August 29, 2025 OCDEL Announces Update on Children Being Picked Up and Dropped Off at School The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released an announcement to update certified child care providers on rules regarding care and supervision when children are picked up and dropped off at school. Learn More Under state law, children on facility premises are to be supervised by a staff person at all times. Supervision during pick-up and drop-off times for children must be clearly defined to ensure the safety and accountability of children and child care providers. OCDEL’s announcement includes updates on transfers from child care to school and school to child care: Child care to school: Unless otherwise stated in a written agreement signed by a caregiver, care and supervision are the responsibility of the child care facility until the child gets on a school bus or enters the school building. The transfer of child care processes or policy must be documented in the child care agreement or handbook. School to child care: Supervision by the child care facility begins when the child exits the school bus, once the child enters the child care bus or van, or when a staff member arrives to walk the child to the child care facility. To avoid gaps in supervision, all transportation arrangements that allow for unsupervised travel must be clearly stated, approved, and signed off by the caregiver. If, for example, a child is permitted to walk independently to school or the bus stop, this must be clearly stated in the child care agreement or handbook. Transfer of care processes or policy must be accompanied by a signed receipt from the caregiver documenting that they have received and read the handbook. For more information, read OCDEL’s announcement.
Trying Together Releases Fall 2025 Professional Development Catalog Trying Together has released its 2025 fall 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: Assessments and Supportive Services (Early Intervention) Child Development Classroom Environment Curriculum Development Family and Community Engagement Guidance and Behavior Management Health and Safety Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Professionalism and Program Organization For more information on how Trying Together can assist educators in their learning goals, email learning@tryingtogether.org or call 412-421-3889.
August 28, 2025 Upcoming Remake Learning Assembly to Host Students for First Time An upcoming Remake Learning Assembly event will for the first time include students attending alongside educators and community members. Learn More Remake Learning is a free peer network for educators and innovators in the greater Pittsburgh region that helps people connect, exchange knowledge, collaborate on ideas, improve their practice, and find funding to spark engaging, relevant, and equitable opportunities to enrich the city’s learning ecosystem. The Remake Learning Network Assembly has hosted events for nearly two decades, but on Friday, Sept. 26 will host an event during which students will be invited to join educators and community members. The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, will include hands-on exhibits and live demonstrations on learner-centered ideas being utilized in the region. Attendees will be able to explore innovations from classrooms, out-of-school time programs, libraries, museums, and more. Midway through the event, there will be a network update and celebration. The event is free. Those interested in attending can get tickets online.
August 27, 2025 Trying Together Asks Caregivers and Educators to Write Letters Advocating for the Importance of Play In recognition of the upcoming National Day of Play championed by the USA Affiliate (IPA USA) of the International Play Association on Sept. 20, Trying Together is asking caregivers and educators to take part in a letter-writing campaign to advocate for the importance of play for children in early childhood settings. Be an Advocate for Playful Learning Play-based learning and adequate recess time have been shown to support children’s health and holistic well being, aid in the development of executive function skills, improve behaviors, and increase academic knowledge acquisition. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the World Health Organization recommend one to three hours of vigorous activity for children each day and play-based learning as the primary instructional model for all of early childhood, birth to age 9, yet no state in the United States requires recess and most children in U.S. schools receive 40 minutes or less of recess per day. How Can You Help? Trying Together’s Advocacy Team recommends sending a letter to school principals, school board members, or other district leaders and mobilizing other members of the community to do the same. The Advocacy Team has put together a toolkit of sample letters to get started. Writers should be sure to include their own story and discuss why play matters to them. Letters can be sent by mail or email. Sample letters include ones for caregivers or teachers to administrators, ECE providers to school districts, formal memos to districts or birth to age 5 programs, and students. Another resource is a list of recommendations on physical activity by age. “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood“ -Mr. Rogers
Pittsburgh Residents Can Get 50% Discounts on PRT Options with ConnectCard Allegheny County residents can get a more than 50% discount on Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) options by applying for Allegheny Go’s ConnectCard. Learn More County residents can ride PRT’s buses, light rail, and other means of transportation for more than 50% off with the card. To qualify for the card, one must: Be an Allegheny County resident Be between the ages of 12 and 64 Have somebody in their household who currently receives SNAP benefits Those interested in applying for the ConnectCard can fill out an application online. On the application, choose the “Enroll using a ConnectCard” option. A 50% discount will be applied when fares are bought at ConnectCard machines throughout the service area, PRT Downtown Service Center, the ConnectCard online portal, and participating retail outlets, including most Giant Eagle and Goodwill locations. Allegheny Go can be downloaded to the Ready2Ride app on a mobile device. When applying online, select the “Enroll using the Ready2Ride app” on the application. For more information, visit the Allegheny Go website. Flyers for the ConnectCard are available in English and Spanish.
Resources for September Observances Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them. Here is a list of resources for September observances. Month-Long Observances Attendance Awareness Month Attendance Awareness Campaign 2025, Attendance Works Key Research: Why Attendance Matters for Achievement and How Interventions Can Help, Attendance Works Baby Safety Month PA Promise for Children List Focuses on Bedroom Safety for Children, Trying Together Safety and Emergencies: Family Resources, Trying Together Directory for Emergency and Safety Services, Trying Together Baby Safety Month Safety Tips, Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) 5 Tips for New Parents During Baby Safety Month, SafeKids.org Childhood Cancer Awareness Month What is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Free Resources from the American Childhood Cancer Organization, American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) Are There Disparities in Childhood Cancer?, New York State Department of Health Childhood Cancers, NIH National Cancer Institute Participate in a September Childhood Cancer Awareness Event, Children’s Cancer Cause Hispanic Heritage Month Family Guide to Discussing Race and Equity with Young Children, Trying Together One in Four Children Nationwide Are Latino, National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families Characteristics of the Early Childhood Workforce Serving Latino Children, National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families PLDIC Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Supporting Childhood Physical Health: A Guide for Families: The Importance of Exercise, Trying Together Preventing Childhood Obesity: 6 Things Families Can Do, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month: September 2025, National Today National Recovery Month National Recovery Month 2025, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Recovery Month, Community Care Behavioral Health National Recovery Month, Allegheny County Department of Human Services Celebrating Roads to Recovery, Pittsburgh Recovery Walk Newborn Screening Awareness Month Newborn Screening, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) What is Newborn Screening?, Baby’s First Test Newborn Screening Tests for Your Baby, March of Dimes About Newborn Screening, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Weeks of Recognition September 21 – 27 is Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week Car Seat Safety for Children, Trying Together Car Seats and Booster Seats Overview, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Safe Kids Worldwide Car Seat Guide Videos, Safe Kids Worldwide Boost Your Child Passenger Safety Knowledge and Skills Trainings, National Child Passenger Safety Board All Children Are Pedestrians: Prevention Tips and Recent Statistics, Children’s Safety Network at Education Development Center Days of Recognition September 6 is National Read a Book Day Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Releases 2025 Best Books for Babies List, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh PA Promise for Children Releases August Books for Children, Trying Together PBS for Parents Recommends Books from Around the World for Kids, Trying Together Children’s Books on Race and Equity, Trying Together Resource: Books to Celebrate Gender Expression, Inclusion, and Pride, Trying Together Children’s Books About Transitions, Trying Together Children’s Books About Mental Health, Trying Together September 22 is National Family Day Family Engagement Toolkit, Trying Together Family Guide: Family Dynamics, Trying Together Strategies to Support Social-Emotional Development: A Guide for Families, Trying Together Family Transitions and Routines: Resources, Trying Together Trying Together Releases Family Resources in Spanish, Trying Together Navigating Sibling Relationships, Psychology Today Foster and Adoptive Families: Supportive Strategies, PennState Better Kid Care Blended Family and Self-Parenting Tips, HelpGuide.org Keeping in Touch with Family Can Keep You Healthy, WebMD.com Healthy Communication in Stepfamilies, National Stepfamily Resource Center (NRSC) Get to Know Your Stepkids, National Stepfamily Resource Center (NRSC)
August 26, 2025 Early Childhood Educators Should Ensure Clearances, Mandated Reporter Training Updated for New School Year With the 2025-26 school year beginning, it’s time for educators to ensure that they are up-to-date on mandated reporter training and clearances. Some resources to help with this include Pennsylvania’s page for clearances and background checks, the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) announcement earlier this year on the Child Protective Services Law, and iLookOut, where they can find new online courses. Clearances Mandated reporter training is required every five years and is based on the date of an individual’s last certification. Under state law, public school employees are required to provide updated clearances every 60 months – or, five years. The three clearances include: Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check Federal Criminal History Record Information Clearances must be obtained for employees of child care facilities, any individual with ownership interest in a certified child care facility and those who participate in the organization, any legal entity applying to open a new certified child care facility, or any individual residing in a certified child care facility. More information on the background checks can be found on the state’s website. OCDEL Announcement Earlier this year, OCDEL Deputy Secretary Shante A. Brown sent out an announcement to inform certified child care providers of the requirements for child care facilities in the state and to clarify provision hiring requirements for those hired on or after Feb. 1. Aside from clearances, the announcement covered the following mandated reporter training topics: the minimum number of hours, providing evidence of completion, and the timeframes for obtaining or renewing the training. iLookOut Lastly, early educators looking to update mandated reporter training should visit the iLookOut for Child Abuse Project, which provides online courses about protecting and supporting children and their families free of charge. Visitors to the site will learn how to support at-risk children and meet required training with interactive, video-based storyline training. The site includes eight- to 12-minute micro-learning exercises and is available to all Pennsylvania-mandated reporters. iLookOut is a multimedia, online learning program that prepares mandated reporters to meet their professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities for identifying and reporting suspected child abuse. It engages learners through real-life scenarios incorporating video and narrative that raise concerns about possible child abuse.
The Importance of Routines and Tips for Enforcing Them with Children The Pennsylvania Key’s newsletter, Bright Start, Bright Kids, Bright Future, recently noted that the beginning of a new school year provides a great opportunity for caregivers to help children get into routines. Learn More After the summer – a season that, for children, provides more freedom than usual – it is important to ensure that children are getting back into routines. Doing so can create a sense of the familiar and stability. Routines can help to promote healthy and social emotional development. According to Bright Start, Bright Kids, Bright Future, routines can help children to: Make sense of the world and learn how it is organized Feel secure and safe when many things in their environment are constantly changing Develop their ability to regulate their own emotions and behavior Learn skills and internalize habits through repetition Learn self-discipline and develop personal responsibility Set internal body clocks through such actions as eating meals or going to bed at the same time every day Have a sense of independence and autonomy when much of what happens is out of their control Engage in fewer power struggles, arguments, or conflicts with caregivers Develop confidence and self esteem as various tasks are mastered Anticipate and look forward to what comes next Have continuity, consistency, and predictability in their lives, which is important in a world that is unpredictable Bright Start, Bright Kids, Bright Future also provided some tips on how to establish and enforce routines. Caregivers should create visual reminders or a picture schedule for a typical day. They should plan structured activity periods – for example, play a game right after a nap. Caregivers should break routines into steps – such as ordering activities when getting ready for bed: bath, pajamas, brush teeth, story time, and singing. It is also helpful to prepare a child for transitions from one activity to the next – for example, tell them that in a certain amount of time the next activity will commence. Developing regular routines for daily activities – meals, bed time, or quiet time, for example – is important. But caregivers should also be flexible and creative and try not to be rigid or unable to adjust to specific circumstances. Other resources include a Creating Routines infographic; Visual Supports for Routines, Schedules, and Transitions; and School-Age Learning Environments: Schedules and Routines.
August 25, 2025 Students in Trying Together’s Summer CDA Course Tout Program’s Relationship Building Students in Trying Together’s summer Child Development Associate (CDA) credential program said the program helped them to learn more about the early childhood education system as well as learn from each other. Learn More The summer CDA program was the first time Trying Together offered a hybrid course option with an in-person class in the beginning, the middle, and at the end. All other classes in between were virtual. Students met with instructors twice a week, every other week, for Zoom classes to review CDA course content and build their professional portfolio. The format of the summer program moved more rapidly than Trying Together’s typical CDA Program, condensing six months of content into three while still maintaining a high standard of quality. “I am grateful to have my CDA with Trying Together,” said student Rajlakshmi Ghosh Pal. “The whole team is just amazing. They are so helpful that I feel so confident after being in this class.” The students were motivated and excelled at relationship building with one another. Between the instructors and students, there was a sturdy support system in which they encouraged one another to keep pushing. As instructors presented course content, students shared their own experiences in their classrooms and suggested teaching strategies to each other. The instructors enjoyed seeing the community building between them and their students. “This program has helped me to implement different types of learning into my classroom to better help children learn,” student Madison Deithorn said. “I have also learned from classmates their way of teaching to try in my classroom.” Even though summer classes have wrapped up, the students are continuing to work hard by completing their CDA applications, taking the exam, and being observed in their classroom to showcase their work to earn their CDA Certificate. Student Maria McCoy said she was glad to have participated in the class and noted that “Trying Together helped me become more aware of the impact that I make in my classroom daily.” Another student, Denise Hazlip, said the class gave her a greater understanding of the early childhood education system. “Taking my CDA class has been a valuable and rewarding experience,” she said. “Throughout the course, I have gained a deeper understanding of child development, early learning standards, and the important role that educators play in supporting children and families. The class has not only given me knowledge, but also practical strategies that I can use every day in the classroom.”
Child Mind Institute Provides Resources for Children Making School Transitions Children will head back to school in a few weeks, and some of them will do so for the first time. The Child Mind Institute has put together a list of resources for caregivers who have children who will make a big transition this fall by starting kindergarten, middle school, and high school. Learn More The transitions for students starting at these levels can involve new schools, new routines, and unfamiliar faces. As a result, both students and parents can be anxious about these transitions. The Child Mind Institute outlines the specific challenges of each transition and offers tips for how caregivers can help children navigate changes. For children starting kindergarten, the resources emphasize the importance of building independence such as using the bathroom solo or opening snacks. It also provides strategies that children can use to calm themselves down when they are nervous. For middle school, the Child Mind Institute’s resources discuss how to handle an increased workload as well as social and emotional challenges that come with puberty. And for high school, the resources provide assistance with how to help build time management and study skills as well as guidance on how to handle situations involving sex and substances. For all grades, the resources also emphasize the importance of getting enough sleep. The Child Mind Institute’s resources include: Starting Elementary School Starting Middle School Starting High School Back-to-School Anxiety How to Work Well with Your Child’s Teacher Back-to-School Dos and Dont’s
