News

October 21, 2021

Strengthening Business Practices for Child Care Providers

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, in partnership with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the PA Key, is offering a new curriculum series, Strengthening Business Practices for Child Care Programs.

Learn More

The training content and activities are designed to strengthen child care providers’ foundational knowledge of sound fiscal management and business operations.

The series contains four modules:

  • Budgets, Projections, and Planning

  • Financial Reports and Internal Controls

  • Marketing for Child Care Programs

  • Staff Recruitment and Retention for Center-based Child Care Programs

There are two versions of this series: one for center-based providers and one for family child care (based) providers. Sessions will begin as early as November and as late at February. See this flyer for session dates and registration details.

Trainings are available at no-cost to participants. PQAS and ACT 48 available. Attendance of full series is required for credit.

Sessions

Attendance of full series is required for credit. Please select and attend the series that makes sense for your program type (center or family).

Center Providers

Series 1

  • Wednesday 11/10 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Wednesday 11/17 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Wednesday 12/01 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Wednesday 12/08 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Series 2

  • Wednesday 11/03 | 9 – 11 a.m.
  • Wednesday 11/10 | 9 – 11 a.m.
  • Tuesday 11/16 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Wednesday 11/24 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Series 3

  • Tuesday 11/30 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday 12/01 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday 12/08 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Thursday 12/09 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Wednesday 12/15 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Thursday 12/16 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Series 4

  • Tuesday 1/04 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Tuesday 1/11 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Tuesday 1/18 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Thursday 1/20 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Tuesday 1/25 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Thursday 1/27 | 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Series 5

  • Friday 1/07 | 12 – 2 p.m.
  • Friday 1/14 | 12 – 2 p.m.
  • Friday 1/21 | 12 – 3 p.m.
  • Friday 1/28 | 12 – 3 p.m.

Series 6

  • Wednesday 1/12 | 12 – 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday 1/19 | 12 – 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday 1/26 | 12 – 3 p.m.
  • Wednesday 2/02 | 12 – 3 p.m.

Series 7

  • Friday 2/11 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Friday 2/18 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • Friday 2/25 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Friday 3/04 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Series 8 – Spanish Sessions

  • Thursday 1/20 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Thursday 1/27 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Thursday 2/03 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Thursday 2/10 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Thursday 2/17 | 1 – 3 p.m.
  • Thursday 2/24 | 1 – 3 p.m.

Family Providers

Series 1

  • Wednesday 12/08 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday 12/16 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday 12/22 | 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Series 2 – Spanish Sessions

  • Thursday 2/23 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday 3/02 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday 3/09 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday 3/16 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Series 3

  • Wednesday 2/02 | 6 – 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday 2/09 | 6 – 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday 2/16 | 6 – 9 p.m.

News

September 22, 2020

Advocacy 201: Crafting and Sharing Your Message

Are you interested in speaking with elected officials about the importance of early childhood? Join Trying Together on October 27 for our free virtual workshop, “Advocacy 201: Crafting and Sharing Your Message.”

About

Effective messaging helps advocates communicate key points to their audience that can potentially influence their level of support. This workshop is for Early Childhood Education professionals who have taken Trying Together’s Advocacy 101 course (or any other foundational advocacy training) and would like to take the next step in preparing to speak with elected officials.

Course instructors will review early childhood research and effective messaging such as brain science, return on investment, impact on workforce and business community, and high-quality teaching. Attendees will leave the workshop with talking points for meeting with elected officials to advocate for early childhood.

Session Details

    • Session Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020  |  6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
    • Instructors: Cristina Codario, Emily Neff, and Lindsey Ramsey
    • Core Knowledge Area: Professional and Leadership
    • CDA Content Area: Maintaining Professionalism
    • Registration Deadline: Sunday, October 25, 2020

Registration

To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. PQAS and Act 48 credit available.

If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact pdregistry@pakeys.org for more information.

More Information

For questions or more information, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.

News

September 10, 2020

Together Toward Transformation: Roundtable Series

Are you interested in discussing opportunities to build a child care system that actually works for children, families, child care providers, and employers? Join Child Care Aware of America this September for “Together Toward Transformation: A CCAoA Roundtable Series.”

Available Sessions

    • Parents & Families
      Saturday, September 12, 2020  |  1:30 – 3:30 p.m.  |  Register
    • Employers*
      Thursday, September 17, 2020  |  3:00 – 5:00 p.m.  |  Request to Attend
    • Child Care Providers
      Saturday, September 26, 2020  |  2:00 – 4:00 p.m.  |  Request to Attend

*The Employers session is intended for local businesses, corporations, or any non-child care business that has been impacted by their employees’ child care challenges and are interested in improving the child care system.

Registration

Seating is limited. To register and learn more, visit the Child Care Aware website.

More Information

For questions, contact Marlana Kelly at events@usa.childcareaware.org or 703.341.4115.

News

July 10, 2020

OCDEL Releases an “Opening a Child Care Facility” Toolkit

To support individuals interested in opening their own child care program, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released the “Opening a Child Care Facility in Pennsylvania” toolkit that features details on the step-by-step process of requirements and regulations, obtaining a child care certification, and more!

Featured Topics

In the toolkit, OCDEL features information on the following topics and more:

    • child care requirements and regulations;
    • types of child care facilities;
    • the process to obtain a child care certification;
    • the types of clearances needed for staff;
    • health and safety requirements, including fire safety;
    • the role of child care subsidies; and
    • financial considerations and supports for operating a child care business (private pay, Child Care Works, Pre-K Counts, etc.).

Download the Toolkit

For more information on how to open a child care facility in Pennsylvania, download the full toolkit.

News

July 1, 2020

Grants Available for Small Businesses in Pennsylvania

The COVID-19 Relief Pennsylvania Statewide Small Business Assistance program will provide grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to small businesses that have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this program, a business must:

    • be physically located, certified to do business, and generate at least 51 percent of their revenues in Pennsylvania;
    • have annual revenue of $1 million or less prior to the impact of COVID-19;
    • have 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees prior to February 15, 2020; and
    • have been in operation as of February 15, 2020.
    • Eligible businesses may be structured as C-corporations, S-corporations, limited liability corporations, sole proprietors, independent contractors, or self-employed individuals.

Visit the Bridgeway Capital website to view what makes an entity ineligible to apply.

Application Period

The first application window for the COVID-19 Relief Pennsylvania Statewide Small Business Assistance program is now open until 11:59 p.m. on July 14, 2020. This is not a first-come, first-served program. There will be multiple rounds of application windows. The application window will remain open for 10 business days. Additional application windows will be announced soon.

Eligible small businesses can begin applying online.

Bridgeway Capital is a participating CDFI and will support small businesses in western Pennsylvania to access the grant funds. An application toolkit, including information about eligibility, priorities, and required documents, can be found on their website.

More Information

For more information, visit the Bridgeway Capital website. For questions and technical support, contact pacdfinetwork@lendistry.com or 866-897-9336.

News

June 30, 2020

National Family Child Care Conference

Are you interested in celebrating and exploring the field of family child care? Join the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) on July 17 and 18 for the 30th National Family Child Care Conference!

About

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NAFCC will host its annual National Family Child Care Conference virtually on the evening of Friday, July 17 and all day on Saturday, July 18. The conference will feature:

    • live and on-demand workshops,
    • an opportunity to earn up to 24 hours (or 2.4 continuing education units) of training credit,
    • a Spanish track with four live sessions presented in Spanish,
    • a Black and Latina caucus where participants can discuss the things that are important to them, and
    • a virtual exhibit hall where participants can view vendors without leaving their homes.

Featured Topics

Live and on-demand workshops will cover a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

    • record-keeping and tax implications of COVID-19,
    • organizing a sustainable daily routine that supports health and wellbeing,
    • how to make your home a place of inquiry, play, and experimentation,
    • strategies for creating an environment that promotes a variety of social-emotional skills,
    • finding out and improving your business’ profit margin, and
    • recognizing early signs of mental illness in young children.

View the schedule and full workshop descriptions.

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. For questions, submit NAFCC’s online contact form.

News

May 29, 2020

Guidance for Businesses in Counties Moving to Green Phase

On May 29, 2020, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that a number of Pennsylvania counties will move to the “green phase” of the state’s Reopening Plan beginning June 5. On that date, all counties in the state will be in the “yellow” or “green” phases. This means that all child care programs within the state that can comply with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may reopen.

Business Guidance

In entering the green phase, all businesses must continue following CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidance for social distancing and cleaning. Businesses are also encouraged to adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Continued telework strongly encouraged
  • Businesses with in-person operations must follow updated business and building safety requirements
  • All businesses operating at 50% occupancy in the yellow phase may increase to 75% occupancy
  • Child care may open complying with guidance
  • Congregate care restrictions in place
  • Prison and hospital restrictions determined by individual facilities
  • Schools subject to CDC and Commonwealth guidance

Counties in the Green Phase

As of May 29, 2020, counties that are in the green phase are Bradford, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Montour, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango, and Warren.

On June 5, 2020, counties that will transition to the green phase are Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clinton, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Lycoming, Mercer, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland.

Governor Wolf warned that future COVID-19 outbreaks remain possible and if an outbreak occurs, counties might need to revert back to more restricted phases. Because of this, all community members and businesses should continue social distancing, practicing safe hygiene, and limiting contact with others as much as possible.

If your county remains in the yellow phase, view a news post from Trying Together about business guidance. To learn more about what the red phase, yellow phase, and green phase entail, visit the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania page.

Guidance for Child Care

In the green phase, child care providers should continue to follow CDC and DHS guidance for social distancing and cleaning.

For more information, please contact the Department of Health at 1.877.724.3258.

More Information

To learn more about Pennsylvania counties moving into the green phase, read the full press release from Governor Wolf.

News

May 27, 2020

Growing Together: Lunch & Learn Series

Join the Women & Girls Foundation, Pathways PA, and MomsRising on Fridays at noon for a “lunch and learn” series to discuss how families are adapting, how communities can come together to support each other during this time, and what resources are available to help families thrive.

About

Every week presenters will discuss a hot topic for working people and families, including paid leave, eldercare, parenting young kids, and more. Stop by to connect to resources, ask questions, meet others, and share what you’re experiencing.

Registration

To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.

News

May 21, 2020

CARES Act To Fund Nearly 7,000 Child Care Centers

In response to the  COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf announced on May 20, 2020 that an initial distribution of $51 million of funding from the CARES Act will support child care providers in Pennsylvania. Distributed in partnership with the General Assembly, this initial funding will reach nearly 7,000 early learning programs. The governor asserted that a healthy child care system was essential as Pennsylvania reopens.

Eligibility

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) determines eligibility and the amount of award based on provider type, Child Care Works (CCW) subsidy enrollment, and regional capacity. CARES Act funds will be distributed to eligible, certified child care providers through regional Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) and will be available in June 2020. Additional actions are required for child care providers.

Funding Information

In total, PA received $106 million in funding that will be distributed in two waves. The first wave of $51 million will be distributed per the conditions outlined above, to help providers prepare to reopen as counties move to the yellow phase. The remaining funding will be allocated following the completion of a study assessing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pennsylvania’s child care providers.

Guidance for Child Care

In the Yellow Phase, child care providers are permitted to reopen without a permit so long as they follow CDC and DHS guidance for social distancing and cleaning.

For more information, please contact the Department of Health at 1.877.724.3258.

More Information

For more information about Governor Wolf’s announcement, read the full press release. The attestation form and process for the CARES Act funds for child care providers can be found online.

News

May 15, 2020

Guidance for Businesses in Counties Moving to Yellow Phase

On May 15, Governor Tom Wolf announced that 12 counties in Pennsylvania will be moving to the Yellow Phase of the Governor’s Plan to Reopen Pennsylvania on May 22, in addition to the 37 counties that transitioned into the Yellow Phase on May 8 or May 15. With this, the Governor provided guidance on May 4 that details procedures businesses must follow to conduct in-person operations in counties operating in or slated to move to the Yellow Phase. All businesses, including nonprofits, permitted to conduct in-person operations are subject to this guidance.

Guidance for Businesses

Under the Yellow Phase of reopening, life-sustaining businesses that could not conduct either all or part of their operations via telework will continue to conduct their operations in-person, and many non-life sustaining businesses will be permitted to restart their in-person operations through the loosening of some restrictions under the stay-at-home and business closure orders.

In counties that have been designated as in the yellow phase, all businesses, except those categories specifically listed as remaining closed in the Governor’s Plan to Reopen Pennsylvania, are permitted to conduct in-person operations, as long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance.

The guidance includes specific information on cleaning and disinfecting premises, limiting the number of employees in common areas and customers on premises, providing masks and sanitizing supplies for employees, installing shields or other barriers at registers and checkout areas to physically separate cashiers and customers, and creating a plan in case a business is exposed to a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19, among other provisions. View the full guidance.

Counties in the Yellow Phase

As of May 15 at 5 p.m., the following counties are in the Yellow Phase of reopening: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cameron, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming, Wayne, and York.

Governor Wolf warned that future COVID-19 outbreaks remain possible and if an outbreak occurs, counties placed in the Yellow Phase may need to revert back to the Red Phase. Because of this, all community members and businesses should continue social distancing, practicing safe hygiene, and limiting contact with others as much as possible. For counties in the Red Phase, Governor Wolf encourages individuals to “make choices that will lead to fewer cases and a faster move to lifted restrictions.”

To learn more about what the Red Phase, Yellow Phase, and Green Phase entail, visit the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania page.

Guidance for Child Care

In the Yellow Phase, child care providers are permitted to reopen without a permit so long as they follow CDC and DHS guidance for social distancing and cleaning.

For more information, please contact the Department of Health at 1.877.724.3258.

More Information

For more information, read the full press release. Businesses that have questions about whether this guidance applies to them may contact the Department of Health at 1.877.724.3258.