Select Language:
Search

Month: October 2024

News

October 30, 2024

Resources for November Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize various observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate these observances.

Here is a list of resources for November observances:

Month-Long Observances

CHILD SAFETY AND PROTECTION MONTH

FAMILY STORIES MONTH

NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH

NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS APPRECIATION MONTH

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Week-Long Observances

NOVEMBER 6 – 12 IS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK

NOVEMBER 11 – 18 IS NATIONAL HUNGER & HOMELESS AWARENESS WEEK

NOVEMBER 13 – 17 IS NATIONAL YOUNG READERS WEEK

NOVEMBER 20 – 26 IS NATIONAL FAMILY WEEK

Days of Recognition

NOVEMBER 2 IS INTERNATIONAL STRESS AWARENESS DAY

NOVEMBER 8 IS NATIONAL STEM/STEAM DAY

NOVEMBER 8 IS WORLD ADOPTION DAY

NOVEMBER 13 IS WORLD KINDNESS DAY

NOVEMBER 18 IS INTERNATIONAL STAND UP TO BULLYING DAY

NOVEMBER 20 IS UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY

News

October 29, 2024

The Buzzword is GLIDE

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 GLIDE, which means the path along which someone or something moves. Our GLIDE 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 “Some Bugs” by Angela Diterrlizzi with their child. Then, they should go through the different activities and ideas together, taking time to explain the meaning of the words and connecting them to their child’s real-life experiences.

We have also provided a GLIDE book list of recommendations from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for further reading.

View the GLIDE Activity Book and book recommendations.

More Information

Buzzword will hold a family-friendly event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. 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. 

News

LIHEAP Enrollment for Heating Bill Assistance Now Open

Those who need help paying heating bills this winter are able to sign up for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Learn More

The LIHEAP grant helps income-eligible families to pay their heating bills. Those who receive assistance do not have to repay it.

LIHEAP offers both cash and crisis grants. Cash grants are one-time payments sent to a family’s utility company or fuel provider to help pay their heating bills. The grants range from $200 to $1,000 and are based on household size, income, and fuel type.

Crisis grants are available for families experiencing an emergency situation involving the loss of heat. Families can receive more than one crisis grant, if necessary, until a maximum of $1,000 is reached. Crisis situations include:

  • Broken heating equipment or leaking lines
  • Lack of fuel
  • Gas or electric service that has been shut off
  • Danger of being without fuel within 15 days or have received a shut-off notice for gas or electric services

How to Apply

To receive help, families must apply between Nov. 4 and April 4. Those who apply do not need to be on public assistance or to have an unpaid heating bill. Applicants can either rent or own their home.

Applications can be completed online or by calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095 or PA Relay at 711 for the hearing impaired.

Those applying will need to provide:

  • The names of people in their household
  • Dates of birth for all household members
  • Social Security numbers for all household members
  • Proof of income for all household members
  • A recent heating bill

News

Report: Allegheny Landing to Receive $1M Grant for Play-Based Improvements

The Buhl Foundation is providing a $1 million grant for play-based improvements at Allegheny Landing along the riverfront, according to a report by Next Pittsburgh. 

Learn More

The foundation, a grantmaking nonprofit, donated the funding to Riverlife – a nonprofit focused on redeveloping Pittsburgh’s downtown riverfront – on Oct. 1. The play-based improvement project still needs an additional $1 million in funding, the report said.

A spokeswoman for the landscape architecture firm dwg said the goal of the riverfront redesign was to create a space for Pittsburgh residents of all ages.

Currently, Allegheny Landing features two sculptures by Ned Smyth – “Piazza Lavoro” and “Mythic Source” – that were erected in the 1980s. 

According to the report, Riverlife and the project’s other partners aren’t likely to add traditional playground equipment – such as jungle gyms or swings – at Allegheny Landing. Instead, they are focused on “artful play.” This could include features that encourage someone’s imagination to create their play space. 

Designs for the site suggest the possibility of water-spray features and a wooden stage. Gavin White, Riverlife’s director told Next Pittsburgh that the project was about 50% funded. Its designs are approximately 60% complete.

The full story on the plans for Allegheny Landing can be found on Next Pittsburgh’s website.

News

October 28, 2024

CSCCE Report Details Conditions for U.S. Early Childhood Workforce

The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) has released its Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024 study that examines working conditions for early educators across the 50 states.

This year’s study found that Pennsylvania was making strides in one area and modest improvement in two others – but was less successful in two other areas.

Learn More

The study notes that early childhood educators are primarily women – and often women of color – whose current working conditions undermine their well-being and create financial insecurity well into retirement age. As a result, these conditions lead to high turnover rates and teacher staffing shortages, which limit the availability of care for families.

The report finds that early childhood education is at a crossroads as the last American Rescue Plan Act funding dedicated to child care expired in September, broader pandemic relief funding is dwindling, and the 2024 election will bring new leadership.

CCSCE calls for greater investment in the early care and education workforce, noting that many early educators still struggle in poverty and programs are having difficulty recruiting and retaining staff.

State By State

The report grades every state on four qualifications:

  • Qualifications and educational supports
  • Work environments
  • Compensation and financial relief
  • Workforce data
  • Public funding

Pennsylvania was found to be “making headway” in the workforce data category, while seen to be “edging forward” in the qualifications and educational supports and work environments areas. However, the state was found to be “stalled” in regard to compensation and financial relief and public funding.

No states were found to be “making headway” in all four areas and only seven were determined to be doing so in more than one category.

The full report is available online.

News

OCDEL Offers Scholarship Through Pitt’s Infant Mental Health Certificate

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is offering a scholarship for professionals serving children and families in prenatal, infant, toddler, and preschool programs.

Learn More

The scholarship enables participants to take part at no cost in a pilot program through the University of Pittsburgh’s Infant Mental Health Professional Development certificate. It is aimed at the state’s licensed child care providers, Head Start/Early Head Start and PA Pre-K Counts programs. 

Traditionally, the course has been provided to Infant/Toddler Early Intervention, OCDEL-funded home visitors, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health, and Rapid Response team members. 

The course is being extended to providers as a result of ongoing discussions and evaluation of requests for professional development from the field. Its extension is due to the challenges faced by providers across the state who support the mental health and well-being of young children and families. 

The scholarship seeks to enable early learning professionals to partner with others and better support families in Pennsylvania.

Those interested can apply through The Pennsylvania Key on behalf of OCDEL’s Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development. The application for the 2025 Infant Mental Health (IMH) Certificate & Learning Circle – Scholarship closes on Nov. 15.

Information on applicant criteria, the approval and evaluation process for candidates, course consideration, registration information, the course structure, and FAQs can be found on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.

News

January Deadline for Placing Ad in Trying Together’s Dinner Program

Trying Together will host its annual celebration of early care and education providers in April 2025. Those interested in placing an advertisement in the event’s dinner program must do so by mid-January.

Learn More

The 2025 Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner will be held on Thursday, April 24. The event will celebrate the work that early care and education providers do for young children and their families.

The deadline for reserving an ad in the event’s dinner program is Jan. 17. Final artwork for ads will be due by Jan. 31.

Businesses, organizations, and individuals can purchase full-color advertisements for the dinner’s program book. Early childhood educators can also be added to the Recognition List in the program book.

The rates are:

  • Full-page ad: $400
  • Half-page ad: $200
  • Quarter-page ad: $100
  • Recognition list: $50

Those interested in purchasing an ad can reserve a space and pay with a credit card online. To be invoiced, call Kerry Chapman, Trying Together’s Assistant Director of Development, at 412-206-1053 or email her at kerry@tryingtogether.org. 

News

October 25, 2024

Trying Together Invites Families to Attend Early Intervention Forums

Trying Together is inviting parents and family members of young children in Allegheny County to open forums on Early Intervention.

Learn More

The forums will discuss recent findings relating to Early Intervention. They are aimed at Allegheny County families whose children are currently receiving Early Intervention or have received it in the past nine years. 

Families who attend will have the opportunity to share their reactions and experiences. 

The forums will be held on Zoom on two different dates: Nov. 7 at 12:30 p.m. and Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. Registration is required and now open for the Nov. 7 and Nov. 12 forums. 

All questions should be emailed to ashley@tryingtogether.org.

News

APOST Calls for Stakeholders to Fill Out Survey

Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) is calling on stakeholders to fill out a survey on its strategic visioning process.

Learn More

APOST is currently asking stakeholders to fill out two surveys regarding the visioning process:

  • A survey for those who work in an OST program or provide enrichment for an OST program (17 minutes)
  • A survey for APOST affiliates that do not directly provide OST services

Those who fill out the survey by Nov. 15 will be entered to win one of 10 $50 gift cards to a Big Burrito restaurant.

News

October 23, 2024

Upcoming Webinars Tackle Child Welfare, Early Care, and Health

Pritzker Children’s Initiative has announced a number of upcoming webinars that focus on everything from child welfare and early care to children’s health.

BUILD Initiative

On Oct. 17, a six-part webinar series launched on the BUILD Initiative’s exploration of how the child welfare and all PN-5 child and family serving systems – such as early learning, health, housing, economic development, and transportation – can align and work together to achieve better outcomes for children.

The series describes strategies that both systems can employ to support children already in foster care and examines the barriers to cross-system collaboration. It also highlights state and community efforts that prioritize preventative, upstream approaches to support young children and families at risk of child welfare involvement. 

Additional webinar dates for this series include:

  • Nov. 20
  • Jan. 16
  • Feb. 13
  • March 13
  • April: TBD

Registration is open online. More information will be available closer to the dates of the webinars.

Other Webinars

The Center for Early Learning Funding Equity will host a webinar titled “Early Learning Shortchanged” on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT. The webinar will include a discussion about how early care and education is funded in the United States and why it is challenging. It will also focus on how to track money raised across funding streams. Registration is now open.

Also on Oct. 24, Child Care Aware of America (CCAA), Better Kid Care, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will launch “Collaborating for Child Well-Being: A Toolkit for Local Health Departments and Early Care and Education Programs. This webinar, which begins at 2 p.m. CT, will discuss a toolkit that provides practical guidance, tools, and resources to support developing and sustaining partnerships between local health departments and early care and education organizations. Registration is now open.