACC) program is seeking licensed child care providers to apply for a children’s wellness grant. Applications are due by September 15 2023. About the Grant Through the project, providers should help children form positive nutrition and physical activity habits while in their care. The PA NAPSACC program focuses on obesity prevention practices and policies within early care and education settings. The program utilizes Go NAPSACC, an online, evidence-based tool, to guide providers through self-assessment, action planning, implementation, policy development, re-self-assessment, and reflection. Programs will also be linked with a Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) at no cost to the site. The CCHC will review current nutrition and physical activity practices and policies, assist with developing sustainable policies, and offer guidance for continuous quality improvement. Providers who participate and complete project requirements will receive up to $500 in grant funding to support staff time and/or any materials and resources needed. For STAR 3 and 4 programs, participation in all components of the PA NAPSACC Wellness Grant satisfies Keystone STARS performance standard LM.3.4.10 (utilizing a health care consultant to establish and maintain health policies above those required by certification) as well as bonus points area Partnerships with Families and Communities (participating in an organized effort to promote nutritional health for children). APPLY Applications are due September 15, 2023, and chosen participants will be notified on September 29, 2023. Details are available on the Keystone Kids Go website. To apply, please complete and submit the electronic application. For more information, contact Cindy Wilson at Tuscarora Intermediate Unit, at 717.248.4942 x 143 or cjwilson@tiu11.org.
Grandfamily Tip Sheets Provide Information on Self-Care and Youth Mental Health Generations United, with support from Humana, recently developed tip sheets on self-care and youth mental health for grandfamily caregivers. Tip sheets include specialized information and resources for grandfamilies and grandparents who care for young children. About Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheets According to Generations Untied, there are 2.6 million children in the U.S. living in households headed by a grandparent, another relative, or close family friend without a parent present. Consequently, these families, often referred to as “grandfamilies,” require unique supports. Tip sheets, tailored to grandfamilies, serve Generations United’s mission to improve the lives of children, youth, and older people through intergenerational collaboration. Thus far, two grandfamily caregiver tip sheets have been developed: Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Self-Care, and Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Youth Mental Health. Both are available in English and Spanish. Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Self-Care The grandfamily caregiver tip sheet on self-care: defines self-care, explains the need for grandfamily self-care, estabilishes challenges grandfamilies face in receiving self-care, provides self-care tips for grandfamily caregivers, and, also provides examples of self-care. Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Youth Mental Health The grandfamily caregiver tip sheet on youth mental health: explains the impacts of childhood trauma, shares recommendations on mitigating the impact of trauma, highlights warning signs of child mental health challenges, shares recommendations for talking to children about mental health, and, additionally, provides mental health resources. Access the Tip Sheets To access the tip sheets, utilize the following links: Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Self-Care (English) Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Self-Care (Spanish) Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Youth Mental Health (English) Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheet: Youth Mental Health (Spanish) Additionally, tip sheets are available on the Generations United website. Learn More To learn more, visit the Generations United website. Related Content & Resources Types of Family Structures Support Resources for Parents and Caregivers Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Family Dynamics Grandparent Council Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Caring for the Caregiver A Guide to Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Childhood Mental Health A Guide for Families: Childhood Mental Health
