April 20, 2023 American Red Cross First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and AED Training Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 are partnering to provide First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and automated external defibrillator (AED) training. This single course is available in multiple sessions. It emphasizes hands-on learning and provides life-saving skills in alliance with The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs. Certification will be issued upon successful completion of the course. This certification is valid for 2 years. Session Details June 3 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Instructors: Loni Gooden Theresa Hetler Allison Hritz Location: Trying Together, Training Room 5604 Solway Street Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Registration: Register Registration closes June 1 at 11:55 p.m. July 20 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Instructors: Jillian Miller Bliss Letang Nicole Banner Holly Cessna Location: The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Registration: Register Registration closes July 18 at 11:55 pm. August 8 | 3:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Instructors: Allison Hritz Bliss Letang Nicole Banner Location: Trying Together, Training Room 5604 Solway Street Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Registration: Register Registration closes August 4 at 11:55 p.m. August 26 | 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Instructors: Loni Gooden Jillian Miller Theresa Hetler Location: Western Allegheny Community Library 181 Bateman Road Oakdale, PA 15071 Registration: Register Registration closes August 24 at 11:55 p.m. Learn More The cost for this course is $36. This course is PQAS certified and must be paid for in full before registrants can participate. Registered individuals will receive additional course information prior to the start of the course. Please make sure to read all information before the start of the course. For questions about the sessions, contact Holly Cessna at holly.cessna@alleghenycounty.us. For credit questions, contact Paige Kizior at paige@tryingtogether.org.
ELRC Region 5 Shares Resources and Information on Facebook Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 makes resources and information available on social media. With an active presence on Facebook, ELRC Region 5 provides families, early learning service providers, and communities support for their child care needs in real time. Learn More Social media managers post to the ELRC Region 5 Facebook page at least once a day, providing the most up-to-date early childhood news, professional development opportunities, family events, ELRC Region 5 office hours, Child Care Works (CCW) information, family assistance opportunities, and more. Facebook users interested in receiving daily information from ELRC Region 5 should like or follow the ELRC Region 5 page. For additional resources and information from ELRC Region 5, subscribe to the monthly ELRC Region 5 Family Newsletter, or weekly ELRC Region 5 Providers Newsletter.
April 4, 2023 Diaper Bank at ELRC Region 5 The ELRC Region 5’s main office in downtown Pittsburgh is now a Diaper Bank location in Allegheny County. Learn More Emergency diapers and wipes are available at the ELRC Region 5. Families can receive up to 50 diapers and two packs of wipes per month. Opened diapers and wipes may not be returned or exchanged. The office is located at: 304 Wood Street, Suite 400 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Call 412.350.3577 for more information.
May 25, 2022 ELRC Region 5 Offering Pediatric First Aid and CPR Trainings The Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 is offering several Pediatric CPR and Pediatric First Aid training sessions in May and June 2022 to assist Allegheny County child care providers with recent changes to training requirements. Training Requirements Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR is a required health and safety training topic that must be completed before a child care staff can care for children unsupervised. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Bureau of Certification Announcement C 22-01 requires staff to complete professional development in Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR within 90 days of hire and renew their certification in Pediatric First Aid and CPR on/or before the expiration of the most current. In addition, effective April 29, 2022, the Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR training must be conducted by an approved Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Instructor using an OCDEL-recognized curriculum. Details are available on Appendix A – Health and Safety Training Certification Requirements: FAQs and OCDEL Guidance Chart. Session Details ELRC Region 5 will offer trainings with approved PQAS Instructors and OCDEL-recognized curriculums at no cost to educators who meet the following requirements: Currently working in a DHS Regulated Child Care setting in Allegheny County. Have a valid CPR/First Aid Certificate from a training that was not conducted by a PQAS certified instructor and/or the curriculum used was not OCDEL approved. Are not considered new hires. A list of available sessions is on the ELRC Region 5 website and will be updated regularly.
February 1, 2022 Communities of Practice: Available Behavior and Mental Health Resources ELRC Region 5 offers Communities of Practice (COP) for early learning professionals to discuss topics of interest, current trends in the field, and offer insight and inspiration to one another. In March, ELRC Region 5 will provide information about several of the behavior and mental health resources available to support their programs. We will briefly discuss with participants the importance of behavior, emotional, and mental health support for our youngest children to thrive as well as their ideas to help a scenario classroom. Representatives from the Rapid Response Team, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), the Alliance for Infants and Toddlers, and DART will share information about their programs with the participants in breakout rooms. Participants will have the opportunity to rotate through the breakout rooms to ask specific questions and learn about each organization. Registration is required for this session. 1.5 PQAS credit hours will be available. To receive credit, participants must complete the PD Registry Credit Request Form (in addition to the registration form). Registration Thursday, 03/17/22 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Registration For questions, please contact Holly Cessna at holly.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412-812-1544. If you have any questions about receiving credit, please contact Allison Hritz at allison@tryingtogether.org.
Ask the Coaches (Behavior Supports – The Rapid Response Team) Join ELRC Region 5 on March 3 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for their online discussion, “ELRC Region 5: Ask the Coaches (Behavior Supports – The Rapid Response Team).” Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Quality Coaches will host two discussions for Allegheny County early learning program and child care owners, directors, and administrative staff to learn about a new provider/family/child support program – the Rapid Response Team. The director of the team will be a guest speaker to describe the program, the process of referral, and support that can be provided. Coaches will discuss the importance of behavior, emotional, and mental health support for our youngest children to thrive. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about available resources, ask questions, and network with fellow peers. Registration is required. One PQAS credit hour will be available. Registration March 3, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. March 3, 2021 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. To receive credit, participants must complete the PD Registry Credit Request Form (in addition to the registration form). If you have any questions, please contact Holly Cessna at holly.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412-812-1544. Questions about receiving credit should be directed to Allison Hritz at allison@tryingtogether.org.
December 8, 2021 ELRC Region 5: Ask the Coaches (Program Observation Instruments and the Self-Assessment) Join ELRC Region 5 on January 6 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for their online discussion, “ELRC Region 5: Ask the Coaches (Program Observation Instruments and the Self-Assessment).” Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Quality Coaches will host two discussions on January 6 for Allegheny County early learning program and child care owners, directors, and administrative staff to learn about different types of program assessments. Coaches will describe the importance of self-assessing programs with approved program observation instruments and how to score and best use these types of assessments. Participants will have the opportunity to connect and network with fellow colleagues and peers. Registration is required. One PQAS credit hour will be available. Registration January 6, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. January 6, 2021 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. To receive credit, participants must complete the PD Registry Credit Request Form (in addition to the registration form). If you have any questions, please contact Holly Cessna at holly.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412-812-1544. Questions about receiving credit should be directed to Allison Hritz at allison@tryingtogether.org.
November 18, 2021 Ask the Coaches: Early Childhood Interactions Want to learn more about early childhood interactions in and out of the classroom? Join ELRC Region 5 on December 2 for their Ask the Coaches discussions. Ask the Coaches ELRC Region 5 Quality Coaches will host two discussions on December 2 for Allegheny County early learning program and child care owners, directors, and administrative staff to engage in conversation on how to support the various types of interactions that take place in early childhood settings. Attendees will have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in the field on their experiences with interactions in their programs between children, educators, and families. Registration is required. One PQAS credit hour will be available. Registration STEP 1: Register To register, complete one of the online registration forms below by November 3 at 11:55 p.m. Please have your PD Registry Number available (if any). December 2, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. December 2, 2021 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. STEP 2: Request Credit To receive one hour of PQAS credit, you must also complete a PD Registry Credit Request Form. December 2, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. December 2, 2021 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Course Details Date: Thursday, December 2, 2021 | 2 – 3 p.m or 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Topic: Onsite Designation Visits and Paperwork Renewals Instructors: Elizabeth Foreman, Andrea Gardner, and Katie Streiff Core Knowledge Area: Family, Schools, Community Collaborations, and Partnerships More Information For questions about the session or credit, contact Allison Hritz at allison@tryingtogether.org. To view more events, check out our Events Calendar.
January 27, 2021 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 Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 for their virtual Community of Practice sessions! About Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 offers Communities of Practice (COP) for early learning professionals to discuss topics of interest, current trends in the field, and offer insight and inspiration to one another. In February, the COP virtual sessions will give providers the opportunity to discuss their health and safety successes, needs, and questions. Participants will be given the most current health and safety updates, information, resources, and professional development opportunities. Available Sessions Saturday, February 13, 2021 | Health and Safety 10 a.m. | Zoom Meetings | Attend the Session Thursday, February 18, 2021 | Health and Safety 10 a.m. | Zoom Meetings | Attend the Session 1 p.m. | Zoom Meetings | Attend the Session More Information For questions, contact elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3577. Share this flyer with your network.
January 13, 2021 Q&A: Child Care COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Award ELRC Region 5 will host Q&A sessions to help child care providers through the Child Care COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Award application process. Sessions will be held at various times from January 13 to January 22, 2021. About Child care providers can now apply for a $600 Pandemic Relief Award on behalf of their eligible child care employees and child care support employees currently working directly with children as of January 1, 2021, and working a minimum of 20 paid hours a week. Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 will host Q&A sessions to help providers through the application process. To learn more about the Child Care COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Award, read our news post. Session Dates Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83501876140 Thursday, January 14, 2021 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85892778291 Thursday, January 14, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85395777828 Friday, January 15, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85633658557 Saturday, January 16, 2021 | 10 – 11 a.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81099626792 Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Stay on the Virtual Director Roundtable Call Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 3 – 4 p.m. Stay on the Virtual Director Roundtable Call Wednesday, January 20, 2021 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84668436877 Thursday, January 21, 2021 | 6 – 7 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88072361423 Friday, January 22, 2021 | 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81460465998 More Information For questions, contact ELRC Region 5 at 1.888.340.3572 or elrc5@alleghenycounty.us. Share this flyer with your network.
