October 2, 2020 Dept. of Health Launches COVID Alert PA App Would you like to receive alerts when you come into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19? Download the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s free COVID Alert PA App. About In the app, users report how they are feeling and whether they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. If you report having symptoms, the app will provide information on what to do next. The tool also helps its users track their own symptoms within the app while also receiving public health information based on your responses. COVID Alert PA protects your privacy and personal information. The app does not use GPS, location services, or any movement or geographical information and will never collect, transmit, or store your personal information. Your account will remain completely anonymous. The app detects if users are in close contact with another app user using Bluetooth Low Energy technology, which is the same technology your phone uses to connect to wireless headphones and other devices. Download the App To download the app, visit the Google Play Store or iPhone App Store. The app is available on Android phones running Android 6.0 and higher, and iPhones that support iOS 13.5 and higher. This app is not intended to be used by people under the age of 18 years old. After you download the app, you can opt-in to receive alerts if you have had potential exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Getting timely alerts can help you get advice on how to help yourself and protect others. These alerts will reduce your likelihood of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and community. More Information For more information, visit the PA Unites Against COVID webpage.
September 18, 2020 Essential Trauma-Informed Practices During COVID-19 Recovery Are you interested in learning about essential trauma-informed practices you can use to support your students during the COVID-19 recovery? Join The Social Express on October 13 for their webinar, “Essential Trauma-Informed Practices During COVID-19 Recovery.” About During this webinar, presenters will explore the topic of trauma, the brain, and effective strategies to help teachers, students, and their families reach positive outcomes in school and at home. This webinar will be of particular interest to PreK-12 teachers; school and district leaders; special education leaders and specialists; guidance counselors; and school psychologists. Time for questions will be provided. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
August 20, 2020 Facts about COVID-19 and Quality Child Care Are you looking to access child care services during the COVID-19 health crisis? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association on September 2 for their webinar, “Facts about COVID-19 and High-Quality Child Care.” About Child care is highly regulated in Pennsylvania and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has responded to COVID-19 with updated regulations and guidelines to keep children and providers safe. However, some of these are suggestions, not requirements; some clash with best practices for child development; and some are difficult to implement with very young children. In this webinar, participants will learn about the pros and cons of different child care settings, what to expect from child care providers, and which questions to ask if you’re still searching for one that’s right for you and your child. The session will feature Susan Coffin, MD, MPH, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s leading expert of COVID-19 and a great resource in creating CHOP’s FAQ for centers and families; a parent; and child care providers from both center-based and home-based settings. Register This webinar is best suited for parents and caretakers of children birth to age five. To register, visit the event webpage. Submit A Question You may ask questions in advance (anonymously if you prefer) by emailing shawn.towey@pacca.org, or you can enter them in the chatbox during the session. Share this flyer with your network.
August 19, 2020 Virtual Back to Out-of-School-Time Conference Join Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST) from August 24–September 10, 2020 for their Virtual Back to Out-of-School-Time Conference! About Over a period of three weeks, the Virtual Back to Out-of-School-Time Conference will offer relevant workshops to assist professionals in continuing to provide high-quality programming for youth during this challenging time. This Conference is open to any youth practitioner who desires to increase their skills in working with youth in out-of-school-time programs or mentoring relationships. If there is a workshop that you would like to attend but are not able to due to schedule conflicts, recordings and resources for all workshop offerings will be available for at least one month after all of the workshops have concluded. Available Workshops A Summer in Review: Conducting In-Person Programming in the Foreseeable Future Monday, August 24 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Wellness for Black Young People in a Racist Society during COVID-19 Tuesday, August 25 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. How to Handle Your Workforce Post COVID-19? – Organizational Skill Gaps with Leaner Staffing Wednesday, August 26 | 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Outdoor STEM in an Online Classroom Thursday, August 27 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. Keeping Kids Entertained and Learning During COVID-19 and Beyond Friday, August 28 | 1 – 2 p.m. Engaging Your Students with Project-Based Learning Online Monday, August 31 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. What You Need to Know about the Current Pandemic Tuesday, September 1 | 1 – 2 p.m. Lessons Learned: OST in the Virtual Space and Zoom into Hands-On Learning Wednesday, September 2 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Increasing Program Enrollment by Advertising on the Allegheny County Child Care Finder Thursday, September 3 | 1 – 2 p.m. Deep and Simple Interactions in OST Virtual Programming and Yes, And’ing a Virtually New Normal Tuesday, September 8 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. PBS 101 Middle School Track Wednesday, September 9 | 1 – 2 p.m. Making Academic Content Exciting with Narrative Games Thursday, September 10 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Registration To view all workshop descriptions and register, visit the full Conference Agenda. Registration links will be included at the bottom of each event description. More Information For questions, contact Jaron Paul via email at jaron.paul@unitedwayswpa.org.
August 18, 2020 Virtual UnConference: Caring in a “New Normal” Join Trying Together from September 14–23, 2020 for our second free Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’. PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available. Registration is required. About Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’ will feature a panel discussion and three workshops on topics including finance, interacting with young children, and social-emotional health during the COVID-19 health crisis. This UnConference will build on guidance shared during our first Virtual UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’. To watch a recording, visit our UnConference page. Featured Workshops Positive Interactions During the Pandemic Monday, September 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Register In this workshop, Sarah Grubb from ELRC Region 5 will walk early childhood educators through the essential elements of positive interaction, the educator’s role in co-regulation, and strategies for supporting children best through positive, day-to-day interactions. A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children Thursday, September 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Register Join Diana Schwab for a conversation and Q&A focused on the social and emotional needs of children. In this workshop, participants will discuss early childhood social and emotional development with a particular focus on how children communicate social and emotional needs through behavior. This workshop will also discuss how to focus a child’s behaviors as a communication of developmental strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as mental health needs. Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Register This workshop will discuss the importance of building a business plan and budget as the foundation of your organization’s financial wellness, especially during this time of changing external forces due to COVID-19. Presenter Chris Pentrack of Supporting Strategies will suggest beginner tools and methods to build these items, as well as resources for additional assistance. Presenters will discuss topics such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, monitoring, and forecasting cash for the organization. Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Register This workshop will feature a panel of directors who will discuss the measurements currently being followed to prevent the spread of illness in their individual child care programs. A portion of the conversation will include health and wellness tips that can help support your staff and teachers during these challenging times. The discussion will conclude by identifying which health and safety practices will most likely be permanently incorporated into everyday practice moving forward beyond COVID-19. Registration Registration for this UnConference is being completed on the PD Registry. If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org for more information. Click the links below to register for each workshop you are interested in. Registration is required. Positive Interactions During the Pandemic Monday, September 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children Thursday, September 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. More Information For questions, contact UnConference Director Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org.
August 10, 2020 Child Care and Education Planning Tools Available Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many early learning programs and all schools in Pennsylvania had to close abruptly and drastically adjust their operations. In turn, this left many families without access to child care and education services for their children. In response to this crisis, Trying Together and our partners worked rapidly to develop several new platforms and resources to support the continuity of care and education for families in Southwestern Pennsylvania and to support the early learning professionals who provide these services. To learn about our tools and resources, continue reading below. Share this flyer with your network. Allegheny Child Care In partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST), Trying Together developed Allegheny Child Care. By using this online tool, parents and caregivers of young children can search for available child care spots at early learning, after-school, out-of-school, summer camp, and virtual programs in Allegheny County. To use the tool, visit the Allegheny Child Care website. For additional support in finding child care and/or funding your child care needs, visit the ELRC Region 5 website or call 412.350.3577. Family Care and Education Forum In response to uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 school year, Trying Together launched the Family Care & Education Forum. This new resource connects parents and caregivers across Southwestern Pennsylvania and provides a space to ask questions, network, and support one another. Upon signing up, users will be able to post questions, respond to comments, and learn more about care and education opportunities in their area. To discuss your care and education plans for this fall with other families, visit the new Family Care and Education Forum. Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) provide a single point-of-contact for families, early learning service providers, and communities to gain information and access services that support high-quality child care and early learning programs. To request support and learn more, visit the ELRC Region 5 website or call 412.350.3577.
August 6, 2020 Information about Unreceived Stimulus Checks Are you an individual who did not receive a stimulus check? If you didn’t file federal taxes in 2018 or 2019, you may need to sign up to receive your check using the IRS’s free online tool. About As a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act), the United States Department of Treasury issued funds known as Economic Impact Payments (EIP), or stimulus payments, to most Americans beginning April 10, 2020. Stimulus checks were automatically deposited to the accounts of individuals who filed federal taxes in 2018 or 2019. Those who did not file federal taxes will need to sign up to receive their check. Participants may be eligible for a payment of up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples filing jointly, in addition to $500 per qualifying child. Who Is Eligible? U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and qualifying resident aliens who: have a valid Social Security number, could not be claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer, and had adjusted gross income under certain limits. Sign Up to Receive Your Check Individuals who have not received their check must sign up by October 15 to get their payment this year. To sign up to receive your check, use the IRS’s free online tool. The following information will be collected: your full name, mailing address, email address, date of birth, and Social Security number. The Non-Filers: Enter Payment tool is intended for individuals who were not required to file a federal tax return for 2019. Individuals may not need to file a federal tax return for several reasons, including the following: the individual earned an income of less than $12,200; a married couple filed jointly and together their income was less than $24,400; or the individual did not earn an income. More Information For more information, visit the IRS website. Share this flyer with your network.
July 17, 2020 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.
