March 17, 2020 Bullying Prevention and SEL: What Can I Do Now? Are you interested in learning best practices in social-emotional learning and bullying prevention? Join Leah Galkowski from the Center for Safe Schools on March 24 for her webinar, “Bullying Prevention and SEL: What Can I Do Now?” About The research tells us that evidence-based practices in social-emotional learning and bullying prevention help students to be successful in school. The question is: “What does that look like?” This interactive webinar will provide a brief overview of best practices in social-emotional learning and bullying prevention. Participants will be provided with some simple, hands-on strategies to implement in their schools and classrooms that will support students and teachers in building a positive, cohesive, and welcoming environment. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage!
February 3, 2020 Learning to Listen: Conversations for Change Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for the Learning to Listen webinar series as they celebrate Dr. Brazelton’s enduring legacy by learning from other masterful communicators about what children and parents have taught them through the power of listening. Available Times & Topics The series includes three webinars: Trauma and Recovery: Children in Warzones, Raising Children to Make Peace | March 4, 2020 at 3 p.m. Learning with Parents: Children on the Autism Spectrum and the Arts | April 15, 2020 at 3 p.m. Marriage Equality and Same-Sex Parenting from the Frontlines | June 3, 2020 at 3 p.m. Visit the event page to register and learn more. About T. Berry Brazelton, MD T. Berry Brazelton, MD (1918 – 2018) foresaw the many new challenges facing families today, including the interference of social media and digital technology with family relationships and child development, and their polarizing effects on public debate. Brazelton was a master of the kind of observation and listening so desperately needed today, and helped generations of parents and professionals around the world to learn to listen to babies, children, and to each other.
January 15, 2020 Breastfeeding Class Are you interested in learning more about breastfeeding? Attend Breastfeeding Classes at The Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health in Pittsburgh! About Whether this is your first baby or you have breastfed before, if you want to learn more about the new information available about breastfeeding, join The Midwife Center for their fun, informal classes. Partners are encouraged to attend, as well as any other family members. Classes designed for women who are between the 33rd and 37th week of pregnancy. Classes will feature information on: breast care and problems; positioning and latch-on; how often and how long to nurse; how to determine if your baby is getting enough; pumping and storing milk; and more! Registration To register for a Breastfeeding Class, download the Class Registration Form or call 412.321.6880. Please note that a scholarship fund is available for people who meet the income requirements. More Information For more information, visit The Midwife Center website.
January 8, 2020 Changes to Clearances for Employees Having Contact with Children In July 2019, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order to strengthen protections for vulnerable populations, including children who receive child care services outside of their homes. About the Change The federal Family First Prevention Services Act requires all adults who work in child care settings that receive Title IV-E funding to obtain child abuse clearances, even if they are not working directly with children. Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services law formerly allowed a 90-day provisional hire period for individuals who had applied for but were still waiting for clearance results. However, in 2019, Act 47 eliminated this 90-day provisional hire period to ensure that all adults working with children are legally able to do so. Based on Act 47, child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes can request a waiver to hire an employee on a provisional basis for no longer than 45 days. The Department of Human Services is required to process Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearances within 14 days from the day in which the request is received and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history background checks within 30 days from the date of receipt. Generally, these clearances are processed more quickly than required. New employees are not permitted to work alone with children and must be in the immediate vicinity of a permanent employee until all clearances are received. To access the waiver and instructions, visit the Keep Kids Safe website. More Information For more information on obtaining clearances, visit the Keep Kids Safe website. *Information provided by PA Early Ed News
December 5, 2019 Trying Together Releases Professional Development Catalog Focusing on early childhood professionals working in home-, center-, and school-based settings, Trying Together offers existing and customized growth opportunities targeted to individual or group goals, interests, and needs. To increase awareness of these opportunities, Trying Together developed an online, printable 2019-2020 Professional Development Catalog that features course titles, descriptions, Core Knowledge Competency (CKC) alignments, and more. About For more than 55 years, Trying Together has supported the work of early childhood with a dedication to making sure every caregiver feels valued. In pursuit of this vision, Trying Together not only offers courses that always provide Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) and Act 48 credits, but also offers a plethora of professional growth opportunities, resources, and services. With this, Trying Together partnered with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services in summer 2019 to manage quality support for all Allegheny County early learning programs serviced by Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5. As part of this work, we are continuing and enhancing our commitment to providing quality services and supports that meet the unique needs of our region’s early care and education professionals. This work includes making our course catalog available publicly. With the year almost over, we are working to update and add more course offerings to ensure we are meeting the demands of both the field and new quality ratings and standards set by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) Keystone STARS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). In early 2020, we plan to release a comprehensive update to this catalog. In the interim, we look forward to working together with you to support your goals and improve quality at your early learning program. View the 2019-2020 Professional Development Catalog. Core Knowledge Competencies (CKCs) Trying Together’s courses align with the following Pennsylvania Core Knowledge Competencies: K1: Child Growth and Development K2: Curriculum and Learning Experiences K3: Family, School, and Community Collaborations and Partnerships K4: Assessment K5: Communication K6: Professionalism and Leadership K8: Program Organization and Administration Featured Focus Areas To assist professionals in identifying relevant courses, the Catalog sorts listings into the following focus areas: Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Diversity & Inclusion Interactions Leadership Play All Trying Together courses provide PQAS and Act 48 credit. Request Professional Services To request professional services, please submit our online request form or contact Professional Development Manager Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org or 412.567.3933. More Information For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org or 412.567.3933.
November 8, 2019 Pennsylvania Announces 2019 Market Rate Survey The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites all Pennsylvania certified child care providers to participate in the 2019 Market Rate Survey. About Every three years, states conduct a Market Rate Survey (MRS) to update information regarding the prices child care providers charge families. With the last official MRS conducted in 2016, OCDEL invites all certified child care providers in Pennsylvania to submit their published private pay rates. By providing this information, child care providers help OCDEL paint a more accurate picture of child care prices in Pennsylvania and will provide an important database to compare private pay prices with the Child Care Works reimbursement base rates. How to Participate The survey is available online from October 7 through December 30, 2019 within the PELICAN Provider Self-Service Portal. Participation will require a username and password to enter. For assistance on enrolling in Provider Self-Service or updating your child care prices if you do not have access to Provider Self-Service, contact your local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). Information from all child care providers is important, even if your private pay prices have not changed. If your prices remained the same, please update the “effective date” within the Provider Self-Service Portal. Any changes made between October 7 and December 30, 2019 will be included. Click here for instructions on how to complete the Survey using Provider Self-Service. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Market Rate Survey? In order to comply with federal requirements and continue to draw down federal dollars from the Child Care Development Block Grant for the operation of the Child Care Works (CCW) child care subsidy program, OCDEL is required to complete a periodic Market Rate Survey (MRS). The MRS collects information from all regulated child care providers about their published private pay rates. Providers should participate in the MRS and confirm or report updates to their private pay rates using Provider Self Service (PSS) or, if not enrolled in PSS, by contacting their Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC). What does the term “market rate” mean? The “market rate” is interpreted as the rate which families are asked to pay, and which is published in program literature. The market rate does not reflect any discounts. Will I be audited for updating my published rates? Probably not. OCDEL has required verification in the past, and ELRCs have on occasion called a sampling of providers to check, but this is not the plan for this year’s MRS. However, providers should still only share published rates that they can verify if needed, and is the rate charged to most families. What qualifies as a “discount?” “Discounts” reflect allowances for families to pay a lower rate. For example, Comcast advertises its rate to clients, but frequently offers specials and discounts for loyal customers and new clients. Child care providers who typically charge $100 but who can offer discounts and specials to lower the price to $80 should still report their rate as $100. The MRS is not designed to capture any discounts that individual providers may choose to offer; it captures ONLY a provider’s published private pay rate. What do they mean by “published?” “Publishing” includes your website, your family handbook, any written contracts, or the rate visible on COMPASS. What is the Child Care Works (CCW) reimbursement rate? The Child Care Works (CCW) reimbursement rate is the rate that providers are reimbursed by the state for providing care to children who are eligible for CCW. This rate is based on the current market rate as provided through the MRS and is determined in part during the appropriations process. Because many providers also serve children who are not eligible for CCW reimbursement, providers must maintain a separate market rate for private pay families, and report this rate when completing their MRS rather than the CCW reimbursement rate. Why participate in the Market Rate Survey? It is important that each provider updates their private pay rates so that OCDEL has the necessary data to consider future Child Care Works base rate increases. Learn More To learn more, view the full announcement or contact your local ELRC. *Information provided by OCDEL
October 18, 2019 ACF Seeks Input On Improving Quality Child Care Access On October 2, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) posted a Request for Information (RFI) on improving access to affordable, high-quality child care in the United States. About ACF is focused on finding innovative solutions to improve working families’ access to affordable, high quality child care, as well as investigating how access to child care affects America’s workforce, present, and future. Child care is one of the biggest expenses a family faces and can be a barrier to work. The average cost of center-based infant child care in 28 states is more than college tuition. At the same time, there is concern about the quality of child care and ensuring that child care settings are a place of education that promote and enhance child and youth development and well-being. High-quality child care is a critical investment that pays off now, for parents by enabling them to work, and later, by supporting children’s development and success in school and life. This request for information seeks public comment on innovative ways to address the affordability and access crisis of child care in the U.S., without compromising on quality. Information collected through this RFI may be used by ACF in the development of future rulemaking and technical assistance, the formation of legislative proposals and research agenda, and/or strategic planning. To learn more, visit the RFI page. Intended Audience and Stakeholders AFI is looking to receive input from a wide range of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, parents who use child care; parents of children with disabilities; small child care businesses; employers; state and local chambers of commerce; foundations; faith-based and other community organizations; family child care networks; child care resource and referral agencies; universities and other institutions of higher education; child care workforce development organizations, etc. RFI Topics Building Supply of Child Care Improving Child Care Regulations Cultivating the Child Care Workforce Developing Better Child Care Business Models Transforming Financing of Child Care and Early Education Programs Submit Your Comment To submit a comment, visit the RFI page. All comments must be submitted by December 2, 2019. *Information provided by the Administration of Children and Families
October 16, 2019 Buzzword Talk & Play Series #6 Join Buzzword Pittsburgh on Wednesdays from November 6 to December 11 for Talk & Play Series 6! All events are free for learners ages five and under, with their caregivers, and will include activities that enhance vocabulary and literacy skills. A light dinner will be provided. Program Schedule The schedule of events is as follows: Wednesday, November 6 • Word of the Day: POETRY with Pittsburgh Festival Opera and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Wednesday, November 13 • Word of the Day: GENRE with Pittsburgh Festival Opera and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Wednesday, November 20 • Word of the Day: OPPOSITE with Pittsburgh Festival Opera and Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Wednesday, December 4 • Word of the Day: CRESCENDO with Pittsburgh Festival Opera and Carnegie Science Center Wednesday, December 11 • Word of the Day: CHORUS with Pittsburgh Festival Opera and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre More Information For more information, contact Jan Jones at jan@tryingtogether.org. Click here to view the Facebook event page. Share this flyer with your network.
Promoting Self-Awareness through Dance Early childhood educators are invited to join the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust on December 14 for their workshop, “Promoting Self-Awareness through Dance.” About Dance offers children a way to explore their environment, engage with peers, and express their unique selves. During this workshop, participants will learn dance strategies that will foster all of these experiences by promoting children’s self-awareness. Participants will learn ways to bring these ideas into your center to create a classroom of students with strong self-control and body awareness! Act 48 and PQAS hours available. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event page.
October 1, 2019 Fred Rogers Center Teacher Technology Convening Join the Fred Rogers Center and fellow teachers on November 16 for a day of deep conversation about integrating technology into the classroom. About With the support of the Grable Foundation, the Fred Rogers Center is hosting a convening of elementary school teachers from Western Pennsylvania to dig into a conversation about integrating technology in the classroom. This is a follow up from a project aimed at understanding what technology looks like in everyday practice, how teachers are balancing new technologies with existing practice, and how to strive for equitable access to technology. Participants will receive a $75 stipend and Act 48 credit as well as breakfast and lunch. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Eventbrite page. Questions For questions, contact Annie White at annie.white@stvincent.edu. *Information provided by Remake Learning
