News

April 8, 2024

Apply for Home Lead Paint Removal

Allegheny County families who rent or own a home can apply for free home repairs involving lead paint.

Learn More

The Allegheny Lead-Safe Homes Program tests homes for lead and removes, replaces, and covers all areas in a home with damaged lead paint. Services include repairing and repainting chipped and peeling lead-painted surfaces as well as window and door repair or replacement and covering lead paint on the outside.

Lead is a common ingredient in household paint in homes built before 1978. No level of lead is safe as it is toxic, especially for young children. Even low levels of lead can cause IQ loss, behavioral problems, developmental delays, and other health issues.

What It Takes to Qualify

Allegheny County homeowners might qualify if they have children, ages five or younger, or a pregnant woman living with or regularly visiting them. Renters might qualify if their landlord is willing to participate and give priority to low-income families with young children for a period of three years.

Other qualifiers include whether a home was built before 1978 or if a household’s yearly pre-tax income falls below these limits:

  • Family size of 1 – $56,250
  • Family size of 2 – $64,250
  • Family size of 3 – $72,300
  • Family size of 4 – $80,300
  • Family size of 5 – $86,750
  • Family size of 6 – $93,150

How to Apply

Those interested should contact the Lead-Safe Homes Hotline by calling 412-227-5700, by visiting its website, or by emailing alleghenylead@actionhousing.org

News

April 2, 2024

Allegheny County Offering Free Soil Screenings for Lead

The Allegheny County Conservation District is performing free soil screenings for lead between April 3 and 7.

Learn More

Contaminants are common in urban soil and can be hazardous to health when ingested or inhaled during gardening or outdoor activities. Soil testing is a method of reducing the risk of exposure to contaminants.

Registration is required and can be found online. The conservation district will contact those who register via email with detailed instructions on how to collect, label, and drop off soil samples. Any soil samples submitted with incorrect bagging or labels will be discarded.

Samples can be dropped off at any partner sites during open hours between Wednesday, April 3 and Sunday, April 7. Pittsburgh drop-off site addresses will be provided during registration.

Results will be sent back within approximately two weeks via email, along with information on how to understand and act on the results.

News

March 29, 2024

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
Month of the Young Child, Trying Together
2024 Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner, Trying Together
2024 Homewood Early Learning Block Party, Trying Together
Affirming Black Joy: Race, Identity, and Early Childhood, Trying Together

Celebrate Diversity Month
A Celebration of Diversity in Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh
Events, Pittsburgh Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

World Autism Month
Autism Acceptance Month, University of Pittsburgh
World Autism Month, American Autism Association
Family Guide for Early Intervention and Inclusion in Allegheny County, Trying Together
Upcoming Events, Autism Pittsburgh
A Sensory Friendly Guide to Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Autism Services, The Children’s Institute

National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Parents, Trying Together
Resources to Keep Kids Safe, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS)
Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Managing Problem Behavior at Home, Child Mind Institute
National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Child Welfare Information Gateway
Strategies for Reducing Inequity in Child Protection: Addressing Bias, Child Welfare Information Gateway

Sexual Assault Awareness Month
National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Sexual Violence Education, Pennsylvania Department of Health
Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2024, National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Medical Treatment for Sexual Assault, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
National Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors and Their Loved Ones, Rape, Incest, and Abuse National Network (RAINN)
A Guide for Friends and Family of Sexual Assault Survivors, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)
Caring for Kids: What Parents Need to Know About Sexual Abuse, National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Week-Long Observances

April 6-12 is the Week of the Young Child
Week of the Young Child, National Association for the Education of Young Children
Week of the Young Child Events, Carnegie Science Center

April 7-13 is National Library Week
National Library Week Activities Scheduled at Northland Public Library in McCandless, TribLive

April 22-26 is Every Kid Healthy Week
Take Action During Every Kid Healthy Week, Action for Healthy Kids

Day Observances

April 2 is International Children’s Book Day
International Children’s Book Day 2024, Awareness Days
The 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time, Time Magazine
The Complete Checklist: 100 Must-Read Books, Scholastic

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day
Call for Participation: UN World Autism Awareness Day Event 2024, LinkedIn

April 4 is National School Librarian Day
National School Librarian Day 2024 Celebration Ideas, We Are Teachers
National School Librarian Day, There is a Day for That

April 5 is National Self Care Day
Caring for the Caregiver, Trying Together
Grandfamily Tip Sheets Provide Information on Self-Care and Youth Mental Health, Generations United

April 6 is National Library Day
National Library Day, Holiday Calendar
National Library Day, April 6, 2024, National Today
Events, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

April 15 is National American Sign Language Day
44 Incredible Ways to Teach Sign Language to Your Kids, Teaching Expertise
7 Children’s Books About Deafness, Deaf Unity

April 21 is National Kindergarten Day
National Kindergarten Day, National Day Calendar
Top 10 Kindergarten Readiness Skills, Hi5!
Kindergarten Transition, Trying Together
Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2024-25 School Year: Allegheny County, Trying Together
Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2024-25 School Year: Westmoreland, Fayette, Armstrong, Greene, and Butler Counties, Trying Together

April 22 is Earth Day
Wild Earth Music, Art, and Culture Festival, Pittsburgh Earth Day
History of Earth Day, National Geographic Kids
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Announces Earth Day Events in April, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Honoring Earth Month in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

April 23 is World Book Day
Book Request Form, Reading Ready Pittsburgh
Buzzword Words & Activities, Buzzword
World Book Day, Worldbookday.com
World Book Day 2024, National Literacy Trust
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Book Lists, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

News

August 9, 2023

PA Keys Offering Virtual Coach Approach to Adaptive Leadership Trainings

The Pennsylvania Key is offering virtual Coach Approach to Adaptive Leadership training sessions.

Learn More

Based on the ICF Core Competencies of Leadership Coaching for the PA Early Childhood System, this course will focus on the adaptive skills of aligning actions to values, and will build the critical thinking skills needed to support change and innovation in systems of care.

Training Dates

September 26-28, 2023 | Register

  • 9/26/2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.

  • 9/27/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • 9/28/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

November 1 – 9, 2023 | Register

  • 11/01/2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.

  • 11/02/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • 11/09/2023 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

January 23-31, 2024 | Register

  • 01/23/2024 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.

  • 01/24/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • 01/31/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

March 12-14, 2024 | Register

  • 03/12/2024 | 1 – 2:30 p.m.

  • 03/13/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • 03/14/2024 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The training is open to early learning program administration and staff, OCDEL, Pennsylvania Key, ELRC, Certification, and EITA staff. All participants will earn 15.5 PD hours.

Topics include:

  • Becoming and staying present, even in the midst of chaos and conflict.
  • Identifying an engaged listener and how to become one.
  • Asking powerful questions that unlock deeper responses to leadership challenges.
  • Using communication and feedback to support adaptive work.
  • Building personal and collaborative accountability within teams.
  • Using leadership coaching skills in daily interactions.
  • Creating ongoing opportunities for internal and cross-system collaborations. Increasing effectiveness with the Coach Approach.

More Information

For more information, view the course flyer or contact Barb Willier at barwil@pakeys.org or Rasheeda Coston at rascos@pakeys.org.

News

August 10, 2022

Trying Together Hosts Virtual Meeting to Discuss Proposed Child Care Certification Regulation Changes

OCDEL has invited early childhood professionals to use the OCDEL Certification Regulation Rewrite Project Feedback Tool by August 19, 2022 to submit feedback on proposed changes to drafted proposed child care certification regulations. 

In preparation of the public input submission deadline, Trying Together is hosting its OCDEL Certification Regulation Rewrite Project Feedback Meeting on Tuesday, August 16 at Noon. This brainstorming session will serve to discuss proposed changes, as well as give an opportunity for child care professionals to discuss their suggested changes in a peer-to-peer environment.

This meeting will be presented virtually on Zoom.

 

WHEN: Tuesday, 8/16 | 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET

Please register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudeGgqj8sHt1nXheWUPyaGz7Vpx8d_8e1

 

MORE INFORMATION

Visit our recent post on the Certification Rewrite Project to learn more about the process, timeline, and how to participate.

News

November 1, 2021

COVID-19 Best Practices for Child Care: Cohorting Strategies

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has developed best practices for early learning professionals navigating COVID-19 protocols in their child care programs. The third topic is cohorting strategies.

About

To keep child care providers informed on the latest best practices for keeping children, staff, and families safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania Key created a webpage that highlights recommended best practices.

The latest information is about cohorting strategies in child care programs. “Cohorting” or assigning staff and children to groups every day limits the number of close contacts they have and lowers the risk for spread of COVID-19.

Strategies include:

  • assigning children to small groups and trying to keep them the same every day, to the greatest extent possible.

  • Assigning staff to individual groups and avoid mixing with other groups.

  • Tracking which groups come together (including children’s and staff’s names) and the timeframes they are together.

  • Staggering use of communal spaces such as indoor large motor spaces, active play areas, playgrounds, gyms, halls, cafeterias, etc.

  • Prioritizing outdoor drop-off and pick-up, if possible, and staggering them, if possible.

More Information

For more information about best practices on face coverings, indoor air quality, and cohorting, visit the PA Key website.

News

October 7, 2021

Pittsburgh Child Care Career Openings

Are you looking for open child care positions? Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are hiring! See this week’s featured jobs.

 


 

Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh

 

Early Childhood Educator

Angels’ Place, Inc. is seeking a full-time Early Childhood Education Lead Teacher for their location in Swissvale. Angels’ Place is a non-profit family support organization serving single, full-time student and working parents and their children. The ideal candidate would have an associate’s degree or higher in ECE and experience working with at-risk families. Salary commensurate with education and experience.

Early Childhood Assistant (EAIIA)

Pittsburgh Public Schools Early Childhood Program is seeking an Early Childhood Assistant to support the classroom teacher in carrying out an educational program preparing children for school readiness. Candidates must hold an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree (any content area) or current Preschool CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential. Experience in working with early childhood (preschool) students is preferred. City of Pittsburgh residency required.

    • Apply: To apply, visit the Pittsburgh Public Schools website, click “Apply Now,” and create an account. This position is listed under Central Office and School Based Support.

Lead Pre-K Teachers

Hilltop Community Children’s Center is looking for two Lead Pre-K Teachers. A Pre-K teaching certification is required.

 


 

Submit a Job

Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter.

All jobs submitted after Tuesday each week will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included.

For questions, contact Kara Bayer at kara@tryingtogether.org.

 


 

Other Jobs in Early Childhood

 

ECE Hire

Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more.

Submit a Job to PACCA

Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org.

 


 

Receive Jobs in Your Inbox

To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.

News

September 22, 2021

Free or Reduced-Cost Lead Testing

Individuals who have concerns about lead levels in their water supply may be eligible to receive free or reduced-cost assessments of paint, dust, soil, and water.

Obtaining an Assessment

As part of the local “Get the Lead Out, Pittsburgh” initiative, coordinated by the nonprofit Women for a Healthy Environment, individuals may be eligible for a free or reduced-cost lead risk assessment.  Fill out this form to register.

The Allegheny County Health Department also provides some free resources to qualifying households. These resources include blood lead level testing for children who are uninsured or underinsured and free full home lead assessments for households with children whose blood lead levels are elevated by the Center for Disease Control’s standards (above 5 ppb). The ACHD’s “Get Ahead of Lead” resource list contains more information and instructions for who to contact.

Additional Information

Individuals who are not able to qualify for free or reduced-cost can access a list of water authorities that said they offer or help to facilitate residential drinking water tests. Public Source Pittsburgh has information on how to read these findings and private companies who perform lead tests.

News

June 28, 2021

Early Learning Pennsylvania Response to 2021-22 State Budget

The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, believes the Commonwealth’s economic recovery hinges on helping working families by prioritizing greater state investments in high-quality pre-k, child care and evidence-based home visiting. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA. Reaction statements from three of these campaigns regarding the FY 2021-22 state budget follow:

Pre-K

“Pre-K for PA applauds the $25 million in new state funding for Pre-K Counts and $5 million for Head Start Supplemental Assistance as part of the 2021-22 PA State Budget. This funding continues the commonwealth’s tradition of expanding access to high-quality pre-k – providing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to more than 3,200 additional young learners. 

“Research shows that high-quality pre-k benefits children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. A new study by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill confirmed that the commonwealth’s investment in pre-k pays dividends for the children fortunate enough to access pre-k through the Pre-K Counts program. In language and math skills, the study showed that these kids outperformed their kindergarten peers who did not enjoy access—an advantage that equated to four to five months of learning gains. Even with this budget increase, more than 100,000 eligible three- and four-year-olds still lack access to high-quality pre-k.”

Child Care

“The General Assembly and the Wolf Administration unfortunately missed the opportunity to prioritize families who are struggling to return to work. Ignoring recommendations developed with input from over 1,000 child care providers and parents, Pennsylvania’s elected leadership has fallen significantly short on ensuring American Rescue Plan child care funds are used to help families find and afford high-quality child care and to stabilize the industry.

“Given that 70% of Pennsylvania children under the age of five had all adults in their household in the labor force prior to the pandemic, high-quality child care is an essential workforce support. That workforce must be able to return to work for Pennsylvania to recover from the pandemic’s economic devastation.  

“We now call on the Wolf Administration to prioritize and implement our recommendations for Pennsylvania’s $1.2 billion in American Rescue Plan child care funding. With nearly 700 child care programs permanently closed and over 350 temporarily closed, families are struggling to find child care. Those child care providers that have managed to stay open are still incurring additional pandemic-related costs while operating significantly under capacity and are struggling to attract and retain teachers.

“Not only is there less child care capacity in the system, only 42% of certified child care capacity currently meets high-quality standards. And only 39% of infants and toddlers that receive subsidized care attend programs that have met high-quality standards. High-quality care and education mean safer, healthier children and are critical to maximizing the period of a child’s most rapid brain growth. 

 “Start Strong PA’s recommendations for American Rescue Plan child care funding will stabilize, strengthen and ultimately secure the child care industry. This industry is critical to the success of our economic recovery.”

Evidence-Based Home Visiting

“On behalf of the pregnant women, children, and families who would benefit the most from evidence-based home visiting – especially those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – Childhood Begins at Home is dismayed that there is no increase in the state budget for these voluntary services backed by decades of research.

“Without funding increases to reach more Pennsylvania families, the unmet need remains at a staggering 95%. The Community-Based Family Centers line will be level-funded, and the Nurse-Family Partnership line will receive a minimal increase to restore the line to its prior level due to a slight reduction resulting from the state using enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding last year.

“Throughout budget negotiations, policymakers emphasized the infusion of federal stimulus dollars to inform state spending decisions. Of the total amount of one-time state funds Pennsylvania received from the American Rescue Plan ($7.3 billion), home visiting gets less than .02% (or a paltry $1.3 million) through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. This funding has yet to be distributed to programs that received no aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is limited in its use and timeframe to spend these dollars.

“Only pennies on the dollar for evidence-based home visiting are coming in federally. It adds insult to injury that policymakers in the legislative and administrative branches did not step up and recognize constituents would benefit from the same services that have been a lifeline for so many during the last 15 months.  

“While states’ use of the ARP funds is flexible, the federal stimulus funding for evidence-based home visiting would not even reach one family in each of Pennsylvania’s 253 legislative districts.

“From birth to age five, brain growth is rapid, learning is happening, and our coalition of advocates is committed to ensuring that families can access it in high-quality, developmentally appropriate settings. In Pennsylvania, funding has not been prioritized to ensure the resources are there to offer these irreplaceable opportunities, creating deep inequity among children and their families at a very early age. We, and our tens of thousands of supporters, will continue to urge lawmakers to invest in early learning boldly – it is an urgent necessity.”

About Early Learning Pennsylvania Initiatives

Pre-K for PA launched in 2014 with the vision that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Learn more on the Pre-K for PA website.

 Start Strong PA launched in 2019 to support healthy child development, working families, and the economy by increasing access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs for young children. Learn more on the Start Strong PA website

Childhood Begins At Home is a statewide campaign to help policymakers and the public understand the value of evidence-based home visiting and support public investments in the programs.  Learn more on the Childhood Begins at Home website

News

March 25, 2021

Homewood Father Funds His Son’s Future

Through the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, families participated in Fund My Future – a program in which all families in Pennsylvania save for college and other post-secondary goals. This program provides sessions for caregivers related to financial goals and open savings accounts for their children. Fund My Future offers monthly prizes as an incentive for participating in this program.

Mark, a single father of 11-year-old Elijah, completed the Fund My Future Three-Part Saving Series in December 2020. He was a participant of the first cohort hosted by the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center, where he is involved in the weekly program, Fathers Trying Together.

Through Fund My Future, Mark learned about opening a PA529 account for his son, accessing his credit reports during the COVID-19 pandemic, how to receive one-on-one financial counseling, and the importance of saving for his son. In an interview with Fund My Future, he stated that he “will use the information he learned to help his son manage his money so that when he gets older he will have developed the habit of saving and managing money.”

More Information

For more information about The Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center and participating in Fathers Trying Together, please visit the Trying Together website.