ELRC Region 5 Archives

News

March 5, 2025

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

Community of Practice for Home-Based Educators

ELRC Region 5 is hosting Communities of Practice for home-based early learning educators to discuss topics of interest, ask questions, and offer insight and inspiration to one another.

Learn More

Meetings occur virtually every other Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The sessions include:

March 25: Certification and Announcements
April 8: Handbooks and Policies
April 22: Health and Safety/Emergency Plans/Fire and Emergency Drills
May 13: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
May 27: Lesson Plans and Daily Schedules
June 10: Outdoor Spaces
June 24: Professional Development Training and Resources
July 8: Keystone STARS – Star 2 Designation
July 22: Keystone STARS – Star 3 and Star 4 Designations/National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Accreditation

Each of the sessions will be held on Zoom. For more information, contact Kathy Wolfe by email at Kathy.elrc@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-224-0416.

News

March 3, 2025

ELRC 5 to Host Free Developmental Screenings for Children

ELRC Region 5 will host two upcoming Ages & Stages Questionnaires developmental screening events for children.

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The screenings are intended for families with children between the ages of two months and 5 years.

The screenings will be held on the following dates:

Friday, April 11 at Hosanna House, located at 807 Wallace Avenue in Pittsburgh
Wednesday, April 16 at 304 Wood Street, Suite 400, in Pittsburgh

Both screenings will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Screenings can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, and results are immediately provided. Staff will be able to make referrals for full evaluations and developmental resources, if necessary.

For more information or to request an appointment, families should email elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or call 412-350-3577.

News

February 12, 2025

Supervision 101

The ELRC Region 5 is offering the following professional development opportunity for your team of early learning educators.

Supervision 101

This live webinar will give a foundational overview of supervision in licensed early childhood programs. This course will focus on the supervision aspects of the DHS Certification Regulations for child care in PA. The participants will be able to define supervision per the regulations. This session will also focus on ratio, scenarios, and the vital importance of supervision in child care.

This is an excellent course for new early childhood professionals or for those who might need a refresher.

This session is eligible for 1 hour of PQAS and Act 48 credit.

Session Details

Thursday, May 15, 2025 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Virtual via Zoom
Cost: $10
Register

Instructors: Holly Cessna

Standards: Health and Safety

Questions?

For questions about the course or credit, contact Amanda Murphy at amanda@tryingtogether.org.

News

July 3, 2024

American Red Cross First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and AED Training

Trying Together and ELRC Region 5 are partnering to provide a hybrid First Aid, Pediatric First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and automated external defibrillator (AED) training to early childhood professionals.

About the Course

This PQAS-certified blended learning course consists of an in-person class and online coursework. The course provides life-saving skills in alliance with The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s Best Practices for Workplace First Aid Training Programs.

The online coursework must be completed prior to the in-person class. Access to the online coursework will be provided via email upon completion of registration. Access to the online coursework will be provided via email upon completion of registration. Allow yourself three to four hours to complete.

We advise completing the online coursework at least 48 hours prior to your in-person course. You will need to provide proof of completion by providing a copy of your completion email either printed or on your mobile device of class in order to participate in the in-person class portion of the training.

Certification will be issued upon successful completion of the course. This certification is valid for two years.

Session Details

Tuesday, July 30 | 5 – 8 p.m.
Location:
Shaler North Hills Library
1822 Mount Royal Boulevard
Glenshaw PA 15116

Learn More

The cost for this course is $38. Registration is now open.

Successful course completion requires full participation in classroom and skill sessions as well as successful performance in skill and knowledge evaluations.

Participants will conduct strenuous activities, such as performing CPR on the floor. If you have a medical condition or disability that will prevent you from taking part in the skills practice sessions, let your instructor know so that accommodations can be made for the practice portion. The CPR and AED evaluations must be completed with the manikin on the ground.

For questions about the sessions, contact Holly Cessna at holly.cessna@alleghenycounty.us.

News

June 11, 2024

OCDEL Names Director of Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has named Luisa Olivo-Wolf as its director of the Bureau of Earning Learning Policy and Professional Development.

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Olivo-Wolf is an executive leader in early childhood education and the nonprofit sector. She has a master’s degree in community leadership from Alvernia University, a bachelor’s degree in social work from Millersville University, and a nonprofit management certificate from Temple University.

Previously, she served as the assistant chief program officer at the Community Progress Council. There, she oversaw early childhood programs, including PA Pre-K Counts, Early Head Start, and Head Start. She helped to ensure quality services for children and families, and fostered holistic professional development and community engagement.

Olivo-Wolf was also previously the director of strategic initiatives, family, and community engagement manager and family advocate at the Community Progress Council. She held director roles at the College Hill Children’s Center and Hildebrandt Learning Centers at Masonic Village and Gap. She also served as the community school director at Washington Elementary School, where she coordinated on-site health, academic, and social service programs for children and families.

Through Keystone STARS, the state’s quality rating improvement system, the bureau develops and implements standards for early learning programs and professionals to improve the quality of early learning for young children.

It also provides financial support and technical assistance for programs and professionals. The bureau is responsible for establishing and maintaining the rules, regulations, and procedures for Child Care Works (CCW), the state Department of Education’s subsidized child care program.

Both programs are managed at the regional level through the grantees known as Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs).

News

June 10, 2024

DHS Renews Early Learning Resource Center’s Contract for Operation

The state’s Department of Human Services has renewed its five-year contract with Allegheny County to operate the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC).

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The ELRC’s renewal comes with $39 million in funding over five years to staff and operate the center. ELRC 5 supports quality child care and administers the publicly-funded child care subsidy.

During the first five years of the grant, DHS administered more than $200 million in child care subsidies. It also provided $120 million in stimulus funding to support Allegheny County’s child care provider network during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ELRCs assist families in locating child care, determine eligibility for the child care subsidy, and provide other resource and referral services in the community. The centers also provide coaching and support to the child care provider network to improve and sustain high quality.

Allegheny County was first awarded the contract for the ELRC Region 5 in 2018, which was the first time that the state opened it up for a bid. The county’s DHS partners with Trying Together and The Alliance for Infants and Toddlers to operate ELRC services.

“Access to quality child care makes such an important impact on both the parent and the enrolled child,” said Becky Czekaj-Dengler, ELRC Region 5’s director. “During our first five years, we saw significant increases in both the percentage of eligible children living in low-income households taking advantage of the child care subsidy as well as the percentage of those same children attending the highest-quality child care settings. We appreciate the opportunity to build on that success.”

Dalton added that DHS recognizes that a lack of affordable child care prevents parents and caregivers from finding and maintaining employment, accessing physical and behavioral health support, finding stable housing, and meeting basic needs. In response, DHS has increased access to crisis child care, hired resource navigators to connect families accessing child care to other resources in the county, and established a rapid response team to support child care providers and families with children at risk of being suspended or expelled from care.

To learn more about Early Learning Resource Center 5, visit the center’s website.

News

April 2, 2024

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 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 two years.

PLEASE NOTE: Successful course completion requires full participation in classroom and skill sessions, as well as successful performance in skill and knowledge evaluations.

Participants will be conducting strenuous activities, such as performing CPR on the floor. If you have a medical condition or disability that will prevent you from taking part in the skills practice sessions, please let your instructor know so that accommodations can be made for the practice portion. The CPR and AED evaluations must be completed with the manikin on the ground.

Session Details

May 16 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location:

Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center
7219 Kelly Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15208

Learn More

The cost for this course is $38.

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.

News

March 20, 2024

Trying Together Receives Rapid Response Team Grant

Trying Together was one of 18 early childhood organizations to receive state mini-grants for $200,000 in November.

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The Pennsylvania Key, on behalf of the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), awarded the Rapid Response Team grants to begin a six-month planning with six months implementation or a one-year grant implementation starting in January. The grant will support an approach that has emerged in several Pennsylvania communities to provide a Rapid Response Team to support a child, family, and educator when a child is at risk of being suspended or expelled.

Trying Together will use the OCDEL grant to expand the services currently provided by the existing Rapid Response Team in Allegheny County. Funding from the grant will be used to hire additional staff to respond within 24 hours of a referral; to provide program- and classroom-wide support such as mentoring and coaching, technical assistance, and professional development; and to increase the number of functional behavior assessments based on the needs of the child.

ELRC Region 5’s Rapid Response Team will continue to refer families and educators to additional services such as Early Intervention and Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH).

Early Learning Connections in Butler received the grant in ELRC Region 3 and Engage Kidz LLC in Murrysville received the grant in ELRC Region 4.

About Rapid Response

Rapid Response Teams enhance the system of support available within the state’s early childhood system. The teams include behavioral health professionals, Early Intervention professionals and ELRC staff.

The program is a piloted, short-term triaging support to enhance the early childhood system of support in each ELRC region in the state, which also include quality coaching, IECMH and School-Age Child Care, focused mental health consultation, Early Intervention services and supports, and home visiting.

To learn more about Rapid Response Team implementation mini-grants, visit the PA Keys website.

News

October 4, 2023

Capturing Moments: Planning For and Conducting Classroom Observations

The ELRC Region 5 is offering a professional development opportunity for your early learning educators.

This session will introduce early education professionals to the importance and value of purposeful observation.

Through whole and small group discussions and activities, attendees will understand what observation is and identify various types of observation used in the classroom. They will also learn how observations can be linked directly to observation-based child assessments, and discuss how to identify their own biases to prevent them from affecting their objective observations.

Session Details

Tuesday, October 24 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Location: Virtual via Zoom

Instructors: Shawna Preston and Elizabeth Foreman

Standards: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment

Cost: $10

Learn More

This session is eligible for 2 hours of PQAS and Act 48 credit.

For questions about the course or credit, contact Paige Kizior at paige@tryingtogether.org.