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2019 Changes to the PA One Book Program

News

November 19, 2018

2019 Changes to the PA One Book Program

In 2019, the Pennsylvania One Book Program will adapt to meet the increasing need to support early literacy to Pennsylvania’s youngest learners. These changes include a shift in focus to get more books into the hands and homes of more children.

Available Books

There will be two books available for purchase:

  • “Barnyard Banter” by Denise Fleming
    For infants and toddlers (available in English).
  • “Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis
    For children ages three to five (available in English and Spanish).

There are no minimum or fixed quantities required. Early learning providers, library staff, and community partners can purchase the exact number of books needed. To keep costs more affordable, paperback options are the only available option.

Purchasing Details

Purchasing of the two titles are through Scholastic Publishing Family and Community Engagement (FACE) program. If your organization already participates in the FACE or Scholastic Literacy Partners Program, you will just need to complete the order form available from Scholastic Publishing. Click here for the order form.

A two-page Family Fun Guide for both titles will be available on the PA One Book website (www.paonebook.org) by January 2019. Other guides aligned with the Pennsylvania Standards for Early Childhood will also be available with activities for use by early childhood educators and families.

With this change, copies of the One Book titles will no longer be mailed to early learning programs, however, anyone may purchase and donate copies to child care homes and centers, as well as families.

*Information provided by NAEYC*

OCDEL Releases Four New Vodcasts

News

OCDEL Releases Four New Vodcasts

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Bureau of Certification released four new vodcasts containing important information about operating a child care facility. These 10-15 minute videos can easily be shared with early learning staff, linked within an email or on a website, or shared via social media.

Vodcast Topics

  • Child Protective Services Law Vodcast
    This video details the requirements for child care providers in meeting the Child Protective Service Law (CPSL) and the importance of these requirements. Child care providers and other employees who have contact with children are responsible for obtaining the proper clearances and ensuring that clearances are obtained within the proper time frame.
  • Requirements for an Effective Director of Child Care Center Vodcast
    Child care directors are responsible for the overall management of a successful child care center. This video explains the commitments directors must make to ensure proper communication with staff and parents, maintain up-to-date child and staff files, have knowledge of the Pennsylvania child care regulations, and provide oversight for the overall health and safety of children in care.
  • Supervision Vodcast
    Supervision is the most critical requirement in keeping children healthy and safe while they are in care. Staff must always be able to see, hear, direct and assess children at all times in order to provide proper supervision. This video is helpful in providing a more in-depth look at supervision, as well as guidance to help staff meet this requirement.
  • Writing a Plan of Correction Vodcast
    All certified child care facilities are required to undergo an annual inspection. Many times, a facility is in full compliance with all the regulations. However, there are occasions when the Legal Entity has to be cited for non-compliance with one or more of the child care regulations. This video explains the process for writing and submitting a plan of correction for regulatory violations that your certification representative may cite during a licensing inspection.

Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website for the complete listing.

*Information provided by NAEYC*

PA Submits Plan for Child Care and Development Block Grant

News

November 13, 2018

PA Submits Plan for Child Care and Development Block Grant

On August 31, 2018, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) submitted Pennsylvania’s plan for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) for the next plan cycle which spans Federal Fiscal Year 2019 through 2021. At present, the plan is under review by the Administration for Children and Families, the Office of Child Care. The plan is now posted and available for review at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) website.

Plan Summary

In the plan, OCDEL certifies that Pennsylvania is in full compliance with all CCDBG requirements except for those associated with criminal history background checks. For the background check requirements, Pennsylvania has met all mandated, preliminary milestones – in-state child abuse registry, Pennsylvania State Police, fingerprint background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in-state sex offender registry.

Checks for inter-state criminal histories, child abuse registries, and sex offender registries as well as a check of the National Sex Offender Registry have yet to be incorporated. OCDEL has requested a one-year waiver to come into full compliance with those requirements by September 30, 2019, and is on target to meet that deadline.

Questions

Questions about the plan may be directed to OCDEL at 717-346-9320.

*Information provided by PA Early Ed News*

Deadline Extended for RFP: Child Care Funding and Finance in PA

News

November 1, 2018

Deadline Extended for RFP: Child Care Funding and Finance in PA

The deadline has been extended to November 9, 2018 for the Request for Proposal, Child Care Funding and Finance in Pennsylvania: The True Cost of Quality Part II.

The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU), in coordination with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission (PAELIC), released the RFP for submission of proposals to investigate the cost of providing high-quality early care and education across Pennsylvania.

Part I Conclusions

Part I of this project, CHILD CARE FUNDING & FINANCE IN PENNSYLVANIA: Budgeting for Survival or Paying for the True Cost of Quality? conducted by Research for Action found that:

  • Infant and toddler care is more expensive than pre-K or school-age care.
  • Current revenue streams and reimbursement rates are inadequate to cover the cost of infant and toddler care and, as a result, child care providers opt to serve more preschoolers and fewer infants and toddlers.
  • Low compensation in child care programs leads to significant staff turnover and hiring of less-qualified staff.

Part II Overview

Knowing that the cost of infant and toddler child care is high, and the current public financing system is inadequate to cover the costs of quality in Pennsylvania, particularly teachers’ wages, leading to turnover and a less qualified workforce, Part II of this study aims to answer the question ‘What does it cost to support high-quality child care across Pennsylvania?’

Part II will build upon the previous work conducted in Part I, using a more robust data set to estimate the true cost of high-quality child care, as compared to child care that meets only regulatory standards, and how those costs vary across regions in the commonwealth.

The findings from Part II will inform the evolution of Pennsylvania’s child care financing and quality systems to enable the greatest access to high-quality child care for the most at-risk children.

Deadline

The Request for Proposal represents the requirements for an open and competitive process. Proposals will be accepted until 5 pm EST, Friday, November 9, 2018.

See the RFP for more information, including proposal guidelines, project description, project timeline and more.

Information provided by PA Early Ed News.

PennAEYC and PACCA Host Start Strong PA Webinar

News

October 30, 2018

PennAEYC and PACCA Host Start Strong PA Webinar

On November 1st, Pennsylvania Child Care Association and Pennsylvania Association for The Education of Young Children are hosting afternoon and evening webinars to discuss the priorities of the Start Strong PA campaign, the work that has been done so far, and how interested parties can become involved.

Take this opportunity to learn more about Start Strong PA and how this advocacy campaign works to expand access, increase quality, and support early care and educational professionals by seeking increased investments in child care. Register now to save your spot before the October 31 deadline.

These webinars will be facilitated by Jodi Askins, Executive Director of PennAEYC, and Diane Barber, Executive Director of PACCA. Both webinars will be recorded and posted to the PACCA and PennAEYC websites afterward.

See our event page.

Start Strong PA Webinar

News

October 29, 2018

Start Strong PA Webinar

Join sponsors Pennsylvania Child Care Association and Pennsylvania Association for The Education of Young Children for an afternoon or evening webinar to hear about priorities for the campaign, the work done so far, and how you can become involved. Register now.

FACILITATORS:

  • Jodi Askins, Executive Director, PennAEYC
  • Diane Barber, Executive Director, PACCA

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

Wednesday, October 31.

Both webinars will be recorded and posted to the PACCA and PennAEYC websites afterward.

Worst Case Scenarios: Child Care Provider Emergency Planning and Management

News

October 18, 2018

Worst Case Scenarios: Child Care Provider Emergency Planning and Management

Register today for the Worst Case Scenarios min-conference. Pre-registration is required.

Child care providers, whether a single family home provider or staff at large center, need to have a plan and be prepared for challenging situations that could threaten children and staff, including the impact on children and staff with special health care needs and disabilities. The goal of this conference is to provide information that will improve caregiver’s knowledge of what to do in emergency situations, and familiarize them with the local people to contact.

The cost is $15 per person for the half-day conference which includes a continental breakfast. PQAS hours are available.

View this flyer for event and registration details.

Comment On Proposed Changes To Child Care Regulations

News

Comment On Proposed Changes To Child Care Regulations

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announced that the proposed changes to the Child Care Regulations at 55 Pa. Code, Chapters 3270, 3280 and 3290 are now available for review. The proposed changes can be viewed in the PA Bulletin.

All public comments must be submitted in writing by the closing date of the public comment period on November 13, 2018. All comments, suggestions or objections must reference the Regulation Chapter, Number, Section, and Subsection.

Submit

Via email: RA-PWCCRegChanges@pa.gov

Via fax: 717-787-1529

Via mail:

Tamula Ferguson
Bureau of Certification Services
Office of Development and Early Learning
Department of Human Services
333 Market Street, 6th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17105

Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the AT&T Relay Service at 1-800-654-5984 (TDD users) or 1-800-654-5988 (voice users).

A public hearing will be held in Harrisburg at PaTTAN Harrisburg (6340 Flank Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112) on November 2, 2018. The hearing begins at 10:00 AM. Registration is required and can be completed on the PA Department of Human Services site.

Current regulations can be viewed on the PA Department of Human Services site.

Community Health Advocate Training Program for Fathers

News

October 10, 2018

Community Health Advocate Training Program for Fathers

The Community Health Advocate Training Program is a three-week training, one Saturday per week, that will prepare you to make lasting change in the health of families and communities! Take this opportunity to learn more about advocacy and community engagement, gain skills in self-care to help you be at your best to care for your family, and learn how to use your own experiences to make changes in your community.

You will receive:

  • 25 hours of paid training
  • Free meals and child care during the training
  • A netbook – yours to keep after the training

This program runs from November 3 – November 17. Space is limited. For more information, contact Shannon Lawhorn at (412) 723-1342.

Share this flyer with your networks.

UnConference

News

January 9, 2018

UnConference

Through the generous support of PNC Grow Up Great, Trying Together is proud to present a series of UnConferences as part of its leadership and professional development courses.

 

 

About

The UnConference is an innovative, hands-on professional development training format where a deeper experience is provided around a particular theme. Local and national speakers are invited to present and participants are encouraged to engage hands-on in the workshops.

The day concludes with a roundtable discussion on how to apply these experiences and ideas in the early childhood environment as well as share ideas on how to partner with new colleagues.

Would you like to hear about future UnConferences? Sign up to receive emails from us.

Upcoming Unconferences

Upcoming dates have not yet been announced. Be sure to check back for more information!

Past UnConferences

2026

UnConference: Kindergarten Transition

UnConference: Out-of-School Time

UnConference: Ordinary Moments, Meaningful Connections

2025

UnConference: From Representation to Inclusion, October 4

UnConference: Authentic Engagement in Out-of-School Time Programs, June 5

UnConference: Navigating Early Intervention Partnerships, March 8

2024

Beyond the Playground: Advancing Racial Equity in Play, October 14

UnConference: Launching School Age Summer Programming, June 6

UnConference: Mental Health in Early Childhood Education, February 19

2023

UnConference: Race Equity in Practice, February 11

2022

UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care, February 8–18

2021

Exceptional Care with a Team Approach to Inclusion, January 19–29

2020

Virtual UnConference: Caring in a “New Normal”, September 14–23

Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’, May 26

2019

The Business of Child Care, October 19

Young Learner’s Guide to Tech, March 30

2018

P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series – Reimagining Early Childhood: Being Intentional About Race and Young Children, September 27

Being Intentional about Race and Young Children, September 29

Play for Change, October 30

Destination Moon, November 3

2017

Maker Tots, May 20 (part of Remake Learning Days)

Mindfulness, August 10

Get Dirty!, September 22

Friedberg-Segel Early Literacy featuring Hervé Tullet, October 14

2016

An unprecedented six UnConferences were held, including:

Total Leadership, March 9

Maker Tots, May 14

Children+Arts 2.0

Get Dirty!

Fred Rogers—The Friend, Teacher, Advocate

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

2015

The UnConference: Children+Arts was presented with the Reggio Emilia Pittsburgh Initiative, NAREA and the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh. In addition to a private tour of the “Wonder of Learning” exhibit presented by NAREA, this UnConference explored the importance of arts in early childhood education and highlighted its evolution of innovation through the lens of Reggio Emilia’s philosophy.

Keynote speaker was Reggio Emilia expert Jennifer Strange.

Workshop presenters included: Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Attack Theatre, Gemini Theater, Pittsburgh Opera, Carnegie Museum of Art and the Andy Warhol Museum.

2013

The inaugural UnConference, Game On! was presented in collaboration with the CREATE Lab and Google Pittsburgh.

This UnConference focused on how to embrace and appropriately use old and new technology with young children. In addition, Trying Together presented a “hackathon,” during which app ideas presented by teachers were brought to life through a hackathon team of programmers, designers, and teachers.

Keynote speaker was Illah Nourbakhsh from CREATE Lab.

Workshop presenters included: Google Pittsburgh, TechShop, Dream Flight Adventures at Shaler Elementary, Pittsburgh Center for Creative ReUse, Schell Games, MAYA Design, Education Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, CREATE Lab, MakeShop at Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Etcetera Edutainment and Assemble.

 

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