March 5, 2025 YWCA Racial Justice Challenge to Kick Off on March 31 The YWCA’s 2025 Racial Justice Challenge digital initiative will offer nearly a month of activities aimed around raising awareness of social justice issues. It runs from March 31 to April 28. Learn More The YWCA’s free initiative is designed to help to build community and teach participants more about racial justice. Those who take part will be able to access such activities as reading articles or listening to podcasts. The challenge is the action component of the Until Justice Just Is campaign, which takes place in April and raises awareness of systemic racism and how to take action to advance justice. It was created in 2019 by the YWCA Greater Cleveland. Returning for its fifth year, the challenge is also designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, especially those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. It also aims to foster personal reflection, encourage social responsibility, and motivate participants to identify and act on ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. During the course of the challenge, new content will be released each weekday and participants who log onto the challenge’s app or visit the website will have access to activities. To learn more about how to participate in the 2025 YWCA Racial Justice challenge or to learn about sponsorships, visit the challenge’s website.
Trying Together Releases Winter 2025 Professional Development Catalog Trying Together has released its 2025 winter catalog to help educators find professional growth opportunities that align with their career goals. The catalog provides course details and credentials. Learn More In the past year, Trying Together awarded nearly 4,500 PQAS credits to support continuous improvement in early learning programs. It aims to increase the number by regularly updating its Professional Development Catalog to make it easier for educators to continue to learn. All courses listed in the catalog are led by a certified PQAS instructor and are Act 48 approved. The courses are broken down into nine sections: Basics of Learning and Engagement Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Assessments and Supportive Services (Early Intervention) Behavior and Social-Emotional Learning Everyday Interactions Matter (EIM) Health and Safety Advocacy and Public Policy Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Professionalism in Practice For more information on how Trying Together can assist educators in their learning goals, email learning@tryingtogether.org or call 412-421-3889.
March 4, 2025 Public Source: Tutoring Program Makes Reading Fun to Bridge Literacy Gap An initiative of the Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania (LDA) is incorporating everything from movement to sandboxes and balls to make reading fun and, in the process, bridge the literacy gap for low-income students, Public Source wrote in a recent report. Learn More The LDA’s reading intervention initiative is divided into two programs: Early literacy tutoring, which offers group learning for children who need help reading between kindergarten and second grade One-on-one reading intervention for students of any age State and city statistics show that the LDA initiative is needed. Pennsylvania fourth graders who were kindergarteners at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic scored lower in reading than fourth graders in 2019, Public Source reported. And third-grade reading proficiency is at 46.2% – which is 1.6% lower than last year – in Pittsburgh Public Schools’ largest school district. A Multi-sensory Approach LDA’s reading programs use a multi-sensory approach that incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses to aid reading, Public Source reported. Students in Taylor Erickson’s class at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Hill District branch take part in “sky-writing.” They are encouraged to stand up, wiggle their bodies, and use their arms like pencils to trace letters. For more information on the LDA initiative, which provides free tutoring for both reading programs, read Public Source’s story.
Gainey Provides Update on Residential Housing Registration Program Pittsburgh’s Mayor Ed Gainey has provided an update on the voluntary registration period for the Residential Housing Rental Registration Program that began in December. Learn More The registration period began in mid December and lasts until June 1. The program is designed to uphold high standards of safety, health, and habitability in the city’s rental properties. In December, a judge reviewed the city’s plans to open the program to voluntary registrations. A court order allowed the city to proceed with the efforts and required no action other than enforcement. Gainey said the city is in compliance with the court order. To date, the city has received 130 voluntary applications from property owners, including out-of-state landlords, who are seeking to register their rental properties. This early phase demonstrated that many properties involved are owned by individuals residing outside of Pennsylvania. Managed by the city’s Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI), the program will enable the systematic registration and inspection of residential rental properties to ensure that all tenants and visitors in Pittsburgh live in safe spaces. The registration process will also extend to short-term rental properties listed on platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo. PLI inspections will verify compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code, which sets minimum standards for reasonable safety and livability levels. Additionally, rental units must meet basic standards for habitability, including functioning heat, electricity, and running water. A total of 130 properties have sent in applications, of which 13 have already scheduled and received inspections. For the remaining units, property owners have 90 days from the date PLI approves the application to choose an inspection date. If they do not choose one, PLI will contact the applicant to schedule the inspection. Of the units already inspected, five passed inspection and received a rental permit, while seven remain in the inspection process. The most common issue for those that did not pass initial inspection was noncompliant flexible dryer vents, which create risks of fire, mold, and malfunction. Property owners may voluntarily register their rental units through June 1. After that date, PLI will begin enforcement actions for properties that do not hold a valid rental permit. Property owners can register rental units through the OneStopPGH portal or in person at the OneStopPGH counter at 412 Boulevard of the Allies.
March 3, 2025 ELRC Region 5 Teams Pack Kits at Western PA Diaper Bank The ELRC Region 5 Quality Coach and Early Learning Program Engagement Specialist (ELPES) teams packed diaper kits and other materials last week that will be distributed to local families. Trying Together is the quality partner to the ELRC Region 5. On February 28, Trying Together’s teams packed diaper and period kits at the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank. The kits will be sent to local social service agencies that will distribute them to families in need in the region. The teams wrapped more than 8,000 diapers and packed several hundred period kits. The event also included some team-building activities for participants. Lisa Hall, ELRC Director of Early Learning Program Engagement, said that the initiative began in 2021 when the ELPES team began volunteering for the diaper bank at the Kingsley Association, one of ELRC Region 5’s satellite sites. “It was a wonderful experience and we enjoyed it, so we’ll volunteer once a year at the diaper bank,” Hall said. “The ELRC downtown office now serves as a diaper bank and formula distribution center. This expanded capability enables the ELRC to further support families in need and continue our commitment to community service.” For more information on donating or obtaining diaper or period kits, visit the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank’s website.
ELRC 5 to Host Free Developmental Screenings for Children ELRC Region 5 will host two upcoming Ages & Stages Questionnaires developmental screening events for children. Learn More The screenings are intended for families with children between the ages of two months and 5 years. The screenings will be held on the following dates: Friday, April 11 at Hosanna House, located at 807 Wallace Avenue in Pittsburgh Wednesday, April 16 at 304 Wood Street, Suite 400, in Pittsburgh Both screenings will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Screenings can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, and results are immediately provided. Staff will be able to make referrals for full evaluations and developmental resources, if necessary. For more information or to request an appointment, families should email elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or call 412-350-3577.
February Recalls on Children’s Products Parents and caregivers should be aware of several child-related products recalls. Learn More Here is a list of January recalls collected from the following federal agencies: the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tri-Union Seafood recalled selected canned tuna products sold under the Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B, and Trader Joe’s brand names. The recall is out of caution following notification from a supplier that the “easy-open” pull tab can lid on limited products encountered a manufacturing defect that may compromise the integrity of the product seal, causing it to leak or be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. Naturipe Value Added Fresh LLC recalled its 2.1 oz./60 gram packages of Berry Buddies, Berries & Pancakes bento box snack packs because they contain wheat and eggs that were not declared on the label. Pella recalled its sliding patio doors and windows due to battery ingestion hazards. The products violate the mandatory federal regulations for consumer products containing button cell or coin batteries because the sliding doors’ sensor panel and the windows’ remote control have button cell batteries that can be easily accessed by children. UVIPC Baby Gates were recalled due to entrapment hazard. The baby gates violate federal safety regulations for expansion gates and expandable enclosures. For the versions with a pet door, a child’s torso can fit through the secondary opening and, for other versions, a child’s torso can fit through the opening between the gate slat and side wall. These violations post an entrapment hazard. Sunkids Factory recalled its sling carriers due to fall hazards. The carriers violate the federal safety regulations, including requirements for structural integrity and occupant retention. Thy Trading Company recalled its roll-up window blinds due to strangulation and entanglement hazards. The blinds have long operating cords that can cause death or serious injury to children. Target recalled its Spritz Resin Hanukkah Dino Menorahs due to fire hazards. The menorahs can burn or catch fire when holding lit candles. 6-in-1 Pounding Games were recalled due to ingestion hazards. The games violate mandatory federal regulations for magnets because the one it contains can come loose, posing an ingestion hazard to children. AFTCO recalled its youth solitude jackets with drawstrings due to strangulation hazards. The drawstring can get caught on objects and cause death or serious injury to children. SHEIN Distribution Corporation recalled its children’s pajama sets due to burn hazards. The pajamas violate federal flammability regulations for children’s sleepwear. Nazzaro recalled its children bowling pin sipper cups due to risk of lead poisoning. The red tape on the bowling pin sipper cups contains levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban.
Brazelton Touchpoints Center to Host Session for Library Professionals Brazelton Touchpoints Center is hosting an upcoming training session for library professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of early childhood development. Learn More The training session will enable participants to learn skills to build stronger library-family relationships and promote family wellness. The 28-hour online course supports effective family and caregiver engagement in libraries. Participants in the course will learn: Increased understanding of a child’s developmental process from birth to 6 years How to engage with and support families in daily library interactions Strengths-based and culturally responsive strategies to connect with families and co-workers A shared language among library staff about engaging families and caregivers More Details The course consists of eight modules (2.5 hours each) and six monthly reflective pracatice sessions (one hour each). The live session dates will be held on eight Thursdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m. ET. The dates include: April 3 April 10 April 17 April 24 May 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 Attendance is required at all live sessions, which will not be recorded. Seats are limited to 20 participants, so those interested in attending should register now.
