June 5, 2024 Pittsburgh’s Adaptive Bike Rental Program Creates Cycling Access Pittsburgh’s Adaptive POGOH bike rental program – which provides cycling access for people of all abilities – is open for the summer two days per week. Learn More The program is open every Wednesday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Sept. 29. Rentals are for two hours and are offered at either 10 a.m. or noon. Adaptive POGOH offers a fleet of seven different adaptive cycles that are available for rent at one location in the Eliza Furnace Trailhead Parking Lot on Swinburne Street. The bike rentals are free during Adaptive POGOH’s 2024 pilot program. Rules and regulations include: Cyclists must accept POGOH’s terms and conditions to rent cycles. Riders must be 18 years or older. Riders must leave a credit or debit card with the attendant while they are on their ride. The card will only be charged if equipment is not returned or damaged. Riders may not return any cycles to POGOH stations, but rather to the Adaptive POGOH rental site at the Eliza Furnace Trailhead parking lot. It is the rider’s responsibility to ensure the cycle is returned on time. Cyclists must bring their own helmet if they choose to wear one. Helmets are not required, but encouraged. Cyclists should bring their own lock if they plan to leave the bike at any time. POGOH representatives will be on hand to assist with adjusting seats and providing a safety overview of the cycle. Those interested in using one of the cycles can make a reservation now. For more information, visit the Adaptive POGOH website.
June 4, 2024 Provider Agreements for Certified Child Care Providers Updated The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released updated provider agreements for certified child care providers. Learn More OCDEL’s Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development released the provider agreements (ELRC 24-01). Certified child care providers would have to complete and sign the new agreements, which will be effective August 1, 2024. The agreement establishes the terms of participation and payment between the payer and a certified child care provider that provides care to children who participate in the state’s subsidized child care program, Child Care Works (CCW). Changes made to the provider agreement and appendices include: Changes for terms of the agreement Changes for Article III conditions of the agreement Changes for Article IV ending the agreement Appendices Signature page More Details Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC) have sent all certified provider agreements via DocuSign or mailed them if requested by the certified child care provider. Providers who participate in CCW must read and sign the updated agreement, indicating that they agree to follow all rules within the agreement and appendices. They must return the signed agreement to the ELRC by Wednesday, July 31. Additional information on the provider agreement can be found on the Pennsylvania Key website. Additional Assistance If you need assistance completing your provider agreement, you can visit any of the addresses below: ELRC 5 Main Office 304 Wood Street Suite 400 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Tuesday, July 2, 2024 – open until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July, 16, 2024 – open until 6:30 p.m. M-F 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 412-350-3577 Kingsley Association 6435 Frankstown Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206 MWF 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Parking Available Buses: 77, 82, 86 Hosanna House 807 Wallace Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15221 M-F 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Parking Available Carnegie Library 1230 Federal Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Tuesday, July 9, 2024 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, 2024 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Street Parking Available Buses: 8, 11, 13, 16 Human Services Center Mon Valley 519 Pen Avenue Turtle Creek, PA 15145 M-F 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Parking Available Buses: 61A, 71D, P1 The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Parking Available Dates: Friday, June 28, 2024 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2024 – 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Monday, July 29, 2024 – 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Street Parking Available Buses: 71 D, 86B, busway P1 Duquesne EARN Center 2 Duquesne Plaza 99 Duquesne Blvd. Duquesne, PA 15110 Dates: First and third Tuesday of the month, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Buzzword is EXPERIMENT As part of Buzzword’s programming, we distribute our signature “BUZZ Boxes” to local families to help excite children from birth to age five as well as their caregivers about new words that are all around them. These family engagement kits come complete with a high-quality children’s book and enriching activities that support early literacy skills and development. This month’s Buzzword is EXPERIMENT, which means the test of an idea or method. Our EXPERIMENT Activity Book will give children – ages birth to five – and their caregivers the opportunity to connect through science, art, music, and early literacy activities. Caregivers are encouraged to read through “Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure” by Camille Andros with their child. Then, they should go through the different activities and experiments in the EXPERIMENT Activity Book. Time should be spent explaining the meaning of the book’s words and connecting them to their child’s life experiences. We have also provided an EXPERIMENT book list of recommendations from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for further reading. View the EXPERIMENT Activity Book and book recommendations. More Information Buzzword will hold a family-friendly event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 5. It will feature early literacy, science, art, and music activities. For more information, visit the event’s registration page. Want to learn more on how to get involved with Buzzword? Ask your local Allegheny County Family Center about the program, or email us at buzzword@tryingtogether.org.
June 3, 2024 Trying Together Kicks Off June Sustainer Campaign Trying Together is looking for 20 new donors to become recurring donors by the end of its fiscal year on June 30. Learn More Trying Together supports high-quality care and education for young children by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the individuals who interact with them. But advocating for quality child care isn’t something Trying Together can do alone. Trying Together needs your support so it can advocate, learn, and partner together to make sure caregivers and families have the resources they need to make the best decisions about their children’s early learning experiences. A recurring donation to Trying Together is a generous and easy way to sustain its mission. Monthly giving programs are cost-effective and eliminate the need for repeated solicitation efforts reducing costs for the organization. Automatic recurring donations can be set up by credit card or electronic funds transfer. To support high-quality care and education for young children in an ongoing way, there are four suggested monthly donation levels, including: Early Childhood Supporter ($5 per month, $60 annually) Early Childhood Sustainer ($10 per month, $120 annually) Early Childhood Advocate ($25 per month, $300 annually) Trying Together Champion ($83.33 per month, $1,000 annually) Recurring donors are asked to consider increasing their monthly gift amounts. However donors support Trying Together, they are making a difference. When supporters contribute to Trying Together, they help to create a future in which: All children have access to high-quality, early learning environments All families have the resources they need to support their children’s early learning experiences All caregivers feel valued Donate today and set-up recurring gifts on Trying Together’s website. For questions about donations, contact Kerry May, Assistant Director of Development, at 412-206-1053 or by email at kerry@tryingtogether.org.
Kindergarten Transition White Paper Highlights Regional Efforts Trying Together has released a white paper titled “Kindergarten Transition” that includes research on transition activities, possible policy opportunities, and recommendations to support effective kindergarten transition. Learn More The transition from pre-k to kindergarten is a critical point in the lives of young children and their families. However, during the 2021-2022 school year, 78% of three-year-olds and 65% of four-year-olds in Pennsylvania did not have access to a pre-k program. As a result, kindergarten was likely many families’ first entry into the school system as well as the first opportunity for some children to engage with classroom routines and socialization on a larger scale. Recommendations were made for state elected officials and local school district administrators. Some of these recommendations included: Requiring local transition teams Providing guidance on how to leverage funds Encouraging data sharing Advocating for full-day kindergarten Including parents and guardians in the transition process Ensuring high-quality, developmentally appropriate kindergarten Showing support for local pre-k and child care providers in providing pre-k Strengthening relationships and collaboration between early childhood programs and elementary schools Emphasizing culturally responsive practices Rethinking the possibility of school readiness Learn more about Trying Together’s mission of supporting equitable access to a strong kindergarten transition for all children across the region by reading the “Kindergarten Transition” white paper. Trying Together has joined the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and the United Way of Southwestern PA in a partnership known as Hi5!, which focuses on engaging all 43 public school districts in Allegheny County to develop and implement kindergarten transition plans.
Pittsburgh Spray Parks Open for Season Pittsburgh’s spray parks and playgrounds with spray features are now open for the summer. Learn More Attendees do not need to have swimming skills to enjoy the spray parks, which are accessible to smaller toddlers to pre-teens. Weather permitting, the spray parks’ hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through mid-September. The city’s spray parks include: Arlington – Arlington Playground, 1523 Fernleaf St. Beechview – Vanucci Playground, 1295 Orangewood Ave. Burgwin – Burgwin Playground/Burgwin Field, 328 Mansion St. Chartiers – Chartiers Park, 3793 Chartiers Ave. East Hills – East Hills Park, 2300 Wilner Drive Paulson – Paulson Playground, 1300 Paulson Ave. Shadyside – Mellon Park, 6601 Fifth Ave. Troy Hill – Cowley Playground, 1200 Goettman St. Warrington – Beltzhoover, 329 Warrington Ave. The city’s playgrounds with spray features include: Armstrong, Chadwick, Eileen McCoy, Frazier, Garland, Heth’s, Joe Natoli, Kennard, Larimer, Liberty Green Park, Leslie Park, Marmaduke, Moore Park, Nelson Mandela, Osceola, Springhill, Swisshelm Park, Wabash Park, and West Penn Park. For more information, visit the city’s spray parks web page.
