January 27, 2022 Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Workshop Series Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for a three-part workshop series focused on infant and early childhood mental health. Registration for this event is available online. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is a capacity-building intervention that supports the mental health and social-emotional well-being of children, families, and providers who work with them. Family Connections is an evidence-based, system-wide model for mental health consultation and professional development. This three-part virtual workshop series based on the Family Connections model is for you if you are a Mental Health Consultant, Family Service professional, or early childhood systems leader. Each workshop provides knowledge, skills, and strategies that you can bring right back to your setting and implement them in service of the staff and family well-being. And, for Mental Health Consultants, this series will provide you with a workshop model for professional development in the programs for which you consult. Workshops Workshop topics include: Overcoming barriers to family-staff partnerships | 3/10, 2-3:30 p.m. Building strong family-staff relationships – key to young children’s development- is an ongoing process. Explore challenges to building these relationships and strategies to overcome them. Understanding depression and fostering resilience | 3/17, 2-3:30 p.m. Learn more about depression, and how you can help family-facing professionals reach out to family members about mental health concerns while keeping in mind their cultural values and beliefs. Talking to children about sensitive topics | 3/24, 2-3:30 p.m. Learn how to support family-facing professionals when discussing sensitive issues with children and families from diverse backgrounds, and how they can care for themselves during these conversations. Cost Each workshop costs $35, or all three workshops may be bundled for $90. Group rates are available by contacting Brazelton Touchpoints Center.
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Workshop Series Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for a three-part workshop series focused on infant and early childhood mental health. Registration for this event is available online. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is a capacity-building intervention that supports the mental health and social-emotional well-being of children, families, and providers who work with them. Family Connections is an evidence-based, system-wide model for mental health consultation and professional development. This three-part virtual workshop series based on the Family Connections model is for you if you are a Mental Health Consultant, Family Service professional, or early childhood systems leader. Each workshop provides knowledge, skills, and strategies that you can bring right back to your setting and implement them in service of the staff and family well-being. And, for Mental Health Consultants, this series will provide you with a workshop model for professional development in the programs for which you consult. Workshops Workshop topics include: Overcoming barriers to family-staff partnerships | 3/10, 2-3:30 p.m. Building strong family-staff relationships – key to young children’s development- is an ongoing process. Explore challenges to building these relationships and strategies to overcome them. Understanding depression and fostering resilience | 3/17, 2-3:30 p.m. Learn more about depression, and how you can help family-facing professionals reach out to family members about mental health concerns while keeping in mind their cultural values and beliefs. Talking to children about sensitive topics | 3/24, 2-3:30 p.m. Learn how to support family-facing professionals when discussing sensitive issues with children and families from diverse backgrounds, and how they can care for themselves during these conversations. Cost Each workshop costs $35, or all three workshops may be bundled for $90. Group rates are available by contacting Brazelton Touchpoints Center.
December 23, 2021 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 this week’s featured jobs. Child Care Positions in Pittsburgh Classroom Assistant Temple Ohav Shalon Center for Early Learning is seeking a Classroom Assistant to assist educators and children in the daily activities of the classroom. Apply: To apply, please email center@templeohavshalom.org Early Childhood Teacher Lawrence County Community Action Partnership is seeking an Early Childhood Teacher to work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team to individualize comprehensive services for the children and families in their classrooms. Apply: To apply, please visit the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership website. 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.
October 12, 2021 New Resources for Parents and Caregivers New resources have been added to the Trying Together website for families and caregivers. These resources further Trying Together’s mission to supports high-quality care and education for young children by providing advocacy, community resources, and professional growth opportunities for the needs and rights of children, their families, and the individuals who interact with them. New Resources DAP Series Parts VII, VIII, and IX As an early childhood nonprofit, Trying Together recognizes that a child’s parent is their first and most important caregiver. That’s why we created the Developmentally Appropriate Parenting (DAP) Series to assist parents and caregivers in creating high-quality learning experiences at the earliest stages of their child’s life. The series features digital and print content that provides information on critical early childhood topics. New topics in the DAP Series include Part VII: Childhood Mental Health; Part VIII: Race and Equity; and Part IX: Transitions & Routines. Families and caregivers may also access previous parts of the DAP Series: Part I: Developmentally Appropriate Practice; Part II: Childhood Physical Health; Part III: Child Care; Part IV: Early Intervention and Inclusion; Part V: Safety and Emergencies; and Part VI: Social-Emotional Development. Resources will continue to be added through 2022 as additional Parts are finalized. Additionally, families and caregivers may now request a set of cards in the mail at no cost. These cards provide an overview of each part of the DAP series with a quick reference to local and regional organizations. Parenting Together Pathway The Parenting Together Pathway is a video-based learning series to provide high-quality information on early childhood development to parents and caregivers in Allegheny County and surrounding areas. Launched in April 2021, the Parenting Together Pathway provides families the opportunity to learn more about: brain development; play; interactions and relationships; technology; child care; and advocacy to better support their children’s healthy growth. Two additional videos have been added to the Parenting Together Pathway: Early Intervention and Safety and Emergencies.
November 24, 2020 ECE Job Openings: 11/26 – 12/2 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 Education Program Supervisor The Children’s Home is seeking a Full-Time Education Program Supervisor for Child’s Way, a child care center for medically fragile children. This professional will be responsible for the supervision of all educational activities led by the teachers and will be a resource for teachers as well as families. This professional will also be responsible for ensuring that developmentally appropriate programming is provided for children, optimizing their growth and development. To apply, complete the online application. Infant and Toddler Teacher Love, Learn, and Play is looking to hire an Infant and Toddler Teacher who is able to work Monday through Friday. This professional will be responsible for coordinating the curriculum and managing a fun classroom. To apply, email llpchildcaredirector@gmail.com. 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 Tuesday, December 1. 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 December 1 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 10, 2020 Supporting Fathers Who Were Sexually Abused as Children Join the Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Hassan Daniel, Founder and CEO of The Father Factory, on November 18 for “Supporting Fathers Who Were Sexually Abused as Children.” This is an online event. About During this discussion, Brazelton Touchpoints Center Executive Director Joshua Sparrow, MD, and Hassan Daniel, Founder and CEO of The Father Factory, will discuss fathers with childhood histories of sexual abuse and how they can heal and become the fathers they want to be and their families need them to be. Join Hassan for a live and interactive discussion following the event. Live Spanish translation will be available. Registration To register, visit the event webpage.
September 9, 2020 Connections and Conversations: Infant Sensory Experiences Are you interested in learning about the importance of sensory development in infants and toddlers? Join Trying Together on September 16 for our online session, “Connections and Conversations: Infant Sensory Experiences.” About Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-Ins are biweekly interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants engage in virtual discussions with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. Sessions offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be provided. This session will define and explore the processes of sensory integration and the importance of sensory development in infants and toddlers. Participants will receive an overview of infant sensory development and ways to contribute to children’s learning within classroom settings as well as adaptations that can be made for students with behaviors due to the way they process sensory experiences differently. Participants will be lead in creating various developmentally friendly sensory toys with objects found in their own homes. Session Details Session Date: Wednesday, September 16 | 6 – 7 p.m Instructors: Jennifer McKain and Alicia Sebastian CKC: Child Growth and Development CDA Subject Area: Principles of Child Growth & Development Registration Deadline: Tuesday, September 15 Registration To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Session Rules and Guidelines These virtual discussions are designed to provide educators the opportunity to grow professionally and share knowledge on early childhood topics. During the meeting, participants should follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful virtual meeting for all participants. Please allow all participants a chance to speak. Listen respectfully and actively. Commit to learning about each other, not to debating the topic. Embrace differences of opinion as healthy and support each person’s authentic self-expression. Participants will be muted for the beginning portion of the session. Participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom to request an opportunity to comment or ask a question. Individuals will be temporarily unmuted by the moderator. Participants may type a comment or question in the Chat or may send comments or questions directly to the moderator for them to share. To receive PQAS credit, you must complete an evaluation at the end of the session and include your PD Registry number. Have fun, make connections, and engage in the conversations! More Information For questions or more information, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
September 8, 2020 Policy Change: Parents Caring for Their Own Children in Child Care OCDEL’s Bureau of Policy and Professional Development recently released Announcement 20 #15 which explains changes to the policy regarding parents and caregivers caring for their own children in a child care setting during the COVID-19 pandemic-related Proclamation of Disaster Emergency. This policy change is effective as of September 1, 2020. Read below to learn more. About For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic-related Proclamation of Disaster Emergency, the current policy will be revised to allow for parents and caregivers to provide care for their own children in a child care facility. This change allows a parent or caretaker who is a teacher, assistant teacher, or aide in a classroom at the same child care facility where their children are enrolled to have their children in their classroom. Parents and caregivers will be able to receive subsidized child care payments for their children as long as there is another paid teacher, assistant teacher, or aide present in the classroom for a majority of the day. Additionally, there must be at least one other child in the classroom, that is not the child of the parent or caregiver, for which the parent or caregiver is caring for. More Information For more information, read the full announcement.
September 2, 2020 COVID-19’s Impact on Early Childhood and ACEs Are you interested in hearing guidance from experts on early childhood development, adverse childhood experiences, and the impact of COVID-19 on children? Join the NIHCM Foundation on September 10 for their webinar, “Protecting Our Children: COVID-19’s Impact on Early Childhood and ACEs.” About Although most children are not at high risk for contracting COVID-19, the pandemic has disrupted their lives and exacerbated challenges to children’s health and well-being. This webinar will convene experts to provide information and guidance on early childhood development, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and the impact of COVID-19 on children. Speakers will discuss the following topics: the importance of early childhood experiences in lifelong health and how adversity affects both the developing brain and other physiological systems; what ACEs initiatives are doing to respond to COVID-19 and the opportunities and challenges the pandemic has produced for professionals in the field; and lessons from a health plan’s investment in programming that addresses ACEs, including education on ACEs for teachers, policymakers, and health care professionals. Registration To learn more and register, visit the event webpage.
August 11, 2020 Free Virtual PD Sessions Available Are you interested in hearing guidance from child development experts? Join Trying Together on August 19 and September 2 for our free virtual professional development sessions! Each session will offer one PQAS credit hour. Both sessions are a part of our interactive Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-In series that features guidance from child development experts, information on the highlighted topic, and opportunities for early learning professionals to share questions, experiences, and expertise. Available Sessions Magda Gerber’s Philosophy of Care for Infants & Toddlers Wednesday, August 19, 2020 | 6 – 7 p.m. Join Trying Together on August 19 to explore the core principles of Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophical approach to educaring for infants and toddlers in the early childhood setting. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in conversations around developmentally appropriate practice for infants and toddlers while reflecting on how to best create a safe, challenging, predictable environment for all children. Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellness with Digital Technologies Wednesday, September 2, 2020 | 6 – 7 p.m. More than ever before, early childhood practitioners play a critical role in supporting children’s social and emotional wellness. Join Trying Together on September 2 for a conversation on promoting children’s communication skills and emotional development through the use of technology and media. Participants will engage in discussion and reflection on their current practice and the impact of COVID-19. More Information For questions or more information, please contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
