News

March 11, 2025

PA Promise for Children Releases Tips on Staying Healthy in the Spring

PA Promise for Children has released a list of tips for families on how children can stay healthy during the spring.

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Each of PA Promise’s tips are accompanied by an article on the topic.

One suggestion for families is to plant a garden, which can provide such benefits as healthy eating, physical activity, and the application of science and motor skills. Another tip is to use the natural world as a learning tool to create time and space for play in nature.

Ensuring that children are dressed appropriately for outdoor play is another item on the list. Spring weather can change quickly – from warm temperatures to cooler ones or rain – so guardians should make sure that children have the clothing to stay dry and comfortable.

Another safety tip involving the outdoors is avoiding high exposure to pollen by keeping the home and car clear of it. Guardians should clear children’s clothing of outdoor pollen residues and be aware of a child’s particular allergies.

When it comes to snacks and meals, adults should ensure that children are getting their share of seasonal fruit and vegetables. These taste better, are better for one’s health, and are good for the environment.

For more information, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.

News

March 10, 2025

PA Promise for Children Releases March Booklist for Preschoolers

Pennsylvania Promise for Children has released its list of March books for preschoolers across four different categories.

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PA Promise for Children’s list includes books for preschoolers across the categories of language and literacy skills, social and emotional development, social studies thinking, and mathematical thinking and expression.

The March selections include:

Language and Literacy Skills

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale (Steven Guarnaccia)
Iggy Peck, Architect (Andrea Beaty)

Social and Emotional Development

Bear’s New Friend (Karma Wilson)
Froggy Gets Dressed (Jonathan London)

Social Studies Thinking

One Watermelon Seed (Celia Lottridge)
Big and Little (Steve Jenkins)

Mathematical Thinking and Expression

So Many Circles, So Many Squares (Tana Hoban)
When a Line Bends… A Shape Begins (Rhonda Gowler Greene)

To view the entire list, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.

News

Parents Should Gather These Documents Before Registering Their Child for Kindergarten

While each school district has its own process for kindergarten registration, there are specific documents that are required of most families to supply.

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Kindergarten registration kicks off in the spring for school districts in Allegheny County and the region. To find out when registration opens in your district, visit the state Department of Economic Development’s municipality website.

On that website, parents can enter their street address, city, and ZIP code to find their municipality. More resources on the transition to kindergarten can be found on PA Promise for Children’s website.

Required Documents

Parents should check with their school district regarding processes and requirements specific to the district. However, most families will need to supply the following documents when they register their child:

Their child’s birth certificate
Proof of residency (such as a utility bill or copy of a lease)
Vaccination records (the state’s Department of Health has a list of vaccines that your child needs)
Any forms required by the school district, such as an application or emergency contact list

For more information on kindergarten registration, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.

News

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.

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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.

News

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.

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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.

News

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.

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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.

News

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.

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ELRC 5 to Host Free Developmental Screenings for Children

ELRC Region 5 will host two upcoming Ages & Stages Questionnaires developmental screening events for children.

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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.

News

February Recalls on Children’s Products

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

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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.