March 3, 2025 Working Together Webinar Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA will host an upcoming webinar on the state budget and advocacy efforts. Learn More The Working Together Webinar will be available in English and Spanish. The topics covered during the webinar include: Early learning in the 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget Follow up and response to state policymakers Federal advocacy update and opportunities for child care The webinar will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. Registration is open for the Zoom webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Speakers will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA partners.
February 28, 2025 Business Supports for Child Care Owners – Debt Reduction & Credit Building Trying Together, in partnership with Allegheny County Financial Empowerment Center, will guide small business child care owners in understanding debt pay-off and credit building to strengthen child care business. Learn More Participants will explore where personal and business financial habits intersect, and how to make sound fiscal decisions while sustaining child care programs. Those interested in participating in Business Supports for Child Care Owners – Debt Reduction and Credit Building should register online. The free event will be offered online via Zoom on Thursday, April 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Business Supports for Child Care Owners – Money Management Trying Together, in partnership with Allegheny County Financial Empowerment Center, will guide small business child care owners in understanding money management to strengthen child care business. Learn More Participants will explore where personal and business financial habits intersect, and how to make sound fiscal decisions while sustaining child care programs. Those interested in attending Business Supports for Child Care Owners – Money Management can register online. The free event will be held online via Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3.
February 26, 2025 OCDEL’s New Confluence Podcast on CPSL Requirements Now Available Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released a new Confluence podcast titled “Clarifying the Child Protective Service Law (CPSL) Requirements for Child Care.” Learn More In the podcast, hosts Ruby Martin, director of the Bureau of Certification Services, and Chris Loos, the bureau’s division chief, discuss and clarify Announcement C-25-01. The announcement involves CPSL requirements for provisional hiring in all child care program types. The podcast hosts also answer some frequently asked questions about the field. The monthly Confluence podcasts enable listeners to understand the complexities of OCDEL’s Bureau of Certification Services. The first two episodes – Introduction & What is Federal Monitoring and Exploring the Revised Health and Safety Training – are also available. The latest episode of the podcast is available on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
December 2, 2024 Allegheny County Council to Vote on Proposed 2025 Budget Last week, the Allegheny County Budget and Finance Committee approved a budget with a 1.35 millage property tax increase rather than the proposed 2.2 mils, which would lead to significant cuts to the County Executive’s proposed budget. This budget will be discussed and voted on by the full council on December 3. What do these cuts mean? Of significant concern is a potential $23.2 million cut to the DHS budget which could greatly impact the children and families we serve and the child care sector. In order to leverage additional state funds and fully invest in critical human services in our region, the County needs to pass the County Executive’s proposed budget with the 2.2 mils property tax increase. These budget cuts could negatively impact children and families and their access to affordable, high-quality child care, as well as countless other important human services programming. What can you do? 1. Contact your council member by phone, email, or both and implore them to support a county budget that fully funds the Department of Human Services and does not leave any leveraged state monies on the table. See contact information below. 2. Request to speak at the December 3 council meeting to voice your support and urge approval of the full budget. Requests to comment must be submitted by 5 p.m. on December 2 by filling out the online form. If you do not wish to speak, you can still show your support by attending the meeting at the Allegheny County Courthouse (436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA) on December 3. The meeting will be held on the 4th Floor in the Gold Room at 5 p.m. 3. Share with others how they too can urge their council members to support the full budget proposed by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. Find your council district Phone number: 412-350-6490 Allegheny Council District Council Member Email At Large Bethany Hallam Bethany.Hallam@alleghenycounty.us At Large Samuel DeMarco III Samuel.Demarco@alleghenycounty.us District 1 Jack Betkowski Jack.Betkowski@alleghenycounty.us District 2 Suzanne Filiaggi Suzanne.Filiaggi@alleghenycounty.us District 3 Anita Prizio Anita.Prizio@AlleghenyCounty.us District 4 Patrick Catena Patrick.Catena@alleghenycounty.us District 5 Dan Grzybek Daniel.Grzybek@alleghenycounty.us District 6 John F. Palmiere John.Palmiere@alleghenycounty.us District 7 Nicholas Futules Nicholas.Futules@alleghenycounty.us District 8 Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis Michelle.Chapkis@alleghenycounty.us District 9 Robert J. Macey Bob.Macey@alleghenycounty.us District 10 DeWitt Walton DeWitt.Walton@alleghenycounty.us District 11 Paul Klein Paul.Klein@alleghenycounty.us District 12 Robert Palmosina Robert.Palmosina@AlleghenyCounty.us District 13 David Bonaroti David.Bonaroti@alleghenycounty.us Chief of Staff Kenneth Varhola Kenneth.Varhola@alleghenycounty.us Learn More November 12, 2024- The proposed 2025 Allegheny County budget offers an incredible opportunity for our region’s children and families. We urge councilmembers to continue investments in child care and other critical human services that lift up families and enable them to thrive. The progress for young children, families, and our region’s economic growth depends on it. Allegheny County residents value giving children a strong start through accessible and affordable child care. Nearly 19,000 county residents shared their priorities through the All-In Community survey and made it clear that access and affordable child care (40%) and increased pay for child care workers (31%) matters. When the early learning sector struggles, there is a ripple effect. Our working families struggle, our businesses struggle, our local economy struggles. In a September survey from Start Strong PA, child care programs in Allegheny County reported 373 open positions, resulting in 128 closed classrooms. If those programs were fully staffed, 2,977 more children could be served. This is only a snapshot of about 20% of programs that responded across the county. Families in Allegheny County rely on child care and early learning programs. Child care providers are the workforce behind the workforce and necessary infrastructure for economic development and for Allegheny County to realize its full potential. We are grateful for the investments that Allegheny County has made in child care thus far. In January, the Allegheny County Executive directed an additional $500,000 to expand the Allegheny County Child Care Matters pilot program, which enabled additional families on a waiting list to receive subsidized child care. The Allegheny County Child Care Matters pilot program currently supports around 400 children. There is still more work to be done. The program has the potential to cover up to 15,000 children if fully funded. We support the proposed 2025 budget to invest in the services needed for children, families, and our communities to thrive. The impact of county investments will allow the county to unlock more state and federal funding and enable more children and families to have access to affordable, high-quality child care and other important human services programming. Resources Updates on Education and Workforce priorities for Allegheny County can be found here. You can find your county council district online. For more information, read the 2025 Budget Highlights for Allegheny County as well as the 2025 County Budget Toolkit.
September 5, 2024 Green Cleaning Event for Early Learning Providers Women for a Healthy Environment will host a professional development session on green cleaning in October that is designed specifically for early child care providers. Learn More The event, which provides two PQAS and Act 48 credits, will focus on creating a safe, healthy space for the development and well-being of young children. The workshop will equip attendees with the knowledge and tools to make impactful changes in daily cleaning routines. The event will instruct attendees how to: Protect the health of children in their care and learn how to create a safer environment by using green, non-toxic alternatives Recognize the distinctions between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting, and why each is critical in a child care setting Look for effective, eco-friendly products that reduce exposure to toxic substances, ensuring a healthier space for children. More Details Attendees will take home a green cleaning kit. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. The session will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny branch, located at 1230 Federal St. Space is limited. Registration is now open.
May 15, 2024 Interactive Maps Demonstrate Unmet Child Care Needs at County Level Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a Start Strong PA campaign partner, has created interactive maps and fact sheets demonstrating the unmet need and availability of high-quality child care to meet those needs at the state, county, and legislative district levels. Access By County Each county-level assessment examines workforce issues – such as average wages – as well as the amount of access to and quality of child care. Access to high-quality programs was a challenge for families in numerous Pennsylvania counties. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children provided fact sheets and maps for: Allegheny County (65% of children under age five and 70% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Armstrong County (90% of children under age five and infants and toddlers were unserved) Beaver County (78% of children under age five and 82% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Butler County (87% of children under age five and 90% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Fayette County (80% of children under age five and 82% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Greene County (83% of children under age five and 85% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Indiana County (86% of children under age five and 85% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Lawrence County (76% of children under age five and 79% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Washington County (83% of children under age five and 87% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Westmoreland County (83% of children under age five and 86% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Start Strong PA Campaign The Start Strong PA campaign is asking the General Assembly to include in its 2024-25 state budget: Support for the Shapiro administration’s proposal to increase subsidy rates to the 75th percentile of the current price families pay for child care services. This increase will help alleviate rising facility, food, utility, and supply costs for providers participating in Child Care Works. A $284 million investment in new and recurring state funding to implement a child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative. This will help alleviate the ongoing staffing crisis that is causing classrooms and programs to close, leaving working families without access to child care.
May 7, 2024 Child Care Providers Invited to Participate In “Imagine a Day Without Child Care” Throughout May, the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Provider Advisory Board is inviting Pennsylvania child care providers to participate in Imagine a Day Without Child Care. Inspired by the national “A Day Without Child Care,” which takes place every year in May, Imagine a Day Without Child Care offers advocacy activities to engage families, teachers, and staff in early learning programs. Imagine a Day’s Origins Since 2022, Start Strong PA and the Provider Advisory Board have drawn attention to the importance of early care and education providers by strengthening the policy-to-practice feedback loop, and growing the network of providers willing to mobilize and advocate on behalf of the early childhood field. Inspired by the national Day Without Child Care movement, the board introduced A Day Without Child Care to enable child care providers to close on May 13 to advocate for their programs and encourage families to raise awareness for the day. PAB’s Toolkit To support provider participation in Imagine a Day Without Child Care, the Provider Advisory Board releases an annual toolkit that includes: Information on how to reach out to state legislators Samples of prompts to post on social media to raise awareness for the day Tags to include in social media posts Information on how to set up a family engagement station for parents or caregivers to take quick action during drop-off or pickup. Stations can include printable temples that families can use to share their stories. Printable grab-and-go stickers that can be worn on Imagine a Day Without Child Care Learn More On May 13 and throughout the month, Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA are encouraging child care providers to use their voices to advocate for increased funding in the state budget to provide higher wages for early childhood educators. When posting to social media, be sure to tag Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA so these organizations can elevate provider posts and ensure elected officials receive a collective message. Families can also sign a petition to tell their elected officials that they rely on child care and support increased investments in child care wages. To learn more, visit Start Strong PA’s website.
April 23, 2024 Pittsburgh CLO Offering Suburbs Trolley, Family Pass This Summer The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) is offering new services – including trolley service in the suburbs, a family pass, and child care during shows – for families this summer. To entice families to attend the shows, the CLO is offering several new services and discounts this summer. Transportation Guests can now board the PCLO Show Shuttle at specific locations in the city’s suburbs. To ride the trolley, PCLO show tickets must be purchased in advance. Guests can then add a trolley ticket for $10 directly through Molly’s Trolleys Pittsburgh. The shuttle will only be offered on select show dates and times during the summer. View the schedule. Family Pass For every adult ticket purchased, up to four child tickets can be added for $10 each with a family pass. The passes can be purchased in all price zones for any show date and time of show offered. The family pass will be available for “West Side Story,” “The Music Man” and “Seussical” for children, ages three to 18. For “The Color Purple,” children should be at least 13 years old due to the show’s content. Child Care Available for Families PCLO Show Care will enable parents to entrust their children – ages three (fully potty trained) to 12 – to the care of CLO Academy of Musical Theatre Faculty while they take in a show. Limited spaces are available, so show care registration should be completed in advance when purchasing tickets. Show Care will be offered at the Saturday matinee performances of “West Side Story,” “The Color Purple,” and “The Music Man.” More Information Summer shows include “Lady Day” (May 17-June 30), “West Side Story” (June 11-16), “The Color Purple” (June 25-30), “The Music Man” (July 9-14), “Young Frankenstein” (July 19-Sept. 1), and “Seussical” (July 30-Aug. 4). Learn more on the Pittsburgh CLO website.
April 22, 2024 Affordable Child Care Access Tops List in County Exec’s Survey Increasing access to affordable child care and care for older adults to make it easier for workers and people participating in workforce training programs topped a survey from the Allegheny County Executive’s office. All in Allegheny recently invited county residents to share their ideas, priorities, and needs with County Executive Sara Innamorato’s office through a survey. Survey Results According to the survey results, affordable child or family care options was the top priority for 50.8% of all respondents. Supporting reduced-fare public transit (34.9%) edged out incentivizing the creation of good-paying jobs (34.8%) for second place. Protecting worker’s rights came in fourth place (28.3%). Expanding guaranteed income programs ranked fifth (23.3%) among respondents. The survey was conducted between November and April and received a total of 16,973 responses. It was translated into nine languages. Categories in the survey included Economic and Community Development and Education, Workforce, and Youth Development as well as Health and Human Services; Housing for All; Infrastructure; Open and Accessible Government; Safety and Justice; Sustainability; and Vibrant Democracy. About All in Allegheny All in Allegheny is a large and inclusive community engagement process that aims to understand what people from every part of Allegheny want from county government and build an action plan for county government to deliver on community needs. Innamorato named nearly 200 leaders to nine policy committees that will inform her administration’s governing agenda. Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo is co-chair of the Robust Education, Workforce Development, and Youth Investments Committee.
