December 8, 2021 Pennie and PennAEYC Individual Health Care Options Webinar PennAEYC will host the team at Pennie to present information about affordable, individual health care options in the open insurance market place for the commonwealth. This is an opportunity for Pennsylvania’s early learning providers and others looking for affordable health care options. On Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. we will offer an informational webinar about insurance coverage options on the open marketplace. Access the webinar online at the designated time. This webinar will be recorded for those who are unable to attend. It will be available following the webinar on the PennAEYC website. About Pennie Pennie is the official health insurance marketplace in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania established under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The exchange enables eligible individuals to purchase private health insurance coverage at federally subsidized rates. Visit the Pennie website today to learn more about your individual health care coverage. Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2021 until January 15, 2022.
March 23, 2020 No Small Matter – Virtual Screening Join co-hosts Trying Together and Start Strong PA on Friday, April 17, 2020 for a virtual screening and discussion of No Small Matter, a documentary film that highlights the importance of high-quality early education and its impact on all Americans. This event will be hosted on Zoom. Digital access links will be emailed to all attendees during the week of the event. Registration is required. Itinerary 11:00 – 11:45 | Documentary Screening 11:45 – 12:15 | Discussion* 12:15 – 12:30 | Action Item and Wrap Up *Additional time may be included for further discussion. Registration To save your spot, complete this registration form! Questions For questions, contact: Cristina Codario | Trying Together | cristina@tryingtogether.org Lindsey Ramsey | Trying Together | lindsey@tryingtogether.org About No Small Matter No Small Matter is the first feature documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated, and powerful force for good in America today: early childhood education. Through poignant stories and surprising humor, the film lays out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years, and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families, and a slow-motion catastrophe for the country.
March 6, 2020 Washington County Focus Week Urges Increased Investments In March 2020, Trying Together, Pre-K for PA, and Start Strong PA are co-hosting the Washington County Focus Week to highlight the need for increased child care and pre-kindergarten investments in future Pennsylvania budgets. About Taking place from March 9 through March 13, 2020, the Washington County Focus Week seeks to: highlight quality infant and toddler child care in Washington and Allegheny County; thank state policymakers for investments in high-quality early learning programs; document continued unmet need for high-quality child care and pre-k in Washington and Allegheny County; and urge state policymakers to make high-quality child care and pre-k top priorities in future state budgets to increase access to and the affordability of these critical programs. The Washington County Focus Week is one of many to come. Pre-K For PA, Start Strong PA, and campaign partner organizations like Trying Together will host additional Focus Weeks in districts across the Commonwealth throughout the year. These weeks were developed, in part, due to the need for increased child care funding in the Pennsylvania state budget, as 73 percent of eligible children under the age of five are not receiving high-quality child care services. Why It Matters According to the Committee for Economic Development’s 2019 Child Care in State Economies Fact Sheet, the average annual cost of child care for an infant in Pennsylvania is $11,560 in a child care center. That is roughly 21 percent of the state’s median income and 80 percent of the cost of tuition and fees at a four-year state college in Pennsylvania. These costs remain a major barrier for many parents and caregivers, especially those who are seeking to enter, re-enter, or remain in the workforce. Issues of access are not limited to child care, however, as 56 percent of eligible three- and four-year-olds in Pennsylvania do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k according to recent data from KIDS COUNT: Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. Locally, 55 percent of eligible children in Washington County do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k. Both Pre-K For PA and Start Strong PA commented on the most recent 2020-2021 Pennsylvania State Budget proposal, stating, “Although the Governor’s budget proposal utilizes $15.3 million in federal funding toward child care subsidy base rates, this proposal will have no impact in addressing the list of children waiting to gain access to subsidized care or improve the quality of that care.” No Small Matter Screening On March 12 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Collier Community Center (which lies on the border of Washington and Allegheny Counties in Oakdale, Pennsylvania) Washington County constituents are invited to attend a free screening and panel discussion of the early childhood documentary, No Small Matter. Through poignant stories and surprising humor, No Small Matter lays out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years of life and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families, and a slow-motion catastrophe for the entire country. These crises are playing out in Pennsylvania, as families and caregivers across the Commonwealth are struggling to access high-quality pre-kindergarten and child care programs. Panelists will include: Senator Camera Bartolotta Representative Jason Ortitay Representative Timothy J. O’Neal Donna Shriver, SmartKids Child Care & Learning Center Audra Redick, The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development Visit our event webpage to register and learn more! More Information For more information about the Washington County Focus Week and the additional early learning advocacy efforts of Trying Together, contact Cristina Codario, Public Policy Regional Coordinator at 412.567.3673 or cristina@tryingtogether.org. For more information about Pre-K For PA or Start Strong PA, visit www.prekforpa.org and www.startstrongpa.org online respectively.
October 23, 2019 Children’s Fund Working Group Presents Report to County Executive In October 2019, the Allegheny County Children’s Fund Working Group formally presented County Executive Rich Fitzgerald with a report for his review and consideration. In it, the Group recommends the creation of a new county department dedicated to children, as well as an annual investment of up to $20 million to support high-quality learning and out-of-school-time programs. About Officially launched in May 2019, the Allegheny Children’s Fund initiative is a citizen-led effort that seeks to “change the way we fund the efforts that are proven to ensure the health and well-being of our kids across the county: early learning, after school programs, and good nutrition.” In November 2018, the Group successfully qualified a question for the General Election ballot, asking voters: “Shall the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter be amended to establish the Allegheny County Children’s Fund, funded by Allegheny County levying and collecting an additional 0.25 mills, the equivalent of $25 on each $100,000 of assessed value, on all taxable real estate, beginning January 1, 2019 and thereafter, to be used to improve the well-being of children through the provision of services throughout the County including early childhood learning, after school programs, and nutritious meals?” While the group exceeded their goal of collecting more than 40,000 petition signatures from community members and stakeholders, the effort fell short as 48.4% of voters answered “YES” on the ballot. A majority (>50%) “YES” vote was needed. While the question did not receive a majority “YES” vote, community members and stakeholders still agreed that unmet needs remained. With this, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced that a 26-member working group had been convened to begin to look at the potential creation of a Children’s Fund to provide resources to early childhood learning and out-of-school-time programs across Allegheny County. Allegheny County Children’s Fund Tasks County Executive Fitgerald charged the working group with the following tasks: review available data to assess the state of children and children’s programming in Allegheny County; gather information from providers, parents, and experts across the county, especially regarding programming demand and supply gaps; gather input from the larger community; review state and federal policies and their impact on children’s programming in the county; design the operations of a possible children’s fund; provide concept budgets for operations within budgets of $5 million, $10 million, and $20 million annually; provide sample allocation models and scenarios; and report findings to the County Executive. Overview of the Report The working group found that there are significant gaps in equitable access and recommends that a focus on improving the quality of the system would provide significant benefit to the community. The report proposed a mission and vision for a Children’s Fund and identified four core principles: equity, access, quality, and accountability. With this, the group’s annual goal is to ensure that more children in Allegheny County can access high-quality programming. As a long-term goal, the group hopes for systemic improvements for children in Allegheny County. “An investment of this level is a commitment that focuses on quality and equity for youth in our community,” said Trisha M. Gadson, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the Children’s Fund Working Group. “It can further support the economic viability of our region.” During its six months of work, the group sought to engage as many voices as possible to receive input and feedback from the community. This process included six public meetings, two focus groups, an online survey (in English and Spanish), and a meeting-in-a-box kit to receive input from teens. In addition to its final report, the group issued a Public Engagement Summary as a companion piece, outlining input from the public on the creation of a Children’s Fund at the county level. County Executive Fitzgerald thanked the group for their diligent attention, stating, “This issue is important to me and it is important to this community. Nothing could be more impactful to the residents of Allegheny County than investing in our children and their future. While I’ve just begun to dive into this report and its recommendations, it is clear that it calls for a systemic change to be dedicated to children’s success. I’m grateful to the leaders of our community who gave of their time and talents to provide us with a plan to consider and will be continuing this conversation with them as we consider what options make sense for our county moving forward.” “The importance of the County Executive’s leadership is vital to the success of our children and our region,” said Michelle Figlar, Co-Chair of the Children’s Fund Working Group. “The addition of local leadership and revenue is essential to the success of early learning and out-of-school programs, and Allegheny County has the opportunity to lead in this effort.” Read the Full Report To read the full report, visit the Allegheny County website. Next Steps The work of the Allegheny County Children’s Fund Working Group is now complete. Follow what happens next with the Working Group’s recommendations at the County Executive’s website or by contacting your member of the Allegheny County Council. More Information For more information, visit the Children’s Fund website. Read the full release. *Information provided by the Office of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald
August 15, 2019 Mobility Demonstration Project Seeks Feedback The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure has been working with a new consortium called the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective to increase mobility options, especially to and from public transit. With this, the City posted an online survey to receive early input and feedback from Pittsburgh community members. About Through the addition of electric scooters, electric bikes, rental cars, and carpooling services, the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective seek to expand local transportation options. Pittsburgh-native Ben Bear, Chief Business Officer of Spin, said: “while electric bikes should be available and stations with some services should be available in three to four months, electric scooters might take longer because changes need to be made in Pennsylvania law to allow them.” To ensure accessibility and affordability in all of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, a part of the proposal for this initiative involves “donating 10 cents from every trip to a special fund to help build infrastructure such as stations and to help people in disadvantaged areas use the system,” possibly including reduced rates and alternate payment methods. To learn more, read the full article posted on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website. Provide Your Feedback While the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure has gathered a wide array of city and regional transportation plans, studies, and workshop feedback in pursuit of community needs and values, the Department is always looking to receive additional feedback from Pittsburgh community members. To submit your feedback, complete the Mobility Demonstration Project: Early Input survey.
August 2, 2019 PA DHS Announces KinConnector Helpline On August 1, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (PA DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Aging Secretary Robert Torres announced a helpline for families in kinship care situations, including grandparents raising their grandchildren because of the opioid crisis. About The KinConnector helpline was created by Act 89 of 2018, which established a kinship navigator program for Pennsylvania. KinConnector will act as a bridge that helps families identify resources, including gaining access to local, state, and federal resources. The KinConnector helpline is staffed by Kinship Navigators–compassionate, knowledgeable social service professionals prepared to help families locate, understand, and access resources that may be able to help them. This helpline, however, is just the beginning. A website of resources is set to launch in late 2019. KinConnector Helpline KinConnector can be reached by calling 1.866.KIN.2111 (1.866.546.2111). Assistance is available Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services Examples of provided services include: connecting caregivers to health, financial, and legal services, connecting caregivers to training and parenting advice, identifying local physical or behavioral services, identifying support groups, helping caregivers enroll a child in school, helping caregivers apply for federal, state, and local benefits such as CHIP and Social Security, and other services designed to support caregivers. Why Kinship Matters Kinship care is becoming more common in Pennsylvania, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings often stepping in to fill the role of parents who are seeking treatment or, in the most tragic cases, have died from the disease of addiction. Kinship care guardians often make a selfless choice to care for a young relative and ensure they receive care and support from a family member they know and trust, even when processing their own emotions around their family’s situation. Children being cared for by relatives are less likely to end up in foster care and will experience better outcomes when they are living with a relative or someone they know. KinConnector will help ease the burden on these families and give them the tools and resources they need to be successful. More Information For more information on resources available for kinship families and grandparents raising grandchildren, visit dhs.pa.gov. Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
July 28, 2019 Response: Pennsylvania Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget Recently, the state finalized the budget for fiscal year 2019-20, running now through June 30, 2020. About Alongside monumental increased investments for pre-k and home visiting, child care line items expanded, but only due to increases in funds from the federal government that are appropriated (or allowed to be spent) in the new state budget. Meanwhile, state child care dollars were cut by $36 million and replaced with federal funds. While Trying Together is excited by the growth of pre-k and home visiting, this budget was a missed opportunity to support greater access to and affordability of high-quality child care. It is critical that our state policymakers know that the early childhood community is paying attention to their actions. Detailed Budget Overview Governor Wolf’s enacted budget includes the following: Child Care $6 million cut from the Child Care Services line item (replaced by federal funds). $30 million cut from the Child Care Assistance line item (replaced by federal funds). $27 million of federal dollars allocated to serve 970 additional infants and toddlers eligible for Child Care Works in high-quality programs; raise tiered reimbursement rates for STAR 2, 3, and 4 providers caring for infants and toddlers; and support apprenticeships for infant and toddler teachers. Pre-K $25 million increase for Pre-K Counts. This funding will also provide a rate increase of 2.95%, meaning approximately $250 more per child served over the prior rate. $5 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program to serve more children. Evidence-Based Home Visiting $5 million increase for evidence-based home visiting programs to serve an additional 800 eligible families. Why It’s Important Today, only one-third of children on child care subsidy are accessing high-quality STAR 3 or 4 care. On average, families wait 88 days to access subsidies they need to join or remain in the workforce, with 4,300 children on the subsidy waiting list. However, child care subsidy reimbursements do not cover the cost of quality care. With this, child care staff are often paid low wages, with 50 percent of child care staff receiving public assistance. We are pleased to see a waiting list initiative to serve more infants and toddlers in high-quality care and an increase in tiered reimbursement that will provide further program stability and consistency in teacher:child relationships. These are initiatives we and partners advocated for and strongly align with our Start Strong PA campaign goals. Trying Together appreciates Governor Wolf’s continued commitment to early care and education programs in the commonwealth. With this, we recognize that countless families still lack access to high-quality early learning programs that they can afford. Trying Together will be doubling down on our advocacy for greater state and federal funding for child care. Take Action To support the work of early childhood and caregivers of young children, we participate in multiple campaigns, including Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, and Childhood Begins at Home. However, the success of these advocacy efforts is only possible when the early childhood community is visible and heard by our elected officials. Visit our Take Action page and take action on the campaigns that matter to you. By doing so, you can thank lawmakers for greater investments in pre-k and home visiting and let them know that you expect to see them restore and grow investments in high-quality child care. To stay up-to-date on how to advocate for these issues, sign-up to receive public policy updates. See the full budget history here.
April 10, 2019 Child Care Woes: The Push to Expand Access In a recent article published online by the Christian Science Monitor (CSM), Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo discussed parent’s “constant hustle” in relation to providing and identifying high-quality care for their young children. Overview In the article, staff writer Sara Miller Llana brings in the story of Dana Hunter, a full-time employee and mother living in Pittsburgh. In this, Ms. Hunter describes the challenging balancing act of providing primary care for her young children while managing the workload and time requirements of full-time employment. Trying Together Cara Ciminillo mentions, “It’s a constant hustle. It’s a constant piecing together and juggling of demands and priorities.” After sharing this story, the article later goes on to explain the growing support for pre-k, calling on evidence that access to early education not only supports the healthy development of young children but also supports caregivers’ return to the workforce. Although political figures are calling for increased access to early care and education, supported by the successful implementation of such programs in other countries, “affordable, quality child care still remains out of reach for many families, with women often shouldering the bulk of domestic management.” Article Read the full article to learn more about Pennsylvania’s push to expand access to child care.
February 12, 2019 Fostering Inclusive Spaces for Children of All Abilities Join APOST at United Way’s Pittsburgh Office for this eye-opening and interactive workshop, tailored to increase awareness about disabilities, and to share different ways to make your program space more inclusive for children with disabilities. With her firsthand experience living with a disability and parenting a child with a disability too, guest presenter, Michelle Walker, of Lend An Ear Consulting, will be here to help participants navigate this important topic for Out-of-School Time providers. Questions are encouraged. Objectives of this workshop are: Participants will learn and discuss the various types of disabilities, both visible and invisible. Participants will explore ways to be more inclusive, more accessible and welcoming for all. Registration To register, visit their event page. Questions For questions, contact APOST at 412.456.6876 or apost@uwac.org.
February 4, 2019 Pittsburgh Launching New Book Gifting Program With support from The Benter Foundation, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration plans to launch a free book program for children from birth to age five. Tomorrow, Pittsburgh City Council will introduce legislation to accept $250,000 from the foundation, introducing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program to the city. Since starting in 1995, this program has sent more than 113 million books for free, to children in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Role That Access Plays Studies of the Imagination Library have discovered: Parents believed their children were more interested in reading when receiving the books every month Parents read aloud to their children more often Children were excited when books arrived in their name Positive views of the program transcended demographics and longer participation provided better outcomes The City’s Role The Imagination Library covers overhead costs, databases, monthly mailings, and a book selection committee. The City of Pittsburgh, as an affiliate of the Imagination Library, would cover the ongoing costs for mailing each book every month, as well as enrollment and promotional activities. Once funding is approved, outreach and communication plans will be launched, as well as engaging with local organizations that work with young children and families. Quotes from the Partnership Tiffini Simoneaux, manager of the City’s Office of Early Childhood in Mayor Peduto’s Bureau of Neighborhood Empowerment: “Research shows that early literary experiences, including access to books in the home, are fundamental ingredients for academic success. This program will enable young children throughout the city to build a home library of up to 60 books.” Bill Benter, president of The Benter Foundation: “We’re pleased to partner with the City of Pittsburgh and other community allies to help children develop a lifelong love of reading. Having your own books at home unlocks a new world of learning and language that can help Pittsburgh’s children thrive.” *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
