Trying Together is in the process of creating an Early Intervention (EI) Toolkit to strengthen the collaboration between early intervention, child care, and families with young children. To guide that, Trying Together created a survey to learn more about day-to-day experiences and collaborations between early learning programs, EI providers, and families with young children.

About

EI services and supports are available to infants and young children (younger than age five) with developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Services may include but are not limited to: service coordination, special instruction, speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. EI services build upon natural learning opportunities that occur during a child’s everyday activities and routines. EI services are designed to be collaborative between the EI providers and the caregivers in a young child’s life

Survey feedback will directly support the development of an interactive and engaging EI toolkit to provide additional support, tools, and resources. 

Who is the Survey For?

• Early care and education programs (leadership and/or teachers) who have young children enrolled who currently receive OR have recently (within the past six months) received EI services while in your care.
• Early Intervention Providers/Therapists (part B and part C) who provide services to young children at early care and education programs.
• Service Coordinators (part B and part C) who coordinate EI services for families who utilize early care and education programs.
• Families whose young children receive EI services while attending an early care and education program.

Take the Survey

Take the online survey now. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Ten respondents will be randomly chosen to win a $100 gift card. 

To schedule a phone interview to complete the survey or if you have any questions, please contact ashley@tryingtogether.org or call ‪412.567.4173.

On Wednesday, October 11, lawmakers with the state’s Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) heard testimony in Pittsburgh from education experts across a variety of topics.

The goal of BEFC is to review the distribution of basic education funding across school districts in Pennsylvania. Emily Neff, Director of Public Policy at Trying Together delivered testimony on early childhood education and the need to support workforce shortages.

Neff addressed the lack of funding and resources that are being put forth to support early childhood programs and educators and the implications it has on children, families, and our society.

Learn More

Read the full article: “Pa.’s school funding model inhibits career and technical education growth, educators tell lawmakers“

Read the full written testimony by Neff. 

Start Strong PA is working to help early care and education providers address issues related to waitlists, high cost of care, teacher shortages, closed classrooms, and low pay with its Speak Up! for Child Care campaign.

About

Start Strong PA has created a series of social media prompts, posters, and action alerts for early care and education professionals, families, and community supporters. The Speak Up! for Child Care campaign aims to help families and teachers tell their story and advocate for increasing state investments.

Materials are available in English and Spanish for:

• Families with children on program waitlists
• Families struggling to afford high-quality care
• Teachers who aren’t earning a livable wage
• Directors/teachers whose centers are short-staffed

For more information, visit startstrongpa.org/speak-up-posters-stickers.

Certified child care providers in Pennsylvania can still order two complimentary First Alert carbon monoxide detectors from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).

The detectors are available to all certified child care providers in the state who want them. However, providers do not need to order or place the detectors.

Why is OCDEL offering carbon monoxide detectors?

In October 2022, a carbon monoxide leak occurred in a Pennsylvania child care facility. OCDEL is providing this opportunity for providers who want to increase the safety of their staff and the children in their care.

How do I order carbon monoxide detectors for my child care facility?

School Health, a national provider of health supplies, sent an email to all certified child care providers in Pennsylvania. The email, sent from reply@email.schoolhealth.com, included a unique promotional code and instructions on how to order the carbon monoxide detectors.

Providers interested in ordering the detectors should follow the instructions in the School Health email to place their orders. The provided promotional code will cover the cost of purchase and shipping for two detectors.

Please note:

• School Health promotional codes are unique. Child care providers should not share promotional codes or forward the School Health email to other child care providers.

• OCDEL will only cover the cost of this one-time purchase and will not cover any other costs. Additional costs not covered include costs to replace lost or broken devices.

Who can I contact with questions?

If you have any questions, or did not receive an email with a promo code, please contact Kristi Leahy from School Health at kleahy@schoolhealth.com or 630-339-7943.

The topic of childhood vaccines is on parents’ minds more than ever but also has become more sensitive for educators to discuss with families than many other concerns. Penn State Extension Better Kid Care is hosting webinars for early childhood educators, family child care professionals, and out-of-school-time professionals about how to discuss childhood vaccines with families.

Learn More

The webinars will dive into why these conversations are uncomfortable at times and how professionals can approach them in ways that stay true to fact-based information while also preserving their relationships with families.

Some families who have complied with vaccination requirements at ECE programs may still have questions or concerns that can be alleviated. Other families who have opted for or are considering exempting their child from vaccines may be open to changing their decision based on information shared with them in a non-confrontational way.

Participants will:

• Identify strategies for ECE professionals to address the most common reasons that families give for being hesitant about child vaccines.

• Explore communication strategies for addressing the topic of vaccines with hesitant families.

• Identify trustworthy, family-friendly sources of information about child vaccines and effective ways of sharing them with families.

Webinar Details

• Thursday, 10/26 | 6:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, 11/07 | 1 p.m.

• Wednesday, 11/08 | 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

• Thursday, 11/09 | 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, 12/05 | 1 p.m.

Registration is available online. There is no cost to attend. To register by phone, call 1.877.345.0691.

It can be intimidating for families and caregivers of young children to have open conversations about their child’s development with pediatric health care providers, early care and education providers, home visitors, or early interventionists.

The Brazelton Touchpoints Center has developed several different roadmaps to help families and caregivers navigate conversations to ensure the safety and well-being of their child.

For Pediatric Primary Care Providers

For Home Visitors

For Early Care and Education Providers

For Early Interventionists

• Development is a Journey Conversation Roadmap
  • Download in full color (PDF)
  • Download in blue (PDF, printer-friendly)
  • Download in gray (PDF, printer-friendly)
• Implementation Guide (PDF)

For staff who utilize Developmental Monitoring checklists