August 13, 2020 Community Check-Up Every first Wednesday of the month, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in collaboration with the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will host an advanced practice provider and pediatrician see children and young adults ages birth–26 years old at The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center. Services provided are at no out-of-pocket cost. Available Services Services include: • Asthma and Allergy Care Check-Ups • Driver Permit Physicals • Hearing and Vision Screens • Immunizations and Flu Shots • Lead and Anemia Screenings • Mental Health Services and Resources • Needs-Based Resources • Sick Child Visits • Sports Physicals and Physical Exams • WIC Forms Schedule An Appointment Appointments occur on the first Wednesday of each month from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center. 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Please contact 412.310.7114 to schedule an appointment.
August 6, 2020 Brown Mamas Teach, Brown Mamas Earn Are you or your child interested in exploring topics such as photography, urban agriculture, mentoring, African American history, and more? Join Brown Mamas during the 2020-21 school year for their new program, Brown Mamas Teach, Brown Mamas Earn. About The mission of Brown Mamas’ family-centered learning project is to empower parents to confidently teach, support, and advocate for their children by utilizing the collective knowledge of Pittsburgh’s Black parenting community. This knowledge will guide participants in being effective and supportive members of their child’s learning team. This learning cooperative is intended for children ages five to 18 years old. Black parents and Black young people are encouraged to apply. Brown Mamas hopes to begin guided learning experiences in September 2020. Registration If you or your child is interested in participating, visit the Brown Mamas website to complete the online signup form. The form is available at the bottom of the page, below the Session Guide Recruitment Form. Become a Session Guide Brown Mamas is looking for parents, caregivers, young people, educators, and other Black community members to act as session guides in providing enrichment activities. If you are interested in becoming a session guide, visit the Brown Mamas website to complete the online signup form. More Information This information was provided by Brown Mamas. For more information, visit the Brown Mamas website.
August 5, 2020 Virtual Community of Practice Meetings Are you interested in discussing topics of interest and current trends with fellow professionals in the early childhood field? Join ELRC Region 5 for their virtual Community of Practice sessions! About Community of Practice sessions provide early learning professionals with opportunities to discuss topics of interest, current trends in the early childhood field, and offer insight and inspiration to their fellow professionals. In August, these virtual sessions will provide an overview of using the Pennsylvania Professional Development (PD) Registry. Participants will learn how to use the PD Registry as a tool to organize staff and will receive support and clear instruction on renewal requirements for the Keystone STARS program. Available Sessions Saturday, August 8 10 a.m. | Zoom Meetings | Register Thursday, August 20 10 a.m. | Zoom Meetings | Register 1 p.m. | Zoom Meetings | Register More Information Information about the meetings will be sent to participants following registration. For questions, contact ELRC Region 5 at elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3577. Share this flyer with your network.
August 4, 2020 Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellness with Digital Technologies More than ever before, early childhood practitioners play a critical role in supporting children’s social and emotional wellness. When used intentionally, digital technologies can serve as tools to help children navigate emotions and express thoughts and feelings. 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. About Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-Ins are interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants will engage in virtual discussions via Zoom with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org. Session Details Session Date: Wednesday, September 2 | 6 – 7 p.m. Instructor: Katie Gullone CKC: K1.4 C2 Registrations must be submitted by Monday, August 31. Space is limited. Sessions will be offered biweekly and will offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be offered. Learning Objectives Identify strategies to address children’s social and emotional development through the use of technology and media. Reflect on current practice and the role of technology tools in early childhood environments. Registration To register for this session, complete our online registration form. 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 Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
July 29, 2020 IEPs and the 2020-21 School Year: What Families Need to Know Are you the parent or caregiver of a student with an IEP? Join the PEAL Center on August 11 for the webinar, “Students with IEPs and the 2020-21 School Year: What Families Need to Know.” About On August 11, Carole Clancy, Director of the Bureau of Special Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, will join the PEAL Center for a live presentation to offer an overview of guidance being provided to schools regarding students with IEPs. Director Clancy will discuss the following: COVID-19 compensatory services; instructional days and hours; the use of masks at schools; and COVID-19’s impact on evaluation, re-evaluation, and delayed eligibility determinations. Participants are encouraged to submit any questions they may have for the presenter in advance by completing this online form. Questions must be submitted no later than August 3, 2020. Registration This live event will be available on the PEAL Center Facebook page and will be recorded for those unable to attend. A webinar recording will be available on the Facebook event page after the session ends. Training will be delivered in English, with Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) translation available. Captioning in other languages is available if participants download the Microsoft Translator app. More Information For questions or more information, contact info@pealcenter.org or 1.866.950.1040. Share this flyer with your network.
July 22, 2020 Dismantling Anti-Blackness in Multiracial Families Join EmbraceRace on July 28 for “Raising Multiracial Children, Part 2: Dismantling Anti-Blackness in Multiracial Families” as they explore how to actively reject white supremacy and anti-Blackness in multiracial families. About During the second webinar of this two-part series on anti-racist parenting and multiracial children, presenters will discuss anti-Blackness and how anti-Black messaging shows up in multiracial families (including non-Black families). Referencing recent examples from social media, presenters breakdown three common myths that perpetuate anti-Blackness within multiracial families and describe how these myths negatively impact the identity development of multiracial Black children specifically. To conclude the series, presenters will offer tangible steps that parents and caregivers can take now to actively reject white supremacy and anti-Blackness and build resilience as a multiracial family. Questions and comments are welcome. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
Examining the Complexity of Multiracial Identity Did you know that roughly one in seven infants in the United States is multiracial or multiethnic? Join EmbraceRace on July 23 for “Raising Multiracial Children, Part 1: Examining the Complexity of Multiracial Identity” as they explore what it means to be multiracial and how caregivers can support the positive development of their child’s multiracial identity. About During this first webinar of a two-part series on raising multiracial kids, presenters will break down some of the complexities of identifying with more than one race, including the pivotal role caregivers and families play in shaping how multiracial children come to understand themselves and the world around them. Speakers will describe the challenges and strengths of identifying with more than one racial group, highlighting examples from recent research and drawing from their own personal experiences as multiracial individuals and parents of multiracial children. Comments and questions are welcome. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
July 17, 2020 Wait, My Grief Has a Shape? | Webinar Join Highmark Caring Place on August 5 for their webinar, “Wait, My Grief Has a Shape? Understanding the Loss Experience for Our Children and Ourselves.” About Grief is often experienced not as a set of linear stages, but as a spiral where emotions come and go in intensity. In their webinar, Highmark Caring Place will discuss the spiral shape of grief and explain the differences in these spirals between adults and children. In understanding our grief experiences, and those of our children, we are better able to manage our own grief and support others in their grief journeys. Learning Objectives By attending, participants will be able to: recognize the distinctions between various models of grief, identify common grief responses, and discuss the differences in grief between adults and children. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. Registrations must be submitted no later than Tuesday, August 4. More Information For questions, contact Patrick McKelvey at patrick.mckelvey@highmark.com. Share this flyer with your network.
New Summer Safety Brochure Available for Families Thanks to the warm weather and sunshine, summer in Pennsylvania offers plenty of opportunities to get outside, get active, and enjoy family activities. By heeding some simple tips, parents and caregivers can ensure that summer is both safe and fun! New Brochure Available The Allegheny County Health Department and Allegheny County Department of Human Services developed a new Summer Safety brochure, featuring important information and tips on how families can enjoy summer while staying safe. The brochure includes tips on the following topics: bug bites and stings; safety in the sun; safety on wheels; water safety; car safety; chemical and poison safety; and more. To view the full list of tips, download the brochure. More Information For more information about summer safety, visit the National Safety Council’s Summer Safety page.
Child Care Providers Eligible for PA Hazard Pay Grants On July 16, Governor Tom Wolf announced that $50 million in grant funding is available to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hazard pay is intended to keep front-line employees working in vital industry sectors across Pennsylvania. About the Grant Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Within the guidelines, child care is identified as an eligible industry (Health and Social Assistance). Hazard pay is defined as additional pay for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship, in each case that is related to COVID-19. Employers can apply for up to $3 million in funding. Grant funds can be used for hazard pay for direct, full-time, and part-time employees earning less than $20 per hour, excluding fringe benefits and overtime. Funds can only be used to pay hazard pay for eligible employees for the 10-week period from August 16 through October 24, 2020. Submit an Application Applicants can apply for up to $1,200 per eligible full-time equivalent employee. The hazard pay must be paid to the eligible employee over the 10-week period of August 16 through October 24, 2020 as a $3 per hour hazard pay increase to their regular pay rate. Employers can apply for a grant to provide hazard pay for up to 500 eligible full-time equivalent employees per location ($600,000 maximum grant per location). Applications will be received from July 16 through July 31, 2020. To apply for funding, submit an application through the Electronic Single Application. More Information For more information or questions, contact 717.787.6245 or ra-dcedcbf@pa.gov.
