Proposed legislation introduced last week would amend the City of Pittsburgh’s Zoning Code to allow for child care facilities within single-family residentially zoned neighborhoods and accessory structures and to eliminate parking requirements for such facilities. 

Learn More

The Zoning Code defines a child care facility as “an establishment that provides care,  protection and supervision for children on a regular basis away from their primary residence for less than 24 hours per day.” It currently requires a “Special Exception,” to be reviewed by  the Zoning Board of Administration, to allow for child care facilities in single-family  residentially zoned neighborhoods.  

The proposed legislation will: 

• Allow facilities that will care for up to six children to be permitted by-right within R1D (single-unit detached residential) and R1A (single-unit attached residential) zoning districts. 
• Exempt child care accessory units from current home occupation standards when they take care of three or fewer children and where the home is the primary residence of the child care provider.
•  Remove off-street parking minimums and maximums for child care facilities.
• Add accessory in-home child care for three or fewer children where the home is the primary  residence of the child care provider to the list of exemptions for a record of zoning approval. 

Emily Neff, Director of Public Policy at Trying Together, applauded this effort by the Pittsburgh  City Council to make these crucial changes to the Zoning Code.

“Home-based providers play a  critical role in the early care and education landscape—offering smaller group sizes, more  flexible schedules, and usually, more affordability,” Neff said in a news release. “Often home-based providers serve the  families in their neighborhood, providing a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment for  children while families go to work. The proposed changes to remove barriers in the Zoning Code will allow for more home-based providers to open and operate. This will help the city increase access to quality child care and expand the options available to families.” 

For details, read the full news release distributed by the City of Pittsburgh.

Action Housing Inc. is providing funds for low-income homeowners in Allegheny County to make whole-home repairs to severely damaged households through the federal Whole-Home Repairs Program.

Learn More

The Whole-Home Repair Program is a federal program and available in counties across the Commonwealth.

Through the program, homeowners could receive up to $50,000 in funds to fix critical issues that pose safety issues to residents, like damage to the roof, windows, or foundation of a home. Money is also available to make modifications for someone managing a disability.

The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on Friday, November 17. No applications will be accepted after this time.

Who can apply? Who is eligible for a whole-home grant?

To qualify, an applicant must:

• own and live in a house needing repairs in Allegheny County.

• be living in a home with significant habitability issues like roof damage, unsafe electric wiring, or accessibility concerns.

• have a total income that doesn’t exceed 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Allegheny County. Please refer to the AMI chart to find AMI data.

How does the application process work?

1. Apply online on the Allegheny County Whole-Home Repair Program website.

2. If you are eligible and selected for a home inspection, someone from the Whole-Home Repairs Program will contact you to schedule it.

3. A Whole-Home Repairs inspector will visit your home to determine if the repairs qualify for funding.

4. If the inspector approves the repairs, Action Housing will connect you with a contractor certified by the Whole-Home Repairs Program to do the work.

To find a full list of FAQs, visit the Action Housing Inc. website.

Apply

If you meet the eligibility requirements and need financial assistance for whole-home repairs, apply now on the Allegheny County Whole-Home Repair Program website by Friday, November 17.

Learn More

The Whole-Home Repair Program is a federal program and available in counties across the Commonwealth. If you do not live in Allegheny County but are in need of financial assistance for home repairs, you can apply through an agency within your county. Find a list of agencies supporting the Whole-Home Repair Program on the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development website.

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.

Here is a list of resources for November observances:

Month-Long Observances

Child Safety and Protection Month

• Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series, Part V: Safety, Trying Together
  • Creating Safe Environments for Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children
  • Creating an Emergency Kit for Your Family
  • Discussing Emergencies with Children in a Non-Threatening Way
• Organizations Publish New Child Safety and Development Resources for Families and Educators, Trying Together
• New Food Safety Fact Sheets, Trying Together
• Child Safety and Protection Month: Make Safety a Reality for All Young People, The Educational Development Center

Family Stories Month

• Family Stories Month-November 2023, National Today
• Classroom Ideas for Family Stories Month, Boxlight

National Adoption Awareness Month

• National Adoption Month 2023, Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Foster and Adoptive Families, Trying Together
• Support Resources for Parents and Caregivers, Trying Together
• PA’s Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN), Department of Human Services

National Family Caregivers Appreciation Month

• Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series, Part XII: Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together
  • A Guide to Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others
• Support Resources for Parents and Caregivers, Trying Together
• Self Care Resources for Parents and Caregivers, Trying Together
• Navigating Difficult Emotions as Caregivers: A Guide for Families, Trying Together

Native American Heritage Month

• Native American Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month
• National Native American Heritage Month, U.S. Department of the InteriorIndian Affairs
• Resources For Teachers, Native American Heritage Month
• Native American Heritage Month Activities, Lesson Plans, and Printables, TeacherVision

Week-Long Observances

November 6 – 12 is National Children’s Book Week

• Buzzword Boxes & Activities, Buzzword Pittsburgh
• Reading Ready Pittsburgh Offers Resources For Families and Caregivers, Trying Together

November 11 – 18 is National Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week

• 2023 Food Resources, Trying Together
• SNAP Benefit Amount Increases October 2023, Trying Together
• The Facts, Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week

November 13 – 17 is National Young Readers Week 

• Reading Ready Pittsburgh Offers Resources For Families and Caregivers, Trying Together
• Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child? Child Mind Institute

November 20 – 26 is National Family Week

• Allegheny County Family Resource Map Highlights Supports for Locals, Trying Together
• Types of Family Structures, Trying Together
• Family Guide: Family Dynamics, Trying Together
• Tips to Practice Self-care as a Family, Mental Health First Aid
• The Story Behind Intergenerational Play, Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative

Days of Recognition

November 2 is International Stress Awareness Day

• 4 Tips to Manage Sandwich Generation Stress: Squeezed Between Parents and Kids, AARP
• How to Ask for and Receive Help, Trying Together

November 8 is National STEM/STEAM Day

• 5 Fun Ways to Celebrate National STEM Day and STEAM Day, Left Brain Craft Brain
• STEM/STEAM Day 2023, Holiday Calendar
• Why Is STEM Important in Early Childhood Education? American University

November 8 is World Adoption Day

• National Adoption Month 2023, Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Foster and Adoptive Families, Trying Together
• PA’s Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network (SWAN), Department of Human Services

November 13 is World Kindness Day

• World Kindness Day, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
• 7 Ways To Make Kindness A Norm In Your Daily Life, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
• Pre-K Kindness in the Classroom Lessons, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

November 18 is International Stand Up to Bullying Day

• Stop Bullying Now Hotline, The Cybersmile Foundation
• Office for Civil Rights Issues Fact Sheet on Diversity & Inclusion Activities, Trying Together

November 20 is Universal Children’s Day

• World Children’s Day, United Nations
• Universal Children’s Day Activities, Twinkl

The application period for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income households pay some energy costs associated with heating their home, opened November 1, 2023.

LIHEAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. LIHEAP provides a cash grant during the heating season to help families pay their electric bills.

Households in immediate danger of being without heat can also qualify for crisis grants. The cash grant is a one-time payment sent directly to the utility company/fuel provider to be credited to a family’s bill. These grants range from $200 to $1,000 based on household size, income, and fuel type.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet income guidelines for 2022-2023.

• One-person household: $21,870

• Two-person household: $29,580

• Three-person household: $37,290

• Four-person household: $45,000

• Five-person household: $52,710

• Six-person household: $60,420

• Seven-person household: $68,130

• Eight-person household: $75,840

Applicants must have proof of income for each adult in the household, a copy of their most recent utility bill, and the social security number of each adult in the household (and child, if possible).

Apply

Applications can be submitted:

• online using the COMPASS website.

• by downloading the LIHEAP application form at the Department of Public Welfare’s website.

• Filing a LIHEAP application at your local county assistance office.

The LIHEAP application period for both cash and crisis grants will remain open until April 28, 2024. For additional information, please visit the PA Department of Human Services website.

Parents and caregivers should be aware of several child-related product recalls.

Learn More

Here is a list of October recalls collected from the following major federal agencies: the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• Fisher-Price recalled Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Troublesome Truck & Crates and Troublesome Truck & Paint for choking and magnet ingestion hazards.
• YourHealthToolkit recalled Children’s Weighted Blankets for asphyxiation hazard. Item is sold exclusively on Amazon.com.
• Little Sleepies recalled Sleepyhead Loveys and Bandana Bibs for choking hazards.
• The FORT recalled Children’s Play Tents  for choking and laceration hazards.
• Rene Rofe Girl Children’s Blanket Sleepers and Hooded Robes for burn hazard and violation of Federal Flammability Standards.
• Cocco Candy and KGR Distribution recalled Cocco’s Candy Rolling Candy for being a choking hazard and causing one death.
• Candy Dynamic recalled Slime Licker Sour Rolling Liquid Candies for being a choking hazard.

More Information

For recall details, visit the links above or review the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration websites.

More Resources

To read more recall reports:

• September Recalls on Children’s Products
• August Recalls on Children’s Products
• July Recalls on Children’s Products

Category One encourages early care and out-of-school-time professionals to participate in the Early Care and Education (ECE) and Out of School Time (OST) Workforce Survey.

The Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives (DCI) has partnered with Category One Consulting (C1C), an independent research and consulting firm, to conduct the survey, which aims to gather your perspectives so they can be used to inform improvements for workers and the community.

 All responses will remain completely confidential and C1C will not share them with anyone at DCI or your organization. Findings will be shared in aggregate to inform overall improvements.

Survey participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of five $100 VISA gift cards. The survey is expected to take about 10 minutes to complete and will be open until Friday, November 17. Fill out the survey today!

Reading Ready Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization that supports the healthy development of young children by increasing access to age-appropriate books and encouraging families to start reading young. Reading Ready Pittsburgh offers many useful tools and programs for families and caregivers to amplify the desire for kids to start reading.

Resources

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library:

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a program where families with children ages birth – five can receive a free high-quality book each month. This program is offered specifically to families living in the Mon Valley and the City of Pittsburgh. Learn more and register for this program.

Reading 4K:

Reading 4K is a program designed to offer helpful tips for parents or caregivers with young children on reading. when signing up for this program, caregivers will receive reading tips three times a week that are personally crafted for their child’s development. This program is offered to all caregivers in Allegheny County. Learn more and sign up for Reading 4K.

Raising A Reader:

Raising A Reader is a national program that is based on the idea of book-giving. Families receive a red book bag from their child care program that contains age-appropriate books and after a designated amount of time, the families will bring the books back and receive new ones. Caregivers, learn more about implementing the Raising A Reader program at your program.

Request Books From Reading Ready Pittsburgh:

If you are a facilitator, caregiver, or teacher in need of books, Reading Ready Pittsburgh will help start a library in your classroom. They will also provide books for playgroups and replace worn-out books. Apply for new books.

The Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives (DCI) is seeking proposals for school-community partnerships. Through this opportunity, DCI intends to increase the number of available summer programming slots in Allegheny County for children completing kindergarten through seventh grade.

Learn More

DCI is interested in funding opportunities that create or strengthen school-community summer program partnerships in the Allegheny County communities that need them the most. DCI envisions funding a variety of proposals including, but not limited to:

• Start-up and operating costs to build a summer program in a community that lacks them, including costs associated with creating a school-community partnership, such as staffing, transportation, enrollment, and other coordination efforts.
• Funding for elementary and/or middle schools to expand work in summer partnership(s) with community-based organizations OR for community-based organizations to expand work in summer partnership(s) with schools.
• Systems-building efforts that result in additional school-community summer program slots. Programming should be responsive to the needs of the community and provide engaging activities that encourage regular enrollment and consistent attendance. The program should be easily accessible to all families and include a comprehensive schedule with limited barriers to attendance. 

A successful proposal must describe a plan for marketing and establishing formal referral pathways from the community and other partners. Proposers must design their proposed programming to serve a diverse population and with an explicit focus on equitable access for all children, including English learners, children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), children with medical or behavioral health needs, and families with transportation challenges. 

There is no limit to the total budget that applicants may propose; however, all costs must be justified and explained.

Apply

Access the RFP. Proposals are due November 29, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.

To view this RFP, submit questions, and/or submit a proposal, you must first register on Bonfire. If you have any questions or need assistance during the registration process, reach out to Bonfire Support via email at support@gobonfire.com.