News

February 4, 2026

OCDEL Offering Free Little Library for State-Certified Early Learning Providers

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is offering state-certified early learning providers the opportunity to request a Little Library at no cost for their program and community.

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The opportunity is voluntary and open to all Pennsylvania-certified providers, including child care centers, family child care homes, state Pre-K Counts, Head Start, and Early Head Start programs. Quantities are limited to one library per physical location.

Little Libraries are small, free book-sharing boxes that allow community members to “take a book, share a book.” Their aim is to increase access to reading materials, encourage family engagement, and promote a love of reading.

For early learning programs, a Little Library can be an additional way to support early literacy while reinforcing the program’s role as a trusted community leader and resource.

While placement of the Little Library is up to each recipient, OCDEL encourages locations that allow for public access to maximize community impact. This could include placement near a program entrance, along a sidewalk, or in another visible, welcoming space.

Programs that receive a Little Library will be responsible for maintaining and restocking books over time. To help each program, OCDEL will provide the first nine books. In addition, the first 500 programs to submit a request will also receive a copy of the previous PA One Book selection.

Those interested in adding a Little Library to their program can do so online. To prepare to set up a Little Library, visit the Pennsylvania Key’s website for tips and additional resources.

News

Saint Vincent College to Host Professional Development Event Centered Around Fred Rogers

The Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College will host frED Camp, an event that attempts to put Rogers’ ideas into action, on Saturday, March 21.

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One of Rogers’ – who is best known as Mister Rogers – principals was that learning rooted in relationships, curiosity, and care helps children thrive. The frED Camp will explore what it will look like to bring Rogers’ beliefs into classrooms, libraries, early learning spaces, and homes.

The free professional development event is intended for educators of all kinds. Attendees will have exclusive access to the Fred Rogers Archives, which is home to more than 22,000 artifacts from Rogers’ personal and professional life.

In addition to a self-guided archive experience, all participants will take part in an opening workshop led by Emma Lee, director of the Fred Rogers Institute, and other workshops by local organizations.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the college in Latrobe. Those interested in attending can register online.

News

February 3, 2026

Shapiro Announces Additional $10M for Child Care Workforce in Proposed 2026-27 Budget

Governor Josh Shapiro announced on Tuesday during a speech before the General Assembly in Harrisburg that he is seeking an additional $10 million in his 2026-27 budget for the child care workforce.

The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania – a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting children from birth to age 5 – praised Shapiro’s budget proposal for its focus on children and early education workforce investments, while highlighting the need for additional support in areas such as infant and toddler Early Intervention and home visiting.

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Shapiro said the additional $10 million would bring the total investment to $35 million for the recurring Child Recruitment and Retention Program. The governor said the investment aims to stabilize and grow the child care workforce amid an ongoing teacher shortage.

“We need more early childhood educators and pre-k teachers – kind, gentle souls who want to get our kids started on the right path, but who have been paid too little for too long,” Shapiro said. “This budget delivers for them.”

Trying Together’s Executive Director Cara Ciminillo lauded this increased investment, saying, “I am pleased to see Governor Shapiro continue to prioritize the child care workforce in his proposed budget. This additional funding demonstrates to educators that their work is vital, valued, and worth investing in.”

The proposed budget also includes an additional $7.5 million for Pre-K Counts and $2 million for Head Start State Supplemental to help providers raise wages and retain staff. Shapiro said he is also calling for an additional $2.5 million for teacher professional development to ensure that educators have the training and tools needed to support students.

In a statement, Start Strong PA praised Shapiro’s budget proposal.

“Child care is an economic development strategy, workforce participation strategy, and education success strategy,” the statement read. “These investments will encourage teachers to remain in the field, allowing more parents to work, prepare more Pennsylvania children for school, and build a stronger and more prosperous commonwealth.”

However, Start Strong PA noted that the reduction in funding of $5.2 million for the infant and toddler Early Intervention program in the Department of Human Services’ budget failed to recognize needed investments in those areas.

“Early Intervention is a critical and federally-required component of the early care and education continuum, as all children from birth through age 5 with developmental delays, regardless of family income level, must be identified, referred to, and provided necessary services to help them and their families reach their fullest potential,” Start Strong PA’s statement read. “The cut to infant and toddler Early Intervention in the Department of Human Services’ budget is deeply concerning. The reduction of funding will negatively impact the ability to adequately deliver services to more children in Pennsylvania.”

Start Strong PA also noted that stagnant funding reduces home visiting services for pregnant women and families with young children.

To read the governor’s full budget address, visit the governor’s office pressroom website.

Take Action – Thank Governor Shapiro for Prioritizing the ECE Workforce!

Start Strong PA has issued a new action alert encouraging people to send a message to Governor Shapiro thanking him for prioritizing the ECE workforce. See action alert.

News

Southwestern Pennsylvania to Host Black History Month Events in February

Black History Month kicks off on February 1, and there are a number of events taking place in the Pittsburgh region to celebrate the month.

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Brazelton Touchpoints Center will host a free, four-part virtual conversation series titled Parenting While Black that will focus on Raising Black Children in the Digital Age: Culture, Technology, and Liberation. Through a lens that centers on Black children’s experiences and futures, the series will look at how parents, educators, and communities navigate the challenges and opportunities of our increasingly digital world while affirming Black children’s humanity, agency, and cultural heritage. The conversations, which run an hour each, will be held on the following Mondays – February 2, 9, and 23, and March 2 at 3 p.m.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is hosting numerous events to celebrate the month, including a genealogy workshop hosted by Finding Deep Roots on Saturday, February 7 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Also on February 7, the library will host a preparation workshop inspired by Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” at 3 p.m. that will involve preparing a comprehensive emergency kit.

The Culture and Community Department at Carnegie Museums will present its first Black History Month celebration on February 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the event, Sankofa Village will perform dance and drumming and offer a hands-on members-only session, while longtime docent Millicent Smith will lead a special tour on Black artists and their Pittsburgh connections. Charlene Foggie-Barnett, the Charles “Teenie” Harris community archivist at the museum, will hold a talk that will involve history and storytelling, and the winners of the 3rd Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh art exhibition. Local organizations will set up tables and activities during the event.

Stop the Violence will hold its 4th Annual High School Student Black History Summit at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, located at 4141 5th Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16. The event will continue an essay competition, awards, Pittsburgh’s Black founding fathers and entrepreneurs, Madam C.J. Walker’s story, and information about Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. It will include a free lunch and entertainment.

In Butler County, Slippery Rock University will hold a series of events starting at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 19 in the Smith Student Center Theater. It will include a keynote address by inclusive leadership expert Brandon Wiley titled “Culturally Conscious Freedom: Reflections on Identity, Power, and Progress.”

Other Resources

Numerous organizations that serve southwestern Pennsylvania are also providing resources for caregivers or educators regarding Black History Month.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has put together Black History Month booklists that include new and recent titles exploring African Americans’ impact on U.S. history, powerful Black women, and African-American culinary traditions. The library has also compiled a list of African-American booklists for children and teenagers. These lists present stories that illustrate African-American history, biography, and culture, and feature racially-diverse leading characters.

The Brightwheel blog has put together a list of Black History Month activities for preschoolers that include crafts, books, and songs to celebrate the month in a child care program. The blog discusses how to explain the importance of Black History Month to young children and provides tips for age-appropriate conversations.

PBS Kids for Parents’ Black History Month resources include articles on how Black art can spark conversations with children, teaching children about Black history, and children’s books that celebrate Black culture.

PA Promise for Children has released a list of nine books for children that could be used to celebrate Black History Month. And the City of Pittsburgh’s Black History Month page includes information on events taking place in February to honor the month.

News

Remake Learning Report Provides Forecast of Southwestern PA Education in 10 Years

Remake Learning has released a forecast for what education might look like in the Pittsburgh region over the next decade.

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Nurturing What’s Next: Imagining the Future of Education in Southwestern Pennsylvania lists a variety of trends and patterns that could affect education in the region. These include:

Unstable education staffing – schools and programs are experiencing persistent staffing shortages as fewer people enter the education workforce.
Influx of opportunities – southwestern Pennsylvania is experiencing a surge of new programs, partnerships, and initiatives.
Shifting demographics – the region’s population is aging, decreasing in size, and becoming increasingly diverse.
Disruptions small and large – learning environments across the region are facing a host of large- and small-scale disruptions from unreliable technology to weather.
Delicate trust – nationally, public confidence in and satisfaction with education and other civic institutions are becoming more brittle, influenced by economic pressures and political polarization.
Digital reliance – digital technologies, especially AI, are reshaping how young people learn and connect.

The six drivers of change were determined by research, discussions, and interviews with parents, caregivers, school leaders, and out-of-school-time educators.

Six Drivers of Change

The report expands upon the six drivers of change and how they are affecting schools in the Pittsburgh region. The unstable education staffing section discusses how staffing shortages are affecting everything from instruction and transportation to school cafeterias and increased turnover among principals and superintendents. The digital reliance section focuses on how technology has helped to personalize learning and improve efficiency, while at the same time raising concerns about learners’ ability to think independently or connecting with friends and peers.

Another portion of the report “presents a variety of provocations that explore the many ways in which learning in southwestern Pennsylvania might change over the next decade.” These include:

How spaces and systems are designed to support learning experiences
How learning is woven into and co-created by the region’s community
How people productively partner with AI to enhance learning

Remake Learning notes that the region is renowned for its approaches to learning, and that its culture of collaboration has led to groundbreaking innovations. The report is intended to provide a 10-year forecast of what the future of learning in the region might look like.

“It is an invitation to imagine – just as Pittsburgh’s own Fred Rogers, affectionately known as Mister Rogers, encouraged generations of children to do,” the report says. “He believed in the power of imagination to shape not only individual lives, but entire communities. In his words, ‘You can grow ideas in the garden of your mind.’ Today, that garden beckons us to use our imaginations to seed the future of learning.”

Remake Learning’s report can be read in its entirety online.

News

Celebrate Take Your Child to the Library Day by Getting a Library Card

This coming Saturday, February 7, is Take Your Child to the Library Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than to get a library card at your local library.

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Take Your Child to the Library Day is celebrated by thousands of libraries around the world. The concept for the day is for caregivers to bring children to the library to take part in free activities and to help them develop a love of reading.

Those visiting a Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch should visit the library’s website to see about activities taking place that day.

Getting a Carnegie Library Card

A library card for the Carnegie Library provides access to materials from 43 libraries around the county as well as allows cardholders to use library computers, and download and stream digital content from a phone or eReader.

Those interested in getting a card can do so by registering in person or online. Those who register in person should bring an acceptable form of photo ID. If your ID does not include your address or contact information, you should be ready to provide that information at that time.

The following are acceptable forms of ID:

A driver’s license
Pennsylvania identification card
Other U.S. state’s driver’s license
Expired PA driver’s license, if accompanied by local address verification
Passport
State ID
Work ID
Military ID
Student ID
Work visa
Green card

Allegheny County residents, ages 18 and above, can register for a card online and receive full borrowing privileges for print and electronic materials. Children ages 13 and above can use the same form and receive a card allowing access to the library’s eResources.

Once you validate information through the online system, you will receive a card number, which can be converted into a scannable barcode using an app like Stocard.

For more information on how to obtain a Carnegie Library card, visit the library’s website.

Other Counties

For those seeking a library card in a county outside of Pittsburgh, below are the pages including information by county on how to obtain a card.

News

February 2, 2026

PennAEYC’s New CDA Course Will Begin on February 16

Classes for Pennsylvania’s Association for the Education of Young Children’s (PennAEYC) new Child Development Associate (CDA) course will begin on Monday, February 16.

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Pennsylvania’s early childhood educators who work at least 25 hours per week providing care to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in a certified program can complete CDA coursework that will provide them for the CDA Credential exam.

Instruction in the classes, books, and supplies are provided at no cost for qualifying students through PennAEYC and the Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization at PASSHE.

Students will also receive support to help them navigate the process to obtain their CDA Credential from the Council for Professional Recognition. The course is available to students in the PASSHE PDO Central Region service area only.

The course offers instruction in a live, virtual classroom using Zoom in a cohort structure of three hours per class. Upon completion of all classes, it will provide the 120 classroom instruction hours required for the CDA team preparation.

Those interested in the course should:

Tell their employer they want to pursue the CDA with PennAEYC.
Apply for ECEPDO@PASSHE to tuition and educational costs covered.
A PD coordinator will verify the ECE PDO acceptance and advise on funding status. If approved for funding, applicants will be connected with Rose Snyder to register for the CDA class.
Applicants will receive an email from Snyder within a week that provides a link to register for the cohort. A class link and login information will be sent from the instructor a few days prior to the class.

For any additional questions, contact Snyder, PennAEYC’s senior director of education and operations, at rsnyder@pennaeyc.org.

News

January Recalls on Children’s Products

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

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Below is a list of January recalls collected from the following major federal agencies: the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Marcus Adler Glove recalled its Julie and Judah pajama pants and shorts because the products violate mandatory standards for flammability for children’s sleepwear. The pants and shorts pose a risk of burn injuries to children.

The Kalencom Corporation recalled its SARO braided crib bumpers because they violate the federal ban on crib bumpers, which can obstruct an infant’s breathing and pose a risk of serious injury or death due to suffocation.

Joyful Journeys recalled its baby loungers due to entrapment and fall hazards posed by the products. The loungers violate mandatory safety standards for infant sleep products because the sides are too low to contain an infant and the enclosed openings at the foot of the loungers are wider than allowed, posing risks of fall and entrapment.

Kori Gey recalled its water toy kits because they violated mandatory standards for toys containing button cell batteries. The compartment that holds the batteries can be easily accessed and opened by children, posing an ingestion hazard to children. When button cell and coin batteries are swallowed, they can cause serious injuries, internal chemical burns, and death.

Pounding Toys were recalled because they contain high-powered magnets that can detach and pose an ingestion hazard to children. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can cause perforations, twisting or blocking of the intestines, blood poisoning, and death.

Rattan recalled its six-drawer dressers due to risk of serious injury or death to children if the drawers tip over and entrap them. The dressers are unstable if they are not attached to the wall.

Infant Innovations recalled its BabyBond retractable safety gates, which violate the mandatory standard for expansion gates and expandable enclosures. A child’s torso can fit through the opening between the gate and the floor, becoming entrapped and posing a risk of serious injury or death.

Vasicar recalled its 18-drawer dressers due to the risk to children of serious injury or death if the dressers tip over and entrap them. The dressers are unstable if they are not anchored to the wall.

NFSVLB recalled its baby bath seats because they violate mandatory standards for infant bath seats. The seats are unstable and can tip over while in use, and have leg openings that allow the child to slip down until the child’s torso can become entrapped, posing a risk of serious injury or death due to drowning and entrapment.

RootStim recalled its beard growth serum spray bottles. The serum contains minoxidil but is not in child-resistant packaging as required by law. The serum poses a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children.

Ruahouine recalled its hair growth serum bottles. The serum contains minoxidil but is not in child-resistant packaging as required by law. The serum poses a risk of serious injury or death from poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children.

Morgan Lane recalled its children’s pajama sets because they violate mandatory standards for flammability of children’s sleepwear.The pajamas pose a risk of serious injury and deadly burn hazards to children.

Greatale recalled its self-feeding pillows due to risks posed by death from aspiration and suffocation. The pillows hold the bottle at an unsafe angle while keeping it fixed in place so the infant cannot pull away. This can lead to aspiration of milk or formula and posed a risk of suffocation.

Yixing Trading recalled its KEAWIS crib mattresses due to entrapment and suffocation hazards. The aftermarket mattresses may not adequately fit certain play yards of non-full-sized cribs, which could create gaps and pose a deadly entrapment hazard. Babies can face a risk of suffocation in gaps between an undersized mattress, or extra padding, and side walls of a product, especially when the infant’s face becomes trapped against the side and the mattress, preventing the child from breathing.

BBWOO recalled its baby loungers due to entrapment and fall hazards. The sides of the loungers are too low to contain an infant and the enclosed openings at the foot of the loungers are wider than allowed, posing risks of fall and entrapment hazards to infants. The loungers also do not have a stand, posing a fall hazard if used on elevated surfaces.

Mikario Trading recalled its convertible baby gyms due to suffocation risks. The floor mats of the baby gym can obstruct an infant’s breathing, posing a serious risk of injury or deadly suffocation hazard.

Iristar recalled its minoxidil spray bottles for hair and beard growth. The bottles contain minoxidil but are not in child-resistant packaging as required by law. Children can be poisoned by the contents if swallowed.

Aborder Products recalled its Cumbo retractable safety gates due to entrapment hazards. A child’s torso can fit through the opening between the gate and the floor, posing a risk of serious injury or death due to entrapment.

Vndueey recalled its Magnetic Men toy sets due to the risk of injury or death from magnet ingestion. The stick figure toy sets contain loose magnets, posing an ingestion hazard to children. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting, and blocking of the intestines, blood poisoning, and death.

Based Online recalled its fidget magnet ball toys due to the risk of injury or death from magnet ingestion. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting, and blocking of the intestines, blood poisoning, and death.

Yetonamr recalled its pull string teething toys due to the risk of injury or death from choking. The silicone strings on the toys are smaller than permitted and can reach the back of the throat and become lodged, posing a risk of respiratory distress, serious choking hazard, and death.

Topkay recalled its lighters because they do not have child-resistant mechanisms, posing a risk of serious injury or death from fire and burn hazards.

Gagaku recalled its children’s ice cream toy playsets because they contain high-powered magnets that can loosen and death, posing an ingestion hazard to children. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting, and blocking of the intestines, blood poisoning, and death.