March 1, 2022 Apply: PA ECE Provider Advisory Board The Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Campaigns are seeking out early childhood professionals to apply to participate as a lead advocate in their region by serving on the first statewide Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Provider Advisory Board. About the Provider Advisory Board The advisory board will be composed of 30 early childhood professionals from across the state, working in diverse roles in all setting types. Participants will have: an opportunity to elevate the voices of early childhood professionals by providing the field’s professionals with a consistent platform for policy updates and advocacy opportunities; a space to identify the diverse needs of the early childhood workforce through a consistent feedback loop of what they are experiencing in the field; free access to consistent advocacy related professional development, leadership development, and growth opportunities; a chance to create equity driven strategies and connect practice to inform policy recommendations that support the needs of all providers, children, and families in Pennsylvania; and opportunities to strengthen connections with community partners. The advisory board will meet virtually once a month beginning in April 2022. All participants will be compensated for their time. Apply The application period will be from March 1 to March 28, 2022. Providers can apply online. Applicants will be notified of their application status via email the first week of April. Share this flyer with your networks.
February 21, 2022 Everyday Interactions Matter: Deep and Simple in School Age Care Child care providers in Allegheny County may participate in a free, 15-hour course, “Everyday Interactions Matter: Deep and Simple in School Age Care”. Sessions will take place via Zoom on Tuesday evenings from March 1 to March 29, at 6:30 – 8 p.m. Additional self-paced homework will be assigned via Schoology. Registration is available on the Trying Together website. Receive Credit All 15 hours must be completed to get PQAS and/or ACT 48 credit. If you are interested, we encourage you to register very soon! The link below gives details and dates for this course. If you successfully complete all 15 hours of the series PD, you can use these hours to matriculate into 1 stackable credit at Carlow University. Course Description The primary ingredient of quality in school age settings begins with the “everyday interactions” between educators and children. These simple and ordinary moments that take place during play, transition, and daily routines form the foundation for learning and growth. In this five-week course, school age learning professionals will engage with the Everyday Interactions Matter approach through a process of careful observation, discussion, and self-reflection. Educators will evaluate the impact their ordinary interactions have on child development and the overall quality of programming in their learning communities. Course experiences offer school age educators the chance to cultivate professional self-awareness and community building. Through the Everyday Interactions Matter approach, educators recognize powerful moments of connecting, sharing, learning, and belonging in their everyday interactions with school age children. About Everyday Interactions Matter Everyday Interactions Matter (EIM) is a professional development initiative designed to help early childhood educators learn and grow from their own practice. Through a strengths-based process of observation, discussion, and reflection, educators take a close look at the everyday moments they share with children. Video footage of adult-child interactions serves as the raw material for facilitating professional growth.
Provisional Hire Waivers No Longer Needed Effective February 17, 2022, Department of Human Services (DHS) certified child care providers are no longer required to submit a Provisional Hire Waiver Request for Child Care (CD 353) to allow child care employees to work in a certified child care facility on a 45-day provisional basis. About On February 17, 2022, Governor Tom Wolf signed HB 764 into law as Act 12 of 2022 (Act 12), which amends the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) to allow most employers to hire an applicant on a provisional basis for up to 45 days. For certified child care operators, to do so, all the following conditions must be met: The applicant has received the results of the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) and out of state clearances, if applicable, and submitted the results to the employer. The employer, administrator, supervisor, or other person responsible for employment decisions received the result of the applicant’s PA Child Abuse History Clearance and either the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check or the FBI Criminal History Background Check before the start of employment. The applicant must have applied for the outstanding check (Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check or the FBI Criminal History Background Check) and submit proof of application to the employer, administrator, supervisor, or other person responsible for employment decisions. The employer, administrator, supervisor, or other person responsible for employment decisions requires that the applicant not be permitted to work alone with children and that the applicant work in the immediate vicinity of a permanent employee. The employer must have no knowledge of information that would disqualify the applicant. The applicant must affirm in writing they are not disqualified from employment by reason of being listed on the abuse registry or being convicted of a disqualifying offense. If the results of the applicant’s background checks reveal that the applicant is disqualified from employment due to section 6344(c) (relating to grounds for denying employment or participation in program, activity, or service) of the CPSL, the applicant must be immediately dismissed by the employer, administrator, supervisor, or other person responsible for employment decisions. Questions? Comments and Questions should be directed to the child care provider’s Regional Office of Child Development and Early Learning: Central Region 800-222-2117 Northeast Region 800-222-2108 Southeast North and Southeast South Region 800-346-2929 Western Region 800-222-2149
February 15, 2022 Policy Brief: Essential Employees Working Non-Traditional Hours Can’t Find Child Care Trying Together has released a policy brief highlighting the growing need for high-quality non-traditional hour (NTH) child care in Pennsylvania. The Overview of Non-Traditional Hour Child Care Policy Brief outlines how critical it is to include NTH care in state policy solutions to strengthen our early care and learning infrastructure. About Prior to the pandemic, roughly one in three working families required child care during non-traditional hours, yet only one in four regulated providers offered this service, according to a 2019 Research for Action report. According to the policy brief, the gap in non-traditional care threatens the economic security of many working families and the overall economy as employers struggle to rehire their workforce. Prior to the pandemic, the Keystone Command Center for Economic Development and Workforce 2020 annual report noted the lack of accessible non-traditional child care as a barrier for both employees and employers recommending expanding the availability of licensed child care before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m. (what is normally considered traditional hours) in order to give flexibility and security for working parents. In October 2021, Governor Tom Wolf’s administration allocated $16.8 million of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) discretionary child care funds for subsidy rate incentives for providers that offer at least two hours of child care during non-traditional hours. More Information Trying Together in partnership with the Start Strong PA Campaign are calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Wolf to help further stabilize child care in the Commonwealth, including non-traditional care as part of budget negotiations. Failing to use state funds to help solve the child care crisis would be a missed opportunity that will negatively impact working families, Pennsylvania businesses and the economy. For details, read the full policy brief. Stay up-to-date on how to advocate for these issues by signing-up to support Trying Together’s public policy agenda.
February 10, 2022 Child Care Career Openings in the Pittsburgh Area Are you looking for open child care positions? Early learning programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area are hiring! See featured jobs for this week. Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh Pre-K Counts Lead Teacher YMCA Greater Pittsburgh is seeking a Pre-K Counts lead teacher 1to work 10 months (mid-August to mid-June) as part of a team to ensure the coordination of a high-quality Pre-Kindergarten program for at-risk 3- to 4-year-old children Apply: Those interested can apply online. Pre-K Counts Teacher Hosanna House, Inc. is looking to hire a Certified Pre-K Counts Teacher. The applicant must have a Certification in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Family Studies, Early Childhood, or Elementary Education. Level 1 Teaching Certification is required. Apply: Those interested can apply online. Child Care Teachers Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking infant, toddler, and pre-school teachers to join their teaching teams. Candidates with degrees in early childhood education, elementary education, or child development are preferred. Apply: To apply, please email resume to chcc@carriagehouse.org Child Care Teacher Assistants and Aides Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking infant, toddler, and pre-school teacher assistants and aides to join their teaching teams. High school diplomas or a GED with child care experience is required. Full- and part-time positions are available. Apply: To apply, please email resume to chcc@carriagehouse.org Submit a Job Each week, Trying Together highlights employer-submitted jobs on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Submit a Job: To make it into next week’s post, submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form. All jobs submitted after Tuesday each week will be published in the following week’s news post. Publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. Unrelated jobs will not be included. For questions, contact Kara Bayer at kara@tryingtogether.org. Other Jobs in Early Childhood ECE Hire Visit the ECE Hire website to view early childhood education job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. Submit a Job to PACCA Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a Job Board for its members to post jobs for free and sends out submitted jobs via their Facebook page and e-newsletter. PACCA members can submit jobs online after signing into their membership account. For questions, contact Maureen Murphy at maureen.murphy@pacca.org. Receive Jobs in Your Inbox To receive the latest job opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.
Webinar: Update on COVID-19 Infections and Vaccines Two years into the global pandemic, Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care programs continue to give their best to protect our children, families, and staff. This webinar by the Office of Head Start will present the latest COVID-19 information for programs providing comprehensive services in center-based, home-based, family child care, and other early care and education settings. This webinar will be offered with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish. Topics for the webinar include: Updates on the COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 and up COVID-19 risk reduction strategies This webinar will benefit: Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care program staff, families, directors, managers, and administrators Home visitors Child care health consultants Head Start federal staff Head Start national and regional TTA staff Head Start Collaboration Office directors Register Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | 2 p.m. Register online
2022-23 Pennsylvania Budget Proposal Response On February 8, 2022, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf released the 2022-23 state budget proposal. The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, are pleased with proposed investments in pre-k, evidence-based home visiting, and perinatal and child health. However, the proposal fails to adequately invest in child care. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA. Governor Wolf’s state budget proposal included: Pre-k $60 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program. $10 million in additional funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. Together, this $70 million expansion could serve approximately 2,300 additional young children. In a press release, ELPA states, “This funding continues the Commonwealth’s tradition and Governor Wolf’s unwavering commitment of expanding access to high-quality pre-k. This $70 million proposed expansion could provide this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to more than 2,300 additional young learners. “Research shows that high-quality pre-k benefits children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development and confirms the Commonwealth’s investment in pre-k pays dividends for the children fortunate enough to access it. This investment is not only essential for our children, but high-quality early education supports labor force participation, healthy families, and a globally competitive workforce of the future. By increasing pre-k access and opening the door to more families, our economic recovery reaps the benefits.” Child Care Level funding for the state Child Care Assistance and Child Care Services line items. $77.7 million in federal funding to sustain child care subsidy base rates. $44.3 million in federal funding to sustain the reduction in out-of-pocket family co-payments. $6.1 million in federal child care funding to sustain the incentive for providing non-traditional hour care. $30 million in state funding to provide state employees with increased access to and affordability of child care through the Department of General Services. “The Wolf Administration’s budget proposal is an inadequate response to the current child care crisis and misses an important opportunity to help working families in search of affordable high-quality care,” ELPA representatives stated. “Furthermore, failure to fully stabilize the child care sector jeopardizes the efforts of Pennsylvania businesses trying to rehire their labor force. Child care programs are closing classrooms and entire facilities due to teacher and staff shortages. Child care staff are overworked and underpaid with the average child care teacher making less than $11 per hour.” While the budget proposal does utilize federal funds, ELPA believes it is not sufficient in light of flat funding for Pennsylvania’s Child Care Services and Child Care Assistance line items for the third consecutive year. Start Strong PA is urging state policymakers to allocate a portion of the projected year-end surplus of $2.8 billion to address staff recruitment and retention, and increase access to quality care for working families, specifically for infants and toddlers. Home Visiting $15 million in additional funding for evidence-based home visiting in the Community-Based Family Center line item (this will serve an additional 3,800 pregnant women, children, and families), as well as $8 million in one-time federal stimulus funds specified for home visiting. “Following two years of level funding, the [Childhood Begins at Home] campaign is pleased to see Governor Wolf’s proposed investment restarts his commitment to increasing service levels beyond the 5% of Pennsylvania families currently served,” ELPA stated. Perinatal and Child Health Funding allocated for postpartum coverage extension for women in Medicaid from 60 days to 12 months. $11.5 million in increased funding for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler) program through DHS, with $1.2 million allocated for children eligible for tracking when their mothers have a positive screen for postpartum depression or anxiety. Level-funding for the Part B Early Intervention program (age three to five) offered through PDE. ELPA stated, “Medicaid is a significant source of insurance for Pennsylvania women and birthing individuals— especially for women of color— so expanding coverage to a full year postpartum is a vital step towards closing racial and health disparities. “Additionally, we must ensure all children from birth through age five with developmental delays are identified, referred to, and accepted for the services they need to reach their fullest potential.” More Information Read ELPA’s full budget response statement for details. The Pittsburgh-based early childhood nonprofit Trying Together and other partners of ELPA will continue to advocate for these investments as the budget process continues. Stay up-to-date on how to advocate for these issues by signing-up to support Trying Together’s public policy agenda.
February 3, 2022 Child Care Providers Needed for Keystone STARS Focus Groups Early childhood education providers working in Pennsylvania child care who have knowledge of, or experience with, the Keystone STARS system are invited to participate in an online focus group in February. About The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) wants to learn more about the experience of leaders of center-based, family child care, and group child care providers with the Keystone STARS quality rating and improvement system, what is working, what is not working and how the system could be improved. Register Focus groups will be held virtually through Zoom on the following days and times, and will last no more than two hours: For all providers: February 10, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. Register For family child care home providers: February 17, 2022 at 6 p.m. Register For all providers: February 19, 2022 at 1 p.m. Register Share this flyer with your networks..
February 2, 2022 Deadline Extended: 2022 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards Do you know an exceptional child care professional or are you one yourself? Apply for the 2022 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards to nominate that person for a chance to win the Helene Marks Award, a $1,000 cash prize, and more! The application deadline has been extended to February 11, 2022, and First Up will be hosting informational sessions about the application process. About In collaboration with the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation (TLLCCF), First Up is hosting the 2022 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards to honor exceptional child care professionals. In 1987, Kay and Fred Lokoff formed the TLLCCF to honor the memory of their daughter. Terri was a passionate child care teacher who knew the incredible value of Early Childhood Education and was committed to making a difference by giving children a strong start in their lives. Applications for the 2022 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards are now available. Child care teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on U.S. Military bases and installations around the world are invited to apply. Fifty awards are presented each year. What Will Recipients Win? Every award recipient receives: a $1,000 cash prize, a trip to Philadelphia for the award ceremony (COVID permitting), and a chance to win the Helene Marks Award with the additional honor of being named the National Child Care Teacher of the Year. Application To apply, complete the online application. For those who would like to print and mail their completed application, a downloadable PDF version is available. Applications are due by February 11, 2022. Informational Sessions First Up staff will do a virtual walk through of the application and answer any questions. Registration is required: February 2 from 6 – 6:45 p.m. February 9 from 6 – 6:45 p.m. More Information For more information, please contact Jessica Feng at jessica.feng@firstup.org.
January 28, 2022 CDC Updates COVID-19 Guidance ECE/Child Care Program Operations On January 28, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated information for COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care Programs. About The CDC’s updates include guidance to reflect new quarantine and isolation guidance and recommendations, specifying the circumstances when isolation and quarantine periods can be shortened, and updated guidance regarding staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Key takeaways and updates include: Isolation and quarantine periods can be reduced to five days for people who can consistently wear well-fitting masks, as long as they remain symptom free, or fever has ended and symptoms have improved. For details, see CDC’s page on Quarantine and Isolation. Layered COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people, including children and staff, who are not up to date or eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, especially in areas of moderate-to-high community transmission levels. Promotion of vaccination among all eligible individuals can help Early Care and Education (ECE) programs protect staff and children in their care, as well as their families. Though these are not mandates, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) recommends that child care programs follow the CDC COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care Programs.
