November 16, 2020 2020 SOC Symposium | Father Family Involvement Are you interested in learning how Pennsylvania can build better futures for children through greater father family involvement? Join the National Association of Social Workers on December 1, 8, and 15 for the 2020 SOC Symposium. This event is virtual. About Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Includes a brief presentation of Pennsylvania’s Journey to ensure child wellbeing, safety, and permanency for every child within the Commonwealth, as well as personal interviews with two Distinguished Pennsylvania System Change Leaders for Greater Father Family Involvement: “From Whence They Come.” Tuesday, December 8, 2020 Addresses the consequences of Father Absence and or Father Non-Involvement, and the need to move forward, a diverse group of expert panelists will help participants to unravel the question, “Are Fathers intentionally included, or not, in Pennsylvania’s child and family services and programming that are designed to enhance well-being outcomes for both?” Tuesday, December 15, 2020 A Call to Action, as the Symposium comes to a close, with Media Q&A. Drs. Myers, Goode, Horn will emphasize why this mission is so crucial and will illuminate the strategy for moving Pennsylvania forward now! Registration To register for the Symposium, visit the event webpage. Online registration will be available until December 1, 2020. CEU credits available. More Information For registration questions, please contact Asagen.naswpa@socialworkers.org. Share this flyer with your network.
November 13, 2020 2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards: Apply Do you know an exceptional child care professional or are you one yourself? Apply for the 2021 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! About In collaboration with the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation (TLLCCF), First Up is hosting the 2021 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 2021 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 January 29, 2021. More Information For more information, please contact Sharon Bell at Sharon.Bell@firstup.org.
November 12, 2020 ECE Job Openings: 11/12 – 11/18 Are you looking to start or transition your career in the early childhood field? You’re in luck! Early learning programs in Pennsylvania are currently looking to fill positions. To view this week’s featured job descriptions, see the list below. Featured Jobs Preschool Specialist Kids Kademy II L.L.C. is looking to hire a reliable, nurturing, and dedicated individual to lead their Preschool Program. An ideal candidate would be knowledgeable about Keystone STARS. To apply, email your resume to erinc62301@yahoo.com. Infant/Toddler Room Assistant Teachers Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking Infant/Toddler Room Assistant Teachers who will be responsible in assisting with children’s daily activities under the guidance of a teacher. If you have previous experience working with young children and are interested in joining their inclusive learning community where all families, children, and staff feel welcome and respected, please apply. To apply, complete the online application. For questions, contact chcc@carriagehouse.org. Preschool Teachers Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking highly-motivated Preschool Teachers who value the importance of building strong relationships with children, understand how young children learn and develop, and are dedicated to creating a nurturing learning environment for every child. If you have previous experience working with young children and are interested in joining their inclusive learning community where all families, children, and staff feel welcome and respected, please apply. To apply, complete the online application. For questions, contact chcc@carriagehouse.org. Lead Young Toddler Room Teacher Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking a full-time Lead Young Toddler Room Teacher for their Infant/Toddler Program. If you have previous experience working with young children and are interested in joining their inclusive learning community where all families, children, and staff feel welcome and respected, please apply. To apply, complete the online application. For questions, contact chcc@carriagehouse.org. Submit a Job Description Each week, Trying Together publishes a news post that features employer-submitted job positions from early learning programs across Pennsylvania. Trying Together shares these posts online through our website, social media channels, and newsletter. To make it into next week’s post, please submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Wednesday, November 18. This form is intended for positions in the early childhood field. Job descriptions not related to the early childhood field will not be included. All job descriptions submitted after November 18 will be published in the next week’s news post. Please note that news post publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Search Additional Jobs Are you interested in starting or shifting your career in early childhood care and education? Visit the ECE Hire website or sign up for their weekly newsletter for current job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. To stay up to date on our featured positions and more, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
November 6, 2020 GivingTuesday 2020 Join Trying Together, your neighbors, and the global community on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, in celebrating kindness, collaboration, and generosity. Join us in #GivingTogether this #GivingTuesday. What Is GivingTuesday? First established in 2012, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It’s also an opportunity for people to stand together in unity—to use their individual power of generosity to support and champion the organizations and causes they care about. Why Should You Participate? 2020 has been a difficult year, and it has been especially difficult for our nation’s families. Due to job loss, financial strain, education challenges, and limited access to child care, families have been working tirelessly to make ends meet and support the learning and development of their children. However, they cannot do it alone. That’s why Trying Together’s mission to reinforce the work of early childhood is more important than ever before. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trying Together has: mobilized our advocates to ensure child care businesses receive the emergency funds they need to stay in business and provide services to families; distributed critical health and safety supplies to early learning programs that serve essential workers and their families; developed an online search tool to assist essential workers and families with quickly finding and choosing early learning programs that meet their needs; created an online community for families to connect, discuss, and support one another in their care and education planning for the 2020-21 school year; and curated comprehensive COVID-19 resource lists online, one of which is for families and caregivers and the other for early care and education professionals. During the COVID-19 pandemic and after, Trying Together will continue to develop our programs, resources, and services to meet the needs of our communities. Will you join us in this work by showing your support on GivingTuesday? What You Can Do We all have gifts to give, and thanks to social media, online giving, mail, and phones, there are limitless ways to use your generosity to reinforce the early childhood field. For examples of how you can give this giving season, see the list below! Submit A Donation If you would like to support Trying Together’s work directly, consider submitting a financial donation! We appreciate donations of any size. However, for those looking for recommended amounts, Trying Together has identified the following tiers: Early Childhood Supporter ($60) Early Childhood Sustainer ($120) Early Childhood Champion ($1,000) Thanks to the generosity of Trying Together’s Board of Directors, all donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $2,000. Help us secure these matched dollars by donating! Share Your Story When you think of a good teacher, who do you think of? Take time this GivingTuesday to thank that person via social media, phone, or email and let them know how their work has positively impacted your life or the life of your child. SOCIAL MEDIA 1. Join the larger community in celebrating gratitude by posting your thank you message, picture, or video on social media using #GiveThanks or #GivingTogether. Example: I’d like to say thank you to @amymiller for the wonderful work she’s been doing to support my child’s learning and healthy development! Ashton still can’t stop talking about the caterpillar craft he did last month! 🐛🦋 #GiveThanks #GivingTuesday 2. Set a goal for how many educators you’d like to thank this giving season and share it out on social media using #GiveThanks or #GivingTogether! Example: This #GivingTuesday, I’m celebrating gratitude by thanking three early learning professionals who have had a positive impact on my life and child. Will you join me? #GiveThanks 📞💌 #GivingTuesday is on December 1 this year and to celebrate, I’d like to #GiveThanks to the early learning professionals who work tirelessly to make sure my child is safe, supported, and cared for. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thank you!CLICK TO TWEET PHONE OR EMAIL If you have their phone number or email, contact your early learning professional and let them know how much you appreciate the work they do to support your family. Share Our Fundraising Page Another great way to support Trying Together is by sharing our fundraising page with your network. To help get you started, we have created a GivingTuesday Social Media Toolkit that features sample social media posts and more! More Information For questions, please contact Trying Together at info@tryingtogether.org.
November 5, 2020 Early Childhood Job Openings: 11/5 – 11/11 Are you looking to start or transition your career in the early childhood field? You’re in luck! Early learning programs in Pennsylvania are currently looking to fill positions. To view this week’s featured job descriptions, see the list below. Featured Jobs Lead Pre-K Teacher Hilltop Children’s Center is looking to hire a Pennsylvania-licensed early childhood educator for their pre-k classroom. This is a year-round position. Interested professionals must be nurturing, empathetic, and dependable. Excellent classroom management skills desired. To apply for this position, please contact lisazappa@hilltopccc.org or submit the online application. Teacher/Assistant Teacher Beulah Christian Preschool and Child Care is looking to hire an experienced, positive educator to successfully lead a team or to work with an established team in providing engaging, developmentally appropriate activities based on the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards within NAEYC high-quality criteria. Successful candidates should be comfortable with all ages and available for an eight-hour shift from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, year-round. To apply for this position, please email Tracy Belmonte at tbelmonte@beulahpresby.org. Young Toddler Teacher Helping Hands Childcare is looking to hire a passionate teacher to work with one- and two-year-old children. Applicants should have two or more years of experience working with children and/or an early childhood degree. Applicants must be able to work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., and must have or be able to obtain clearances for working with children. This position will start in November. To apply for this position, call 724.695.9200 or email helpinghands001@verizon.net. Please ask for Lori or Melissa. Assistant Group Supervisor Stubblefield’s Childcare and Early Head Start is looking to hire an Assistant Group Supervisor to supervise children ages six months to 12-years-old. To apply for this position, please email stubblefielddaycare@yahoo.com. Metropolitan Preschool and Nursery Metropolitan Preschool and Nursery is looking to hire Group Supervisors and Assistant Group Supervisors to ensure that all children are actively supervised and that their individual needs are met. To apply for this position, contact Dawn Fowler at 412.281.8315 or info@pghchild.care. Early Learning Program Certification Representative The Allegheny County Department of Human Services is looking to hire an Early Learning Program Certification Representative to conduct inspections of child care facilities and assess compliance with regulations that are in place to ensure the health and safety of children in regulated child care settings. This is a full-time position. This professional must be willing to travel. To qualify, applicants must meet a Pennsylvania residency requirement and have at least two years of professional experience providing direct services to children and youth and a bachelor’s degree that includes 24 semester hours of college-level courses related to early childhood, or have an equivalent combination of professional experience and training. Before you apply, please read the full job description. If you qualify, please contact Abigail O’Shura at 717.772.2219 or aoshura@pa.gov to apply. Submit a Job Description Each week, Trying Together publishes a news post that features employer-submitted job positions from early learning programs across Pennsylvania. Trying Together shares these posts online through our website, social media channels, and newsletter. To make it into next week’s post, please submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Wednesday, November 11. This form is intended for positions in the early childhood field. Job descriptions not related to the early childhood field will not be included. All job descriptions submitted after November 11 will be published in the next week’s news post. Please note that news post publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Search Additional Jobs Are you interested in starting or shifting your career in early childhood care and education? Visit the ECE Hire website or sign up for their weekly newsletter for current job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. To stay up to date on our featured positions and more, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
October 23, 2020 2020 Family Support Needs Assessment On October 22, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released a new Family Support Needs Assessment that covers the needs and challenges experienced by families with young children and opportunities to address these needs and better serve families. Overview Developed in partnership with PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the assessment found that substance abuse, intimate partner violence, and mental health challenges are among the most pronounced issues facing young families across urban and rural communities. The assessment also shows an overall improvement in maternal and child health outcomes across many of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties since the last statewide needs assessment in 2014. Assessment Findings Informed by community surveys, interviews, and statewide data sets, the 2018-2020 Family Support Needs Assessment categorizes Pennsylvania’s counties as having “elevated need,” “moderate need,” and “low need,” across six domains: maternal and child health; socioeconomic status; substance abuse; child safety and maltreatment; community environment; and child care. Overall, the findings show that 44 counties have elevated need in at least one of the domains and 15 counties across the state met elevated need thresholds in three or more domains. Importantly, the data collection occurred prior to the arrival of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, and the researchers anticipate that the pandemic will exacerbate many areas of community need. Despite the elevated need recorded in the report, maternal and child health outcomes have dramatically improved across much of the state since the 2014 federally-mandated statewide needs assessment. For example: nearly every county (63) saw improved rates of preterm birth and teen birth; 60 percent of counties saw improvements in infant mortality rates; half of the counties saw a reduction in the percentage of children under age five living in poverty; and more than half of the 2,220 individuals surveyed for the needs assessment have a favorable view of the availability and quality of health and social services in Pennsylvania for families with young children. The assessment also includes a review of the capacity and scope of the state’s home visiting programs, which provide voluntary, in-home services to under-resourced pregnant moms and families of young children. Pennsylvania significantly increased its investment in evidence-based home visiting over the last four years so that today, six evidence-based home visiting models serve a total of 10,150 families. More Information For more information, read the full press release and review the 2020 Family Supports Need Assessment Report.
October 13, 2020 Remake Learning Days Across America Launch Are you a Remake Learning Days event host or educational stakeholder who is interested in learning more about Remake Learning Days Across America 2021? Join Remake Learning on Tuesday, October 13 from 7 – 8 p.m. EST for the National Launch! About Remake Learning Days Across America (RLDAA) is an innovative learning festival for families and youth. Hosted in 16 regions across the United States, RLDAA features hands-on and engaging events designed for kids of all ages at libraries, schools, tech centers, museums, play spaces, and more. Most events are free. This year’s events will run nationally from April 22 – May 23, 2021, and from May 6 – 16, 2021 in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To view all dates and activities, visit the Remake Learning Days webpage. RLDAA Kickoff Event If you are an event host or educational stakeholder who is interested in learning more about RLDAA 2021 and celebrating family-engaged learning, join Remake Learning on Tuesday, October 13 from 7 – 8 p.m. EST for the National Launch! The event will feature special guests, hands-on activities, and national and regional partners. To register, visit the event webpage. More Information For more information on RLDAA 2021, visit the Remake Learning Days webpage.
October 12, 2020 Grants Available for Child Care Programs In partnership with the Pennsylvania Key, the GIANT Company is offering a grant opportunity for early childhood education providers licensed by and in good standing with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). About Through this grant opportunity, early learning programs can apply for grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. This funding is intended to assist programs with meeting the unique needs of families and children served during the pandemic. These needs may include, but are not limited to, increased staffing, expanded operating hours, care of school-age children, Personal Protective Equipment or other sanitation measures, increased technology needs or services, school-age virtual learning labs, serving of meals, or addressing food insecurity needs of families and children served. Eligibility Criteria Applicants must operate a family child care home, group child care home, or child care center that is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services; the program must be in good standing with DHS. Applicants must serve families that receive child care subsidy/Child Care Works funding or demonstrate other means of serving families in need. Applicants must remain operational through part of all of the COVID-19 pandemic and provide services to children in any age range (birth through school-age). The early childhood education facility must be located in one of the following counties: Adams, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union, York. Submit An Application To apply for a grant, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. All applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2020. Funds will be dispersed by January 29, 2021.
September 29, 2020 Supporting Young Students with Remote Learning Are you interested in learning tips from education experts on how to support children in remote and blended learning environments? Join Zoom and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) on October 7 and October 8, 2020 for their two-part Back-to-School webinar series designed for families and caregivers. About Session 1 Tips and Strategies for Families and Caregivers (K-12) October 7, 2020 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. In this webinar, families and caregivers will learn key strategies for building a positive, effective home learning environment and implementing concrete tips to advocate for their learner’s needs. ISTE Certified Educators and Trainers Dr. Daisy Sam and Dr. Sonn Sam will lead this timely discussion as an effort to ensure a more successful, productive school year during these challenging times. Session 2 Zoom Basics and Tips for Families and Caregivers (K-6) October 8, 2020 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. In this webinar, Zoom experts will provide important tips to help support your child in remote and blended learning environments. Presenters will cover everything from platform basics and troubleshooting to remote learning soft skills to help them succeed as students. This session will be geared towards younger learners, primarily in grades K-6, however parents and caregivers of all ages are welcome to attend. Registration Both sessions will be broadcast in English with the option to listen to a live language interpretation in Spanish. Live American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will also be available. To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
September 21, 2020 State Office Candidate Conversation: Child Care In Allegheny County, 48 percent of eligible children do not have access to publicly funded pre-k programs and 67 percent of Child Care Works subsidy-eligible children under age five remain unserved. Before you vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, find out what your candidates think about early childhood education. Registration Join the Children Matter Action Fund on September 23 for an online conversation about child care with Allegheny County candidates for state office in House Districts 28, 30, 44, and 45! To register, visit the event webpage. Unable to attend? Check out each candidate’s views on the Children Matter Action Fund website.
