News

March 16, 2026

Caregivers Should Have These Items Ready for Kindergarten Registration Process

With kindergarten registration opening in some school districts around Allegheny County and its surrounding counties, there are several items that caregivers will want to start collecting to complete the process.

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Kindergarten registration is already open in sections of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Armstrong, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

In Allegheny County, several school districts will soon open registration – Allegheny Valley in March, North Allegheny in April, and Northgate School District will hold a kindergarten registration event in May.

During registration, caregivers will want to make sure to bring the following documents when registering a child:

The child’s birth certificate
Proof of residency, such as a utility bill or copy of a lease
Vaccination records (the state’s Department of Health shares which ones your child needs)
Any forms required by the school district, such as an application or emergency contact list
There may be other documents required, so be sure to check with your school district.

Some schools or districts set aside specific dates to register for kindergarten, while others hold special events such as summer orientation for incoming students. To find your local school’s contact information or registration dates, visit Pennsylvania Promise for Children’s website.

For more information on registration, visit Trying Together’s Pre-K and Kindergarten Transition page.

News

March 9, 2026

How to Prepare and Register Children for Summer Camp

With the ongoing snow and frigid temperatures, summer might still seem far away – but those looking to place children in summer camps should begin thinking about where to find spots for them.

Allegheny County Search Tool

Caregivers can find available spots for children at Allegheny County early learning, after school, summer camp, and virtual programs on Allegheny Child Care for Families’ website. The website – a collaboration between Trying Together and APOST – enables caregivers to explore programs based on location or children’s age and also includes virtual programs.

Providers regularly update information regarding available spots and whether they are accepting new families. As summer camp signup season approaches, providers should remember to update their profiles on the website. Caregivers can also create an account to save a list of their favorite child care providers.

How to Prepare Your Child for Summer Camp

While going away to summer camp can be exciting and provide a sense of independence for some children and young adults, it can also create anxiety for others.

The Child Mind Institute put together a list of resources regarding summer camp anxiety to help caregivers in easing children’s minds for when they will spend the night away from home.

In one article, the institute lists a variety of ways that caregivers can help children to overcome pre-camp anxiety – including letting them feel a sense of ownership over the experience, not trivializing their concerns or offering glib reassurances, reflecting on your own formative experiences away from home and sharing positive aspects, and not lingering at the bus stop or drop-off point.

In an article from New York Presbyterian on a similar topic, suggestions to help children get the most out of their summer camp experience include not promising to pick up a child as soon as they get homesick, doing a dry run by visiting the camp ahead of time, sending along a favorite stuffed animal, or suggesting they talk to a camp counselor about any challenges they have.

Allegheny County Summer Camp Options

In February, Kidsburgh released its annual list of local summer camps for children of all ages and interests. This year, among the 75 camps listed were:

August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s Hip Hop Camp
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Pittsburgh Musical Theater Conservatory
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
Shady Side Academy
Jewish Community Center
National Aviary
Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History
Pittsburgh Public Theater Summer Camps

In the Kidsburgh article, each summer camp listing is accompanied by information on the program and registration.

Programs listed in Allegheny Child Care for Families’ database include the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, Venture Outdoors, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania, and the Sarah Heinz House Association, among others.

Summer Camp Options in Other Counties

There are a variety of options for summer camps in other nearby western Pennsylvania counties. These include:

Armstrong County

Beaver County

Butler County

Fayette County

Greene County

Indiana County

Lawrence County

Washington County

Westmoreland County

News

February 3, 2026

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

January 2, 2026

Allegheny County Announces New Out-of-School-Time Programs Dashboard

The Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives (DCI) has created a new Out-of-School Time (OST) Programs Dashboard to explore the locations of OST programs in the county.

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The interactive tool, which was developed in partnership with RAND and made possible with funding from the McElhattan Foundation, is intended to make data and information supporting children more available.

The tool allows users to explore the locations of OST programs throughout Allegheny County and relate these to other features, such as schools, public transportation, youth population, and community needs.

Using the Tool

The tool’s filters are available using selectors on the website’s top right-hand corner that display programs based on certain features, such as their location on school property, program type, by community level of need, and/or municipality.

The tool’s Select a School District Boundary feature helps to focus the map and display both OST programs and schools within the district’s boundary.

The map’s More Tools menu provides additional features that allow users to search the map by address, toggle feature layers, and change the basemap.

Map Popups show more information based on the selected layer – for example, OST Programs, Community Need Index, and Youth Population provide detailed, unique information when visualized in the Layers tool.

All filters can be reset by selecting the Reset Arrow on the bottom right that appears after a filter is applied. Selecting the reset button returns the dashboard to its default settings and position.

To search for out-of-school-time programs in your community, check out the OST Programs Dashboard.

News

May 5, 2025

Allegheny County Seeking Poll Workers for May 20 Primary Election

Allegheny County is looking for poll workers to assist in the primary election on Tuesday, May 20.

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Poll workers earn anywhere from $150 to $175 for the day. New poll workers also receive paid training.

Also referred to as election officers, poll workers can serve in various roles on Election Day, including judge, inspector, or clerk of elections.

Poll workers must be comfortable with interacting with the public and keeping up to date with election changes. There is a high performance expectation on Election Day and well-trained poll workers play an important role in the success of elections.

To be a poll worker, one must:

Be a registered Allegheny County voter
Not hold, or within two months have held, any public office, appointment, or employment in or under the U.S. government, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, or any city
Not be a candidate who is running for public office on the ballot in that district, except for judge or inspector of election
Perform the duties of the office in a nonpartisan manner

Those interested can register on Allegheny County’s website.

News

April 7, 2025

Allegheny County Youth Population Dashboard Live Demonstration

Allegheny County’s Department of Children Initiatives (DCI) will hold a live demonstration in April for an interactive, public dashboard that it has developed.

Learn More

The public tool allows users to export population data and view youth population by school district, municipality, and Census block group. During the demonstration, the dashboard’s team will review its functionality and be available for questions.

The demonstration will begin at 10 a.m. on Microsoft Teams on Friday, April 11.

Those interested in attending should complete a brief registration survey. Once it has been processed, registrants will receive a link to attend the meeting.

News

February 17, 2025

Just Harvest: SNAP Users Should Be Proactive in Protecting Benefits from Scams

Just Harvest – an Allegheny County organization that addresses economic injustice through a focus on public policy and food access – is encouraging residents who use SNAP to be proactive in protecting their benefits.

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The organization pointed out that Congress has failed to extend a provision that protects SNAP users from skimming, during which SNAP benefits are stolen off EBT cards at point-of-sale machines. As a result, any SNAP benefits stolen will no longer be replaced.

Those whose benefits have been stolen should report the theft to their local County Assistance Office and request a new EBT card. Once they have obtained a new EBT card, they should routinely change their PIN number.

DHS Text Alert

Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services has announced plans for an upcoming text alert that warns residents of recent nationwide increases of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud.

The department said the text alert would warn residents about incidents of card skimming. The text will come from the number 833-648-1964.

The department also warns that DHS text messages would never include:

Details about a person’s benefits, such as the amount of SNAP they are authorized to receive
A request for personal information
Links to unofficial sites; most texts will direct people to dhs.pa.gov, COMPASS, or a site that ends in .gov or .org.

News

February 11, 2025

Spots Available for Free Early Education Programs in Allegheny County

Parents have the opportunity to enroll their children in free early education programs in Allegheny County.

Head Start and Pre-K Counts

Families who reside in Allegheny County and meet program guidelines can enroll their children in Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs.

The programs provide preschool children, ages three to five, with quality, flexible programming that is designed to reinforce and respond to the strengths and needs of each individual child.

Early Head Start services are available to pregnant women and families with children from birth to age three.

There are available spots for three- to four-year-old children at the following locations:

PPS Bethel Park – George Washington Elementary, 515 Clifton Road, Bethel Park, 15102
PPS Duquesne – Duquesne School, 300 Kennedy Avenue, Duquesne, PA 15110
PPS South Allegheny – South Allegheny Elementary School, 1707 Washington Boulevard, Port Vue, PA 15133
COTRAIC Churchview – 3198 Scheick Street Pgh, PA 15227
Learning to Learn Childcare Center- 119 Pennoak Drive Pgh, PA 15235
COTRAIC Dorseyville – 120 Charles Street Pgh, PA 15238
COTRAIC Hazelwood – 4900 2nd Avenue Pgh, PA 15207

To enroll in PPS programs, call Jeanette Casciato at 412-394-4594. For more information, check out this flyer. To enroll in COTRAIC programs, call Louna Ibrahim at 412-488-2750 or visit www.cotraic.org

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Early Childhood Program offers extended-day – and, in some cases, extended year – programming in community early childhood programs. The programs are similar to school-based early childhood classroom models.

There are openings in the following locations:

Arsenal (Lawrenceville)
Chartiers (West End)
Conroy (North Side)
Crescent (Homewood)
Langley (West End)
Linden (Point Breeze)
Miller (Hill District)
Minadeo (Sq. Hill)
Pittsburgh Classical Academy (West End)
Peabody/Obama (East Liberty)
Spring Garden (North Side)
Weil (Hill District)

Students who attend the programs receive individualized attention, social-emotional learning, and a free breakfast and lunch. Parents can also receive individualized support as well as opportunities to participate in a variety of training and become involved in the school community and Policy Council.

For more information, contact the Early Childhood Department at 412-529-4291. For more information, check out this flyer.

News

Just Harvest Helps with SNAP, Tax Prep, and Other Services

Just Harvest helps those struggling with food security in Allegheny County as well as other free services. The organization aims to reduce hunger by boosting income and access to healthy food.

Services

Just Harvest offers a variety of services, including:

SNAP: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a public benefit that can supplement a food budget. Just Harvest helps eligible families to apply for these benefits.
Benefits case advocacy: Just Harvest helps those having trouble applying for or receiving food stamps, LIHEAP, or cash assistance (TANF) through the state’s Department of Human Services.
Tax help: Just Harvest provides free IRS-certified tax preparation assistance to low-income families in Allegheny County.
Fresh access: Just Harvest operates a kiosk at 20 area farmers markets and farm stands in the Pittsburgh area from May to November. Customers can shop with food stamps using their ACCESS/EBT card to purchase fresh produce, baked goods, meat, and dairy products.
Fresh Corners: This healthy corner store initiative partners with local store owners in parts of Allegheny County that lack supermarkets. It provides affordable access to fresh, nutritious foods.

More information on the services that Just Harvest provides can be found on this flier.

For information on 2025 SNAP discounts, view this flier. And for general 2025 SNAP information, check out this flier.

News

February 10, 2025

United Way, Human Services Center Mon Valley Offering Free Tax Prep Services

The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Human Services Center Mon Valley are offering free tax preparation services for qualifying families this tax season.

To find answers for common tax season questions, view this flier in English and Spanish.

United Way

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-certified volunteers will help households earning up to $65,000 per year to get the maximum possible refund. They will also help qualifying taxpayers to get an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which can help to pay down bills, fund a child’s education, or build savings.

There will be no charge, no matter the size of the refund, for those assisted by the United Way.

Free tax sites located in the region will serve Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

Those interested can schedule an appointment online or call 888-856-2773. Taxpayers can also file their own federal and state taxes for free online through United Way.

Download this flier for more information and locations.

Human Services Center Mon Valley

The Human Services Center Mon Valley will offer free tax preparation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through April 9.

Families with a total household income up to $65,000 or individuals up to $45,000 qualify for services. Appointments can be scheduled online or by calling 2-1-1.

The center is located at 413 Penn Avenue in Turtle Creek. There will be free parking on site, and the center is located on the bus line.

For more information about documents needed for tax preparation, download this flier.