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News

March 30, 2026

Resources for April Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize several observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and childcare professionals acknowledge and navigate them.

Here is a list of resources for April observances:

Month-Long Observances

Month of the Young Child

Celebrate Diversity Month

World Autism Month

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Week-Long Observances

April 11-17 is the Week of the Young Child

April 19-25 is National Library Week

April 20-24 is Every Kid Healthy Week

Day Observances

April 2 is International Children’s Book Day

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day

April 4 is National School Librarian Day

April 5 is National Self Care Day

April 6 is National Library Day

April 15 is National American Sign Language Day

April 21 is National Kindergarten Day

April 22 is Earth Day

April 23 is World Book Day

News

March 27, 2026

OCDEL Announces Opportunity to Increase Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Bonuses

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced an increase in the bonus amount given through the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention (CCSRR) Program. 

Learn More

The 2025-26 enacted state budget includes $25 million for retention and recruitment funding to qualified DHS certified providers. While the initial bonus amount was set at a maximum amount of $450, OCDEL recently announced an increase in that amount to $645.

Updated bonuses will be issued to qualified child care providers whose applications were submitted by the January 29 deadline, met all eligibility criteria, and were approved. No additional new applications will be accepted. 

Early Learning Resource Centers will send qualified providers a Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention award agreement amendment. Providers will need to sign and submit to the ELRCs the award agreement amendment to be eligible for the increased bonus amount of $645 for eligible staff. 

The completed amendment is due to the ELRC by April 3 or the provider forfeits the bonus increase and the previous award agreement amount of $450 will be final.

Retention bonus payments will be released to qualified providers by May 15. Providers are encouraged to contact their quality coach with any questions.

See the official announcement for more information. 

News

March 26, 2026

Trying Together to Launch Online, Self-paced Course on ‘The Business of Family Child Care’

Are you a family child care owner looking to strengthen your business? Do you currently care for children as a relative provider but are considering becoming licensed?

Trying Together will launch on April 1 “The Business of Family Child Care”, a self-paced online course that dives into starting and maintaining a family child care business. This course will be hosted through the PD Registry and is worth 12 PQAS hours. 

The course is designed especially for current family child care owners and relative providers exploring business ownership and licensing. Recognizing that caregivers have busy lives and many responsibilities, the self-paced nature of this course allows learners to complete the work at their own speed and when convenient for them. 

The course guides learners through nine modules that include practical tools, clear explanations, and real-world examples. Each module includes a quiz to test understanding, and learners can download helpful tools and resources for use in their business. 

These modules focus on creating a safe, compliant, and relationship-centered program where children and families thrive. Learners will discover how to price their services, manage expenses, attract families, and create a sustainable program that supports both passion and income.

Module Details

  • The Heart of the Business
  • The Developmental Bottom Line
  • Child Care Certification and Regulations
  • Health and Safety Standards
  • Caring Adults, Safer Children
  • Family & Community Engagement
  • Financial Management & Business Operations
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Long-Term Planning

Check back next week for more information and a link to sign up for this course.

News

March 25, 2026

Submissions Open for Meaningful Play Conference to Be Held in October

Submissions are open for the 2026 Meaningful Play conference that will be held this fall in Pittsburgh.

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Meaningful Play 2026 is a conference about theory, research, and game design innovations, principles, and practices. The conference brings scholars, industry professionals, and games practitioners together to understand and improve upon games with the intention of entertaining, informing, educating, and persuading in meaningful ways.

The conference will be held from October 13 to 15 and will be followed by Pittsburgh Play Day on October 16. 

Full paper submissions are due by Tuesday, March 31, while games, lighting talks, and posters must be submitted by Friday, May 15. Hosted sessions must be submitted by Monday, June 15.

The event is also seeking reviewers and volunteers. Those interested in taking part in the conference should fill out an interest form.

Submissions to the conference can be made online.

News

March 24, 2026

PA Promise for Children Pairs Activities with Booklist for Children

PA Promise for Children has put together a list of books for children that incorporate the subjects of math, social-emotional development, literacy, and science. 

The list includes two books per subject, and PA Promise for Children has recommended activities in which caregivers can participate with children in their care.

Social-Emotional Development

For social-emotional development, caregivers are suggested to role-play in a job. This includes setting up a space for a pretend post office, grocery store, restaurant, or other workplace. Caregivers should encourage children to use items and toys as props at the job.

Books that are paired with the activity include:

  • Curious George Takes a Job (H.A. Rey)
  • The Biggest Job of All (Harriet Ziefert)

Mathematical Thinking and Expression

For the math section, caregivers should ask children to search for sets of things found in the home or outside – for example, a rock, two forks, three balls, and so on. Then, they should match photographs of the different items to the actual items to help them develop visual recognition. 

Also, caregivers can incorporate sensory development by asking the child to trace numbers or letters with their fingers.

Books that are paired with this activity include:

  • One Mole Digging a Hole (Julia Donaldson)
  • 1,2,3 Peas (Keith Baker)

Language and Literacy

The activity for this subject involves helping children learn the days of the week. To start, add words to the days that begin with the same letter – such as Musical Monday or Fun Friday. Then, do the same with the months.

Also, caregivers can help children learn the months of the year by creating a calendar that includes special dates – such as holidays or birthdays. Encourage them to draw or color pictures or find pictures online that show which of these days happen each month.

Books that are paired with this activity include:

  • Today is Monday (Eric Carle)
  • The Day You Begin (Jacqueline Woodson)

Scientific Thinking

PA Promise for Children suggests an activity in which a child is asked to see how many things they can balance at once. Then, have a balancing race to see who can go the fastest balancing a paper cup on top of a paper plate. Add other items and keep on going.

Books that are paired with this activity include:

  • The Cat in the Hat Comes Back (Dr. Seuss)
  • I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories (Dr. Seuss)

News

Resources to Help Children with ADHD or Sleep Issues

Despite caregivers’ best efforts, most children do not get enough sleep, whether it’s because they are energized and do not want to go to sleep or they’re overwhelmed by homework.

But for children with ADHD, the Child Mind Institute notes, these struggles can be compounded with the fact that difficulty falling or staying asleep or waking up early are all common issues, and sleep problems can be a side effect of taking ADHD stimulant medication.

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The Child Mind Institute has shared resources regarding sleep issues for children with ADHD and what can be done to help them.

One article discusses how being able to wind down at night is a form of self-regulation and that children with ADHD have trouble stopping an activity they find stimulating – whether it’s reading or doing something online.

Another piece focuses on how caregivers can help children develop better routines to get to bed on time, such as providing support to help them set limits for themselves. If a child feels anxious about being able to fall asleep, the institute has provided tips on how to help them relax.

Occasionally, lack of sleep can cause children to have trouble focusing at school, according to one Child Mind Institute resource, and even lead to an ADHD misdiagnosis. 

Below are the resources shared by the Child Mind Institute.

News

March 23, 2026

National Nutrition Month Resources to Help Caregivers Make Healthy Choices for Children

March is National Nutrition Month, an education campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that focuses on informed food choices, good eating habits, and physical activity. 

The campaign was founded in 1973 and the theme for 2026 is “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” which highlights how nutrient-rich foods can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

To celebrate the month, the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Program (IECMH) has compiled a list of resources that can help caregivers make nutritious choices for the children in their care.

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Among the resources is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Early Child Nutrition Resources, which provide requirements for meals, food groups, and infant nutrition. 

Pennsylvania’s Department of Education also provides guidance on food and nutrition for early childhood education settings. Some of their resources include:

One article shared by the IECMH – “How Snack and Mealtimes Can Help Preschoolers Learn Social Skills, Vocabulary, Math, Science, and Cultural Awareness” – discusses how snacks and mealtimes are important opportunities for preschool-age children to learn and develop in a variety of ways. 

Other resources explore the role of food in emotional regulation, how snack time during after-school programs is important, and how predictable snack and meal times can teach children to listen to their bodies and foster healthy eating habits.

News

The Buzzword is COSTUME

As part of its programming, Buzzword distributes its 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.

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This month’s Buzzword is COSTUME, which means a distinctive style of dress. Buzzword’s COSTUME 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 Dress Up Day by Blanca Gomez 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.

Buzzword has also provided a COSTUME book list of recommendations from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for further reading.

View the COSTUME Activity Book and book recommendations.

More Information

Want to learn more on how to get involved with Buzzword? Ask your local Allegheny County Family Center about the program, or email buzzword@tryingtogether.org. 

News

Start Strong PA Calls on Child Care Directors, Owners to Take Staffing Crisis Survey

The Start Strong PA Campaign is calling on child care directors and owners to take part in a survey on the staffing crisis survey in the next two weeks.

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Start Strong PA is collecting information about the ongoing staffing crisis and participation in the Child Care Recruitment and Retention Program that was included in Pennsylvania’s most recent budget.

The information collected during the survey will be used to demonstrate the continued need for the 2026-2027 state budget to increase funding for child care so the workforce is paid a livable wage and programs can keep classrooms open for working families.

Surveys must be completed by Sunday, April 5. 

Child care programs should fill out separate surveys for each locations if they are multi-site organizations.

Some of the questions on the survey include: 

  • The amount of open or unfilled staff positions
  • Whether the program has closed classrooms
  • Whether there are under-enrolled classrooms
  • Whether there are challenges with recruiting teachers

The survey can be taken online.

News

March 19, 2026

Homewood Hub Formula Bank Fed Nearly 250 Babies in 2025

The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center fed 250 babies and distributed more than 800 cans or bottles of formula in 2025, according to a year in review for the formula bank.

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The Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank, which is managed by Beverly’s PGH, launched its network in June 2022 and has seven public bank locations and a mobile unit. 

At the Homewood Hub formula bank site, a total of 250 individual babies were fed during 745 visits for infant formula support in 2025. A total of 834 formula cans and bottles were distributed. The site had a 4% staff error rate, which is calculated based on the number of cans or bottles of formula missing from the site without a checkout attached.

There was a 48% increase in checkouts at the Homewood site between 2024 and 2025.

Other statistics for the formula bank include:

  • 64% WIC enrollment rate for bank users
  • 28% preterm birth rate for babies fed (born before 37 weeks)
  • 5% rate of babies that are breastfed and using formula for supplementation 

The sites in the Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank’s network include: Hilltop, McKeesport, Highlands, Homewood, Monessen, ELRC Region 5, and the Babies in the Burgh Mobile Unit, and Beverly’s HQ.

Read the entire report.