Office Reopening
On July 6, Trying Together will reopen its physical office spaces to the public by appointment at the following location:
ELRC Region 5
Out of an abundance of caution with the rising COVID-19 cases in Allegheny County, ELRC Region 5 and its satellite offices will remain closed to the public for in-person services. Staff will continue to provide high-quality customer service via phone and video conferencing. Additional details about resuming in-person operations will be announced on Monday, August 3.
Operations During COVID-19
Staff will be required to follow guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including wearing a mask while walking through or working in communal spaces, socially distancing themselves from others by at least six feet at all times, sanitizing their workspaces regularly, and maintaining proper handwashing and sanitizing. Locations and departments may have limited in-office staff as some employees continue to telework.
Trying Together staff are still accessible via phone or email as they continue to work remotely. After July 6, appointments are required for families and professionals interested in accessing services and support at Trying Together’s physical locations. In-person operations will continue to be dependent on recommendations provided by Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Trying Together will continue to monitor these recommendations as well as the reopening status of Allegheny County. For questions about our operations, please email info@tryingtogether.org.
More Information
For more information about COVID-19 and prevention tips, visit our COVID-19 page. For questions related to COVID-19, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website or call 1.877.PA.HEALTH (1.877.724.3258). See the ELRC Region 5 news post for essential updates for early educators and families in Allegheny County in response to COVID-19.
Are you interested in learning about options for developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child as they transition from preschool early intervention (EI) to elementary school? Join the PEAL Center on July 1 for their webinar, “Transitioning Your Child From Preschool Early Intervention to Elementary School.”
About
In this webinar, participants will learn about:
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- the importance of informed decision making in determining educational placement,
- options for developing an IEP as a child transitions,
- the impact of adult perspectives on children’s opportunities, and
- a Student Snapshot tool families can use in preparing for the transition.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
Since the City of Pittsburgh’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launch in February 2019, the program has grown to include over 3,200 local children and recently sent its 30,000th book. Thanks to funding received from the Hillman Family Foundation and McCauley Ministries, the program will continue to sustain and grow services in Pittsburgh.
About the Program
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a free program for any child who lives in the City of Pittsburgh age zero to five to receive one book a month in the mail until their fifth birthday. When they turn five, they will have their own library of up to 60 books.
The City of Pittsburgh’s program is affiliated with the national initiative started by music legend Dolly Parton. Participating children will begin receiving books through the U.S. Postal Services approximately eight weeks after the registration form has been received.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the program, preschoolers must:
- be a resident of the City of Pittsburgh,
- have a parent or guardian fill out an official registration form, and
- notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes.
Registration
To sign up for this program, register your child(ren) online via the Imagination Library website!
Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details.
More Information
For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux at tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov or 412.255.2505. To view the booklist, visit the Imagination Library website.
Choosing high-quality child care is a complex process, and to many it may feel overwhelming right now. Join the Center for Women Pittsburgh, Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5, and Trying Together on June 28 for their virtual workshop “Choosing Child Care.”
About
Through this virtual workshop, participants will:
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- learn about the CDC guidelines that early learning professionals are incorporating into their programs;
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- hear questions they can use to ask providers about sanitation and physical distancing;
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- see a live demonstration a new search tool for child care in Allegheny County;
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- get tips on the application process, as well as what you need to apply for assistance; and
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- know how they can help advocate for needed changes to the child care system.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
Are you interested in learning about child care, after-school, out-of-school, and summer programs in Allegheny County? Visit the Allegheny Child Care website to search for available child care spots at programs near you!
What is Allegheny Child Care?
Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. Through this online tool, parents and caregivers can search for available child care spots at all Allegheny County early learning programs, including after-school, out-of-school, and summer camps. To search for a program near you, visit the Allegheny Child Care website!
Information for Early Learning Professionals
If your organization provides child care, after-school, out-of-school, and/or summer programming, update your listing as soon as possible on the Allegheny Child Care website. By updating your information, the Allegheny Child Care tool will assist you in promoting and marketing your program(s) to families. In turn, this will allow your program to expedite the process of getting children enrolled, thus making an often stressful task less burdensome for families.
For questions or concerns, please read the FAQ guide or email info@alleghenychildcare.org.
Additional Resources
Trying Together developed the following resources to assist families in identifying high-quality early learning programs, as well as what questions to ask to better understand their program’s COVID-19 procedures.
For additional support in finding child care and/or funding your child care needs, visit the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 website or call 412.350.3577.
More Information
The Allegheny Child Care initiative is managed by Trying Together in partnership with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, and Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST, an initiative of the United Way of Southwestern PA); with additional support from the City of Pittsburgh; and was developed in collaboration with Child Care Aware of America, The Heinz Endowments, and technology partners Bowtie, BrightHive, and BridgeCare.
To learn more and search for programs near you, visit the Allegheny Child Care website.
Are you interested in learning how to build a father-friendly program? Join the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) on June 16 for their webinar, “Fostering Fathers’ Leadership Skills.”
About
In this webinar, participants will explore tools, resources, and ideas they can use to build a father-friendly program. Register to learn how to create an environment that actively encourages fathers to engage with their child’s learning and development. Participants will also review examples of program efforts that help fathers continue to build their voices as leaders in early childhood programs and their communities.
This webinar is best suited for Head Start and Early Head Start directors, managers, family services staff, and parent leaders; T/TA providers; and early childhood leaders who support children and their families. Participants will receive a certificate of participation upon completion of the webinar.
Featured Topics
Topics for the webinar include:
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- exploring the importance of developing a program environment that promotes fathers’ leadership;
- preparing staff to successfully integrate father engagement into their programs; and
- sharing tips from programs that engage fathers as leaders and advocates in their work.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
More Information
For questions, contact NCECHW at pfcewebinars@ecetta.info or 855.208.0909.
Photo Credit
Photography by Emily O’Donnell.
Are you interested in exploring movement as the foundation of learning? Join the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness (NCECHW) on June 23 for their webinar, “Tummy Time: Infant/Toddler Movement as a Foundation for Learning.”
About
Infants enter the world prewired and primed to move. In this session, participants will learn about the impact tummy time has on brain and muscle development and its influence on developmental milestone progression. Additionally, participants will learn their role in how to create an environment that stimulates, promotes, and supports motor development.
This webinar is best suited for early childhood education teachers and administrators; family child care providers; infant/toddler coaches, consultants, and specialists; Child Care Resource and Referral leadership and staff; parents; and guardians.
Featured Topics
Topics include the following:
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- gross motor development,
- tummy time best practices,
- creating an environment that supports an active child, and
- the caregiver/parent’s role in tummy time.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
More Information
For questions, contact NCECHW at health@ecetta.info or 888.227.5125.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, early learning programs across Pennsylvania are adding new operating procedures (as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) to maintain the health and safety of their staff and the families they serve. To help parents and caregivers better understand these changes, Trying Together developed a Family Checklist that features questions families can ask their early learning providers.
Access the Checklist
The Family Checklist features fifteen questions caregivers can ask, including questions on how programs plan to communicate with families, meet the developmental needs of children, implement health screenings, and more. To see the full list of questions, view the Family Checklist: Questions for Your Early Learning Provider During COVID-19. [En Español]
Additional Resources
In addition to the Family Checklist, Trying Together developed the following news posts to answer common questions and highlight resources for families, caregivers, and early learning professionals:
More Information
For more information about COVID-19 and to view current case counts in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. To view current guidance for child care programs that remain open, please visit the CDC website.
Are you interested in learning how children will be impacted by the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic? Join First Up this June and July for their virtual series, “Parenting in a Pandemic: Help in a Time of Need.”
About
Join First Up for Parenting in a Pandemic: Help in a Time of Need, a three-part series of one-hour informative webinars, where they will answer common questions parents and caregivers have about their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each session, presented by professionals with early childhood expertise and certificates in trauma-informed practices, will:
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- introduce the concepts of how brains develop and the impact that current events;
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- might have on children from birth through age eight;
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- introduce new ways to think about self-care; and
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- offer strategies for supporting children’s mental well-being.
Participants will be entered in a drawing for special giveaways!
Session Dates
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
More Infomation
For questions, please contact Jillian Best Adler at jillian.adler@firstup.org.
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Are you interested in learning how to plan virtual home visits and socialization activities with families? Join the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL) on June 10 for their webinar, “Planning Virtual Home Visits and Socialization Activities with Families.”
About
In this webinar, participants will learn how to plan and individualize virtual home visits and socialization activities with families. Presenters will explore effective virtual engagement practices and review available resources to assist participants’ continued work with families. Both
This webinar is best suited for program directors; education managers; home visitors and their supervisors; teachers who are engaging virtually with children and families; and regional T/TA staff who support home visiting programs and home-based program staff. English and Spanish captioning will be available.
Featured Topics
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- Planning a developmentally appropriate virtual home visit as well as socialization activities with families.
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- Exploring tools to increase family engagement in home visits and socialization from a distance.
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- Reviewing resources to support home visitors and their work with families.
Registration
To register and learn more, visit the Home Visiting Webinar Series webpage.
