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.
July 1, 2020 Keystone STARS 2020 Program Survey The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites all certified child care facilities to complete the Keystone STARS 2020 Program Survey. About the Survey This anonymous survey will help OCDEL to better understand how program leadership in Keystone STARS programs have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Your participation in the survey can inform how OCDEL provides support to the field moving forward. July 10, 2020 is the deadline for submitting surveys. More Information The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning supports families and their children, from prenatal through school age, by using data, research and stakeholder guidance to assure high quality services. You can learn more about OCDEL by visiting their website.
April 6, 2020 COVID-19 Impact on Child Care Survey Now Available Many states, including Pennsylvania, have ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their physical spaces as a mitigation effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). While lists of impacted businesses often include gyms, movie theaters, and clothing stores, they also often include a critical service that impacts families and caregivers across the nation: child care. To better understand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on families and caregivers, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has launched a detailed survey and is seeking submissions from the public. About On March 12, 2020, NAEYC launched a survey asking child care programs to share the challenges they were expecting to face and to comment on what they needed to protect children, families, and our nation’s supply of child care programs. NAEYC received responses from 11,500 educators in family child care and center-based programs across the country, which has helped shape federal and state responses to the pandemic. Now, several weeks into the pandemic, as many states take action and a federal stimulus bill has passed, NAEYC is launching a more detailed survey with the intention to help organizations and policymakers understand the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the solutions that have been put forth thus far. Complete the COVID-19 Impact on Child Care Survey This survey is for everyone, including center-based programs, family child care programs, and others. However, not all questions may apply to your specific situation. Please complete the survey and fill out applicable questions to help NAEYC gather a range of perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on child care. To participate, please visit the survey page. More Information For questions, please contact NAEYC at info@naeyc.org or 800.424.2460. For more information on COVID-19, please visit our COVID-19 Resources page here.
March 20, 2020 Literacy in a Time of Rapid Change: Strategies & Resources for Virtual Learning Join literacy experts, authors, and experienced virtual educators, Dr. Troy Hicks and Shaelynn Farnsworth, for the webinar, “Literacy in a Time of Rapid Change: Strategies and Resources for Virtual Learning,” as they discuss resources and strategies to best support remote teaching and learning. About In this webinar, presenters will explore ways to virtually teach and engage students in literacy learning by sharing curricular content, edtech tools, resources, communities, and tips to get participants thinking critically and creatively in this time of crisis. As educators are working to meet the needs of all students virtually, it is important to also be mindful of issues related to equity, accessibility, and student populations with special needs. This webinar will be of interest to kindergarten through higher education teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, curriculum and instruction, TOSAs and coaches, assistant superintendents, and tech directors. There will be time to have your questions answered at the end of the presentation. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.