November 20, 2020 Stay-At-Home Advisory in Allegheny County On November 18, the Allegheny County Health Department issued a stay-at-home and stop social gatherings advisory to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19. If left unchecked, the spread of COVID-19 poses a risk to communities and healthcare systems in Allegheny County. About Beginning immediately, Allegheny County residents are asked to stay at home and stop social gatherings to stem the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the county. Residents are advised to only leave home to go to work or school, for essential needs such as seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, getting food, or the like. Residents must always wear a face mask and practice physical distancing by staying at least six feet away from others in accordance with the November 17 state masking order. Additionally, residents are strongly encouraged to: not have guests in their homes unless they are essential workers (e.g., home healthcare providers, child care workers, or educators), cancel traditional Thanksgiving celebrations and celebrate virtually with non-household members, avoid unnecessary travel, and limit social event gatherings. This advisory will remain in place for 30 days or until such time as the Health Director determines a change to the guidance is appropriate. All restrictions put in place by the Commonwealth and the Pennsylvania Department of Health remain in effect. More Information To view the full list of recommendations, please read the full advisory.
November 19, 2020 ELRC Region 5 Office to Close November 23 Due to rising COVID-19 cases and the stay-at-home advisory in Allegheny County, the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 downtown office on Wood Street will be closed to the public beginning Monday, November 23. About On November 18, a stay-at-home and stop social gatherings public health advisory was issued by the Allegheny County Health Department. Due to this advisory and the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Allegheny County, ELRC Region 5 will close its downtown office to the public. The downtown and satellite offices will remain closed through December 31, 2020. ELRC Region 5 staff will continue to provide high-quality customer service via phone and video conferencing. More Information For more information, read this news post from ELRC Region 5.
November 17, 2020 Provide Your Feedback: Subsidized Child Care Eligibility The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) are accepting public comments through December 14, 2020 for proposed changes to the current subsidized child care eligibility regulations. About Proposed changes to the subsidized child care eligibility regulations at 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3041 might impact families, children, and early childhood education providers. The proposed changes include, but are not limited to, the following: expanded eligibility period of 12 months; expanded eligibility to cover hours the parent or caretaker requires sleep following completion of overnight work shift; no changes to the amounts of subsidy and co-payment for the duration of the eligibility period, unless to the family’s benefit; abolished the requirement for the parent or caretaker to pay an advanced co-pay prior to enrollment; children who turn 13 during the eligibility period will continue to receive the subsidy until the eligibility period ends; codifying payment practices permitting tiered reimbursement for providers who voluntarily exceed the basic health and safety requirements; codifying payment practices based on enrollment and not attendance, to include increasing the number of permitted absences from 25 to 50 per fiscal year; after five consecutive days absent, the child maintains eligibility, but the enrollment is suspended until the child returns to care; and establishment of waiver provisions and periods of presumptive eligibility for particular populations, including victims of domestic violence and families experiencing homelessness. How To Submit A Comment All public comments must be submitted in writing by December 14, 2020. All comments, suggestions, or objections should reference the regulation number, section, and subsection. Comments can be submitted using the following methods: email your comments to RA-ocdsubchildcare@pa.gov; fax your comments to 717.214.6575; or mail your comments to:Michael Ordonez Office of Child Development and Early Learning 333 Market Street, 6th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126 If you would like to receive a response, please include your contact information when submitting. More Information For information about the current regulations, visit the Pennsylvania Code website. To view the latest issue, read Volume 50 Number 46. Share this flyer with your network.
September 17, 2020 Allegheny County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Plan In September 2020, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health released a plan and guidance on in-person Early Intervention (EI) services for infants and toddlers in the county. These documents were developed to inform EI program providers and participants of the strategies that will be implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as in-person services resume. About Because in-person Early Intervention services are provided in people’s homes and communities, the successful implementation of in-person services relies heavily on the team effort or EI professionals and participating families to follow the health and safety guidelines detailed in the Allegheny County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Health and Safety Plan for Resuming In-Person Services. Program staff will work with families to offer quality Early Intervention services in the safest manner feasible. In addition to this plan, Allegheny County EI Providers and the EI SC Entity are expected to follow the Allegheny County Guidance for Conducting In-Person Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services which outlines how and when EI in-person service provision will be carried out in Allegheny County during the Red, Yellow, and Green phases of reopening in Pennsylvania. These plans and guidelines were informed by existing best practice guidance from numerous sources, including the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of Governor Tom Wolf, and local Allegheny County government officials. Featured Topics The Allegheny County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Health and Safety Plan for Resuming In-Person Services features information on numerous topics, including the following: required training and education; health screenings and responses; conducting in-person visits; and EI Intervention Therapist and Provider caseload and staffing reviews. More Information For more information, read the full plan and guidance. Early Intervention providers are encouraged to share this document and its content on their websites and social media platforms.
September 14, 2020 Hello Baby: A New Website for Parents in Allegheny County For many new parents, particularly those with limited resources and support, welcoming a child to the family can be both a joy and a challenge. That’s why the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) created Hello Baby, a voluntary program for any Allegheny County family with a newborn or young child. What is Hello Baby? Hello Baby is a voluntary program for parents of new babies that is designed to strengthen families; improve children’s outcomes; and maximize child and family well-being, safety, and security. Every new mother in Allegheny County will receive information about Hello Baby and may receive an initial visit from a nurse to talk about the program in more detail. Information will be available at primary birthing hospitals, obstetrician/gynecologist offices, and pediatric practices, and will be mailed to new mothers as a postcard. Hello Baby will reach families with moderate to high levels of need through the existing network of Family Centers. However, any family can request services from a Family Center through the Hello Baby website, 2.1.1 warmline, or texting service. All services are voluntary. Featured Information The Hello Baby website was created for parents to quickly and easily find local resources and information on the following topics: Health and Safety (immunizations, safe sleep, car safety, etc.); Child Care and Development (home visiting, head start, emergency child care, etc.); Family Supports (Family Centers, programs for dads, immigrant services, etc.); and Essentials (food and formula, baby items, housing supports, etc.). To learn more and view the full range of services, visit the Hello Baby website. More Information Hello Baby is a collaborative effort among family-focused organizations in Allegheny County including Allegheny County DHS, Health Department, Healthy Start, Family Centers, NurturePA, and the United Way of Southwestern PA. For more information, visit the DHS website or view answers to frequently asked questions.
September 11, 2020 Keystone Scholars Helps Families Save for Higher Education In 2019, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department started investing $100 for every baby born or adopted in Pennsylvania to be used for the baby’s future higher education expenses through a new program called Keystone Scholars. About the Program To encourage families to plan early for their child’s future education, Keystone Scholars will provide $100 to all babies born or adopted in Pennsylvania on or after January 1, 2019. With Pennsylvanians currently having the highest debt load per person of any state in the nation, Keystone Scholars is meant to help families jumpstart their education savings as soon as possible. Studies show that a child with education savings is three times more likely to enroll in a two- or four-year college and is four times more likely to graduate. The $100 will be invested by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department and will grow through the years right alongside your child. The Keystone Scholars account can be used for qualified expenses when your child pursues education after high school. These expenses include tuition, fees, books, and more at vocational and technical schools, community colleges, two-year colleges, and four-year colleges. Eligibility All children born to or adopted by a Pennsylvania family on or after January 1, 2019. Requirements The child must be a Pennsylvania resident at birth and at the same time that Keystone Scholars funds are used. For babies born in or after 2019, families must create a PA 529 College and Career Savings Program Account in their child’s name before using funds from their Keystone Scholar account. Funds not used by the beneficiary’s 29th birthday will be returned to Pennsylvania’s Treasury Department. Registration To register, visit the Keystone Scholars website. New and expecting parents will be able to register for online access within 3-4 months after the child’s birth using information from your child’s PA state birth certificate. Learn More To learn more about the program, visit the Keystone Scholars website or call 800.440.4000. The following recorded webinars are available as well to answer frequently asked questions. Share this informational PDF with your network.
August 20, 2020 School-Age Child Care Update from OCDEL As local education agencies and private schools in Pennsylvania are finalizing and announcing their plans for the 2020-21 academic school year, OCDEL is becoming increasingly aware that many school districts are implementing hybrid or full remote instruction models for the school year. These announcements have raised questions about how families with children enrolled in Kindergarten and beyond will be supported if they need expanded child care. Continue reading below for answers to common questions. Frequently Asked Questions Can school-age children enroll in child care if their schools have announced moving to part-time or full-time remote instruction? Yes. During the 2020-21 school year, children whose schools have announced various schedule changes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can enroll in child care. If the district has announced that children will not attend school for face-to-face instruction, then working families can enroll children in child care during those days. Will OCDEL revise the school-age blended rate for children attending child care during the portion of the day that has typically been considered “school hours”? For the 2020-21 school year, the calculation of the blended rate will not change. It will still be based on 25 full-time days and 180 part-time days. If a child attends a school district where students will not return to school for in-person, five-day-a-week instruction, a child care provider who accepts the blended rate will receive a part-time blended rate for the days the child attends school in-person and attends child care part-time. The provider may receive a full-time payment rate on the days the child is not scheduled to attend school in-person and attends child care full-time. Paying the part-time blended rate, instead of a part-time rate, will compensate for any days the child was supposed to attend part-time buy may need to attend full-time because of a school’s closure, such as staff in-service days, holidays, professional development, and snow days. If school districts change how school instruction will be administered throughout the school year, related to COVID-19, the child’s schedule will be updated to reflect the school’s current schedule. View the full guidance. Will non-licensed programs be able to serve school-age children? Yes. Enrollment in a licensed child care facility is preferred, however, part-day school-age programs will be available to enroll school-age children during the 2020-21 school year. Enrolled children must be kindergarten age or older. School District Reopening Plans To view school districts’ reopening plans, visit the PA Schools Work website. To learn about the phased reopening of pre-k to 12 schools in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. More Information For more information, view this email from the Pennsylvania Key.
June 19, 2020 Public Discussion: Services for Families in Allegheny County What does your community need? How can the Allegheny County Department of Human Services help meet those needs? You are invited to share your ideas and suggestions at a virtual Human Services Block Grant Public Meeting. All input will inform the 2020-21 Human Services Block Grant Plan. Available Sessions Monday, June 29, 2020 | 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2020 | 4:30 p.m. Join a Session There are three ways to participate in a virtual meeting: To hear the live audio, see the live video, and participate in the Q&A, join on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. You may be instructed to download an app called Microsoft Teams. If prompted to sign in, you may choose whether to do so or join anonymously. To hear the live audio only, call 267.368.7515. The access code for Monday’s meeting is 172 596 105# and the access code for Tuesday’s meeting is 746 312 327#. To watch the recordings at your convenience, visit the Allegheny County website. The recordings will be posted within 24 to 48 hours after the meetings. More Information Allegheny County DHS makes reasonable efforts to accommodate people with disabilities or limited-English-proficiency. Closed captioning in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic will be available when joining the meeting on a PC or Mac. For questions, comments, or ideas, contact DHS-Ideas@AlleghenyCounty.US.
June 2, 2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information As of June 9, 2020 at 12 p.m., the Pennsylvania Department of Health has stated that there are 76,436 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Commonwealth, including 2,027 positive cases in Allegheny County. For a full breakdown of affected counties, visit health.pa.gov. While positive cases have been confirmed, it’s important for community members to remain calm and take precautionary measures to reduce your likelihood of infection. COVID-19 Resources To best support these community members and the young children in their lives, Trying Together has created two resource lists, featuring helpful resources that families and educators can use to maneuver this difficult time. Click the links below for more COVID-19 information. COVID-19 Resources for Families and Caregivers COVID-19 Resources for Early Care and Education Professionals Guidance for Pennsylvanians As of June 5, there are 33 counties in the yellow phase and 34 counties in the green phase of reopening. On Friday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m., 12 counties currently in the yellow phase will be moving into the green phase. For information about work, congregate setting, and social restrictions, please review Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania. Counties in the Green Phase Counties in the green phase of reopening include the following: Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montour, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland. Counties in the Yellow Phase Counties in the yellow phase of reopening include the following: Adams, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Union, Wayne, Wyoming, and York. What is COVID-19? According to the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), “COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus not previously seen in humans.” While this strain of coronavirus is new, coronaviruses are actually a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats, and bats. While it is rare for animal coronaviruses to infect people who are exposed to infected animals, it has happened in the past as seen with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Symptoms As COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, common symptoms of infection include fever, dry cough, tiredness, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. However, WHO states that some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and diarrhea. After being infected with COVID-19, individuals generally display mild symptoms that begin gradually, but some people who become infected may not develop any symptoms at all and may feel healthy. 80 percent of the individuals who become infected recover from the disease without needing special treatment. However, one out of every six people who get COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Elderly individuals, immunocompromised individuals, and individuals with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney diseases, hepatitis B, and cancer are particularly at risk of developing serious illness if infected with COVID-19. Because of this, it’s important to limit possible contamination and reduce the spread of the virus. Currently, there are no vaccines or medications approved to prevent or treat COVID-19 and reported illnesses have ranged from mild to severe cases, including illness resulting in death. However, possible vaccines and drug treatments are currently being investigated through clinical trials. How It Spreads COVID-19 spreads through person-to-person contact (within about six feet) or by touching your mouth, nose, or eyes after coming into contact with surfaces that have been contaminated with respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. WHO states that “studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.” The risk of getting infected by COVID-19 depends on where you are and if there is an outbreak currently happening in that area. Individuals living in or visiting cities or areas that are experiencing an outbreak have a higher risk of becoming infected. There is a higher risk of infection and serious complications for elderly individuals, immunocompromised individuals, and individuals with underlying medical conditions. With this, WHO states that it’s important to “comply with any local restrictions on travel, movement, or large gatherings” and to cooperate with disease control efforts to reduce your risk and potential spread. How to Protect Yourself and Others Currently, the most effective ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to protect both yourself and others against infection are to: avoid touching your face, nose, and mouth; frequently wash your hands, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, especially if you come into contact with commonly used items and frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, handles, faucets, desks, sinks, and tables); if water and soap are not available, sanitize your hands regularly with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol; clean and disinfect commonly used items and frequently touched surfaces such as the items listed above with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants that are appropriate for the surface, following the label directions appropriately; practice social distancing from others, especially avoiding individuals who are exhibiting symptoms, coughing, or sneezing; wear a face mask when shopping at essential businesses, visiting your health care provider, on public transportation, interacting with others at essential business, and when feeling sick, coughing, or sneezing; and comply with any local restrictions and recommendations on travel, movement, or large gatherings. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for more information on how to properly clean and disinfect the areas around you. While this resource is primarily intended for individuals and households with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, hygienic practices can help reduce the spread of the virus. Watch this video for proper handwashing techniques. Resource for At-Risk Individuals The CDC also has a resource highlighting precautions and preparation tips for individuals at risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19, such as elderly individuals, immunosuppressed individuals, and individuals with underlying medical conditions. Visit the CDC website to learn more. What to Do After Infection If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, please stay at home and contact your primary care provider to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19. If you are in Allegheny County, do not have a primary care provider, and are not sure if you need to be tested, please contact the Allegheny Health Department at 412.687.2243. If you need to seek immediate medical care, please call 911 or phone ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency department to ensure staff at these locations have time to prepare for your arrival. If an infection is confirmed, health care professionals will assess whether the infected individual needs to be hospitalized or if they can be cared for at home in mandatory quarantine. If isolated at home, infected individuals will be monitored by staff from their local or state health department. Until a healthcare provider says that you or the infected person can return to their normal activities, the CDC states that infected and potentially infected individuals should follow the following preventive measures: stay at home except to get medical care (do not go to school, work, or public areas and avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxi services); separate yourself from other people and animals in your home as much as possible, if possible; if you must care for others or your pet while sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with them and wear a face mask; call ahead before visiting your doctor, as they need to take steps to prepare to reduce spread and exposure; wear a face mask when you are around other people and animals; and cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, followed immediately by washing your hands with soap and water or sanitizing with an alcohol-based sanitizer. For a full list of COVID-19 resources, preventative measures, and precautions, visit the CDC website. More Information For more information about COVID-19, visit the Allegheny County Health Department, World Health Organization (WHO), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites. *Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and Allegheny County Health Department
May 21, 2020 New Portal Helps Allegheny County Families Find Child Care Caregivers and parents of young children can now search available child care spots at Allegheny County early learning programs in real-time with the Allegheny Child Care tool. Emphasizing Access Child care needs for families are varied, and may change at any time. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a situation where many early learning programs have had to close abruptly or drastically adjust their operations. In turn, this has left many families without continued care and education for their young children. From the COVID-19 crisis, Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. The Partners That Made This Possible The child care initiative will be managed by Trying Together in partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, with additional support from the City of Pittsburgh, and was developed in collaboration also with Child Care Aware of America, the Endowments and technology partners Bowtie, BrightHive, and BridgeCare. More Information The Allegheny Child Care tool may be accessed online. For more information about the launch of Allegheny Child Care, read the full press release. Additional support for finding and/or funding your child care needs can be found at the Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 website or by calling 412.350.3577.
