News

June 25, 2020

Join Providers Across PA to Tell Your Story

On Tuesday, June 30, child care providers across Pennsylvania are participating in a day-long, story sharing event on social media to increase attention on child care and its importance as a community resource and economic driver.

About

Governor Tom Wolf and the General Assembly authorized the spending of stimulus funds to support early learning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even once all those funds are distributed, they are not enough.

With diminished enrollment, scarcity of staff, unpaid bills, and no clear picture of what tomorrow will bring, many child care providers still do not know if their business will survive. We need the federal government to allocate more funding to support child care programs so they can weather this crisis.

To gain these urgently needed funds, stories from child care providers, early educators, and families are essential. Stories can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 30.

We want to be sure that as many people as possible–especially our elected officials–understand that the child care crisis is not over and without child care there is no recovery! Alert your network of friends, families, and staff to look out for your story and like, share, and/or retweet it.

How to Share

Prepare your story ahead of time so that you can easily post or tweet during the event.
You can use your answers to the questions on this Google form to help create your draft.
Pictures are encouraged to help others see the real people affected by this crisis!

Sharing on Twitter:

Break your story down into a thread of 280 characters.
Click the blue “Tweet” button in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
Type out the first tweet of your thread.
Press the + button in the lower right hand corner of your Tweet composition window, and a new space will appear for you to add a second tweet.
In the final tweet of the thread, include #FundChildCare #SaveEarlyLearning and Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) and Senator Bob Casey (@SenCasey).

Sharing on Facebook:

From the top of your News Feed, click What’s on your mind, [Name]?
Add a text update or click the type of post you would like to share (example: Photo/Video, Feeling/Activity).
Posts can be up to 63,206 characters so you have plenty of room, however, longer posts get cut off in a user’s feed, forcing them to expand the text if they want to read the full story.
At the end of your post include #FundChildCare #SaveEarlyLearning and tag @SenatorBobCasey and @SenatorToomey

Sharing on Instagram:

Tap + at the bottom of the screen.
Take a photo or video or choose one from your phone’s library.
Tap Next. You can also add effects or filters.
Tap Next again, and then tap Write a caption
Enter your caption and tap OK > Share (iPhone) or Share (Android).
In your caption include #FundChildCare #SaveEarlyLearning and tag @senbobcasey and @senpattoomey

More Information

Questions? Please contact Cristina Codario at cristina@tryingtogether.org.

News

March 9, 2020

Interviews with Ms. Barb and Families at the Frank Sarris Library

Prior to the start of the Washington County Focus Week (March 9 – 13, 2020), Trying Together visited staff, families, and young children at the Frank Sarris Public Library in Canonsburg for a reading of Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham.” At the event, library staff member Barbara Somma, aka Ms. Barb, led children and their caregivers through a series of activities, including fingerplays, dances, and a Dr. Seuss themed craft. The classroom included creative play items for the children as well, including a puppet show theater, “grocery market,” books, legos, and more.

After the class, Trying Together had the opportunity to talk with Ms. Barb and two participating caregivers, Karen and Kim. Featured below are our questions and each interviewees’ responses.

Interviews

Barbara Somma, Class Teacher

Barbara Somma, or as the children call her, “Ms. Barb,” brightens the day of each child and caregiver who attends her classes. Having a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education under her belt, Ms. Barb spent the last 10 years as a dedicated staff member at the Frank Sarris Public Library. If you stop by the Library, you can catch Ms. Barb leading Storytime, Little Picassos, Wiggles and Giggles, and the Summer Reading Camp! Odds are, she will have a crowd of young children giggling and following her happily!

What programming does Frank Sarris Library provide for young children and families?

The Frank Sarris Library offers a plethora of programming for children and families! Monday through Friday, we have activities geared towards preschool level children like storytime, yoga storytime, art, and a class called Wiggles and Giggles that is focused on body movement. During the month of July, we also offer a Summer Reading Camp for children in Kindergarten through fourth grade that includes creative themes like Fairytale Science, Mysical Beasts, and Magic School. They’re all meant to spark each child’s imagination. We offer services all throughout the year though, including books for readers of all ages, creative “Grable Kits,” several e-resources, and more.

How can caregivers make literacy experiences meaningful for their young children?

I think by just reading to your children all of the time. Read for 20 minutes a day, every day with your children. As a mother of two, I would always read a couple books with them right before bed. It’s also important to get a library card! They’re free and the library has tons of free resources for young children and families.

Why do you feel early childhood development is so important for young children?

Early childhood development is the basis for everything a child needs in life! Children learn from meaningful experiences and repetition. As adults, we need to make sure we are providing the time and patience for those experiences!

How do you see your role at the Frank Sarris Library supporting early childhood development in your community?

I think my role is really important here at the Frank Sarris Library. We serve many families and it’s important that we provide children with safe places to go. All of the staff here at the Library serve as role models within the community. However, our Library is an untapped resource. There are so many services that community members could benefit from if they stopped by.

Karen and Granddaughter Ellie

How did you like today’s event? What piqued your interest in attending?

Everything Ms. Barb does is truly amazing. I’ve been coming here for seven and a half years and I’ve brought all of my grandchildren. I was interested in attending because I wanted to make sure my grandchildren had social interactions with young children, and Ms. Barb allows the children to have these great social experiences! By coming here, my grandchildren have learned language concepts and vocabulary. Ms. Barb is so dynamic. She exudes engaging and creative energy in everything she does!

What’s your favorite book to read to your child? Why?

Ellie doesn’t have a favorite book, she really just loves to read! She is very into the alphabet right now!

Kim and Grandson

How did you like today’s event? What piqued your interest in attending?

Ms. Barb is great! Attending this program is the best thing I have done with my grandson! We heard about the children’s programs here through word of mouth. We have been attending since he was about six months old. We love Ms. Barb’s music and freeze dancing!

What’s your favorite book to read to your child?

He loves reading Elmo and Mini Mouse right now!

More Information

This session was one of many free services that the Frank Sarris Public Library provides, with options available for learners of all ages. To learn more about their services, visit the Frank Sarris Public Library website! To learn more about the Washington County Focus Week, read our news post!

News

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.

News

February 7, 2020

2020-21 Pennsylvania Budget Proposal Response

On February 5, during his 2020-2021 budget proposal address, Governor Tom Wolf dared us to imagine a Pennsylvania where no one is denied the chance to work because they can’t find child care. A Pennsylvania where high-quality child care is accessible and affordable. A Pennsylvania where child care rates are stabilized and child care providers are incentivized. Trying Together belives in that dream, but the budget proposal itself offers no new state investments to make these dreams a reality.

About

While the 2020-21 budget proposal offered increased state investments in early childhood programs like pre-k and home-visiting, it’s missing state investments for something that affects the lives of every parent and caregiver in Pennsylvania: child care. Early Learning PA highlights this issue in their recent press release, stating, “Given that 70 percent of Pennsylvania children under the age of five have all adults in their household in the labor force, high-quality child care is an essential workforce support.” However, due to high prices and limited child care slots, many families across the Commonwealth are not able to afford or access high-quality child care programs.

Early Learning PA continues on, 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.” This, in turn, affects each caregiver’s ability to enter, re-enter, or remain in the workforce and the long-term academic, career, and health outcomes of young children. In Pennsylvania, 73 percent of eligible children under the age of five are not receiving high-quality child care services.

Interestingly, the lack of state investment is also a lack of response to the Governor’s own Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center report, just released last week identifying barriers to employment and providing recommendations for action by the governor, Pennsylvania General Assembly, and private sector. In the report, increasing access to affordable high-quality child care was a top priority for all three.

Take Action

The lack of state investments in child care isn’t only something worth talking about, it’s also an issue that worthy of advocacy. Join us as an advocate by sending a message urging the General Assembly to demonstrate their commitment to Pennsylvania’s youngest children, their families, and our economy by increasing state funding for high-quality child care! Our senators and representatives will need to hear from us through budget negotiations, and our message starts now.

Join us if you believe that all children in Pennsylvania deserve to start strong!

News

January 31, 2020

Recess: A Community Conversation

Physical movement and the freedom to play improves children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. Children, their caregivers, and community members are invited to join the Recess Advocacy Team to discuss their school recess experiences. Families will also have the opportunity to play at the MuseumLab for FREE from 4:30–5:30 p.m. Conversation, activities, and pizza will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Learning Lab 1.

The evening will include:

- conversation,
- playful activities,
- networking,
- pizza, and
- more!

Registration

To register, complete the following form:

More Information

For more information, email recess@tryingtogether.org.

Share this flyer with your network.

News

ECE Advocacy Fellows Complete First Month of Program

Convening for the first time at Trying Together’s main office, 2020 ECE Advocacy Fellows completed their first month of the Fellowship program this January.

About

In January 2020, Trying Together launched its second Early Childhood Education (ECE) Advocacy Fellowship. Now through September, Fellows will meet once per month to gain public policy knowledge, build on their leadership skills, and develop their voices as early childhood advocates.

In January, Fellows met for their first workshop session where they learned about Early Learning PA (ELPA) campaigns, including Start Strong PA, Pre-K for PA, and Childhood Begins at Home, and heard from past Fellows about how to make the most out of their Fellowship experience.

If you’re interested in advocacy, visit our Take Action page!

More Information

If you’re interested in learning more about the Fellowship, visit our webpage, sign-up to receive our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Updates will be shared as information becomes available.

News

January 27, 2020

Take Action to Support Infants and Toddlers in Pennsylvania

Are you interested in advocating to increase access to and the affordability of child care for infants and toddlers in Pennsylvania? Take action by completing Start Strong PA’s current advocacy ask!

About

In December 2019, a campaign for high-quality child care in Pennsylvania called Start Strong PA delivered a New Year’s resolution photo frame to every member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The frames included a spot for a photo, a place for their signature, and the following resolution:

In 2020, I resolve that all children deserve to start strong.

I will support the healthy development of all Pennsylvania’s infants and toddlers by fighting for greater access to high-quality child care.

Now, Start Strong PA is encouraging the General Assembly to take a picture with the signed photo frame and share it across their social media platforms. However, Start Strong PA needs your help! Throughout January, the campaign is asking Pennsylvania families and caregivers to send in photos of their infants and toddlers to place inside the frames. Will you reinforce Start Strong PA’s mission to increase access to and the affordability of high-quality infant/toddler early learning programs?

How You Can Help

To send in a photo, complete the following steps:

- Find your Senator or Representative by visiting: http://bit.ly/StartStrongPAresolution.
- Type in your address and press search.
- You will be given links to your Pennsylvania House and Senate members.
- Click on the link (their name) and you will be sent to their website. On the left-hand side, you can find their Harrisburg office address.
- Place the 4 x 6 photo(s) and a message that says “Make me your New Year’s resolution!” in an envelope, add postage, and mail to their Harrisburg office.

Looking to go a step further? Send your Senator and Representative a reminder as well by completing a pre-filled form on our Take Action page!

More Information

For questions or to send your picture to Start Strong PA, email info@startstrongpa.org.

News

November 26, 2019

2020 Early Childhood Education Advocacy Fellowship

Trying Together invites early care and education professionals to apply to its 2020 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Advocacy Fellowship to strengthen their voice as an early childhood advocate. Online applications are being accepted now through Tuesday, December 31 at 11:59 p.m.

About

In this nine-month program, ECE Advocacy Fellows:

- develop their role as a “change-maker”;
- harness their leadership skills;
- learn to use research-based communication strategies to build positive impact;
- gain knowledge of public policy processes and key players, and their effect on their work; and
- receive a stipend (along with their employer) for their time.

At this time, Trying Together offers the fellowship program at no cost to the participant and will provide lunch and snacks at each session. Travel stipends are available on a case-by-case basis.

Intended Audience

Trying Together’s ECE Advocacy Fellowship has been designed for professionals working in the early care and education field, including:

- center administrators and teachers;
- family child care providers;
- school-age child care providers;
- Head Start teachers;
- pre-k teachers;
- PK-4 teachers and principals;
- home visitors;
- trainers;
- professors of higher education; and
- child care resource and referral professionals.

Session Details

From January–September 2020, Fellows will meet as a group on the last Tuesday of each month (tentatively) from 12:00-4:00 p.m. Dates are subject to change but will be finalized in January 2020. Participants should expect an additional two to four hours of work every month. We recognize that conflicts may arise unexpectedly, but each participant should plan to participate in all program activities if accepted into the Fellowship.

At each workshop, an informed early childhood, public policy, or community leader will facilitate, drawing on information from regional or national experts to share the latest news, research, and strategies to improve early childhood public policy. Workshops will include opportunities for networking, professional growth, and community development.

Application Details

Online applications are being accepted now through Tuesday, December 31 at 11:59 p.m. Our selection committee seeks to admit an evenly balanced cohort with regard to geography, diversity, experience, interest, etc. All participants will be notified by the first week of January 2020.

To apply, visit the ECE Advocacy Fellowship page.

More Information

For more information about our public policy efforts at Trying Together, contact Cristina Codario by email at cristina@tryingtogether.org or by calling 412.567.3673.

News

October 11, 2019

Recess: A Community Conversation

Children, parents, and community members are invited to join the Recess Advocacy Team on November 7 to discuss their school recess experiences.

The evening will include conservation, playful activities, networking, dinner, and more!

More Information

For questions, contact recess@tryingtogether.org.

Share this flyer with your network.

Registration

To register, complete the form below.

News

October 10, 2019

Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership Summit

On December 3, staff from Trying Together’s Policy Team will be presenting at the 2019 Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership (GPNP) Summit.

About

Join the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership on December 3 for the 2019 GPNP Summit at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel. The Summit will be an intensive, collaborative enrichment opportunity to learn new skills and tactics for achieving measurable success based on strategy, partnership, data, and hard work. With this, a particular focus will be placed on addressing pressing social issues in southwestern Pennsylvania, including those that concern:

- education,
- economic stability,
- social and community context,
- neighborhood and the build environment,
- and health and health care.

Onsite child care for children ages 2-12 years of age is available at no cost to the participant. However, pre-registration is required by November 15 as space is limited.

Our Session

At the event, Trying Together’s Director of Public Policy, Lissa Geiger Shulman, and PK-3 Public Policy Manager, Emily Neff, will be presenting their session, “Collaborating for Effective Early Childhood Advocacy.” Interested parties are invited to attend the session from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on December 3, 2019.

This session will explore:

- the history behind the formation of a coalition for early learning in Pennsylvania that represents both traditional and non-traditional stakeholders,
- advocacy successful of growing state funding in multiple line items through the launch of three coordinated campaigns,
- and challenges and opportunities presented by collaborating with partners in advocacy work.

See the full agenda.

Registration

Regular registration closes on November 22, with varying fees dependant on registration type. Onsite registration will be available at an increased price. See the full pricing guide.

To register, visit the event webpage.

More Information

For questions, contact Sue Gove at 412.431.5087 or sgove@gove.org.

To learn more about the Summit, visit the event webpage.