February 2, 2021 Family Engagement Toolkit Now Available When adults come together to support children, profound changes can happen. To reinforce parents, caregivers, and early learning professionals in their work to create strong partnerships, Trying Together created the Family Engagement Toolkit. About When early learning programs implement family engagement practices, they invite parents, caregivers, and other important adults to learn the best ways to connect, build trust, and join in true partnership for the wellbeing of their child. In fact, research shows that active family engagement leads to better outcomes for children and builds stronger learning communities. In an effort to support caregivers in bolstering their family engagement practice, Trying Together created the Family Engagement Toolkit, an online toolkit of printable resources that enable families and early childhood educators to: access strategies that strengthen the relationships that nourish a child’s growth and sense of belonging, find ideas and resources to enrich relationships in their learning community, learn ways to increase equity and access for all involved, and take the opportunity to reflect on the family engagement practices in their home or program. The Toolkit is best suited for families and child care providers of children ages birth to nine years old. The Toolkit provides information and resources on family engagement practices in a variety of settings, including: child care centers, family child care homes, group child care homes, and relative provider locations. For more information, visit our About the Family Engagement Toolkit page. Featured Resources Trying Together’s Family Engagement Toolkit includes resources for families and child care providers. Continue reading below to view some of our featured resources. Resources for Families Each family brings its own unique talents, customs, and vibrancies to their child’s child care program. Because of this, it is essential that each family offers its own knowledge, lived experiences, and partnership to best support their child. To assist in this process, Trying Together developed the following resources: Create an Engagement Plan for your family. Fill out this questionnaire to help your provider learn more about your family. Learn about your rights as a parent or caregiver. Access a curated list of family resources on topics such as Choosing a Child Care Provider, Preparing for Transition, Anti-Racism Tools, Child Behavioral and Mental Health Support, Child Development Milestones, English as a Second Language Support, Food Assistance, and more. Resources for Providers Family engagement is a process in which educators and families build intentional, authentic relationships toward the shared goal of supporting a child’s healthy growth and development. To assist providers in achieving this goal, Trying Together developed the following resources: Download the Family Engagement Toolkit to access family engagement ideas and resources. Use this questionnaire to get to know more about the families you serve. “My Day” documents can help communicate about the child’s day (infant and toddlers) (pre-k). Create a Family Engagement Plan. Create a Provider Family Engagement Plan. Create a Relative Provider Family Engagement Plan. Access a curated list of provider resources on topics such as Creating a Family EngagementPlan, Making the First Connection, Strengthening Existing Connections, Supporting Transition, Professional Development, and more. More Information Support, inspiration, and insight for the Family Engagement Toolkit were drawn from several sources, including Jefferson Regional Foundation. To view the full Toolkit, visit our Family Engagement Toolkit page. For assistance with creating a family engagement plan, contact Trying Together at 412.421.3889 or info@tryingtogether.org.
January 28, 2021 Raising Readers Together Club: Virtual Sessions About Families and community partners come together weekly for an hour of fun and relaxing conversation about the power of early reading experiences for young children. Families experience conversations, interactive storytelling, and shared reading opportunities with their children. Due to COVID-19, the Raising Readers Together Club is being held virtually via Zoom. Wednesday sessions are suitable for tweens and teens. Thursday sessions are suitable for children ages five years old and under. To register, please submit the online registration form. Featured Books Wednesday Sessions: Tweens and Teens January 13 – February 3: “Twins” by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright February 10 – March 3: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier Thursday Sessions: Ages Five and Under January 14: “Another” by Christian Robinson January 21: “Be You” by Peter H. Reynolds January 28: “Scribble Stones” by Diane Alber February 4: “The Princess and the Pea” by Rachel Isadora February 11: “An African Alphabet” by Eric Walters February 18: “Regina’s Big Mistake” by Marissa Moss February 25: “In My Heart” by Mackenzie Porter March 4: “ABC of African American Poetry” by Ashley Bryant More Information For questions or to register, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
January 27, 2021 Raising Readers Together Club: Virtual Sessions About Families and community partners come together weekly for an hour of fun and relaxing conversation about the power of early reading experiences for young children. Families experience conversations, interactive storytelling, and shared reading opportunities with their children. Due to COVID-19, the Raising Readers Together Club is being held virtually via Zoom. Wednesday sessions are suitable for tweens and teens. Thursday sessions are suitable for children ages five years old and under. To register, please submit the online registration form. Featured Books Wednesday Sessions: Tweens and Teens January 13 – February 3: “Twins” by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright February 10 – March 3: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier Thursday Sessions: Ages Five and Under January 14: “Another” by Christian Robinson January 21: “Be You” by Peter H. Reynolds January 28: “Scribble Stones” by Diane Alber February 4: “The Princess and the Pea” by Rachel Isadora February 11: “An African Alphabet” by Eric Walters February 18: “Regina’s Big Mistake” by Marissa Moss February 25: “In My Heart” by Mackenzie Porter March 4: “ABC of African American Poetry” by Ashley Bryant More Information For questions or to register, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
January 21, 2021 Raising Readers Together Club: Virtual Sessions About Families and community partners come together weekly for an hour of fun and relaxing conversation about the power of early reading experiences for young children. Families experience conversations, interactive storytelling, and shared reading opportunities with their children. Due to COVID-19, the Raising Readers Together Club is being held virtually via Zoom. Wednesday sessions are suitable for tweens and teens. Thursday sessions are suitable for children ages five years old and under. To register, please submit the online registration form. Featured Books Wednesday Sessions: Tweens and Teens January 13 – February 3: “Twins” by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright February 10 – March 3: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier Thursday Sessions: Ages Five and Under January 14: “Another” by Christian Robinson January 21: “Be You” by Peter H. Reynolds January 28: “Scribble Stones” by Diane Alber February 4: “The Princess and the Pea” by Rachel Isadora February 11: “An African Alphabet” by Eric Walters February 18: “Regina’s Big Mistake” by Marissa Moss February 25: “In My Heart” by Mackenzie Porter March 4: “ABC of African American Poetry” by Ashley Bryant More Information For questions or to register, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
January 20, 2021 Raising Readers Together Club: Virtual Sessions About Families and community partners come together weekly for an hour of fun and relaxing conversation about the power of early reading experiences for young children. Families experience conversations, interactive storytelling, and shared reading opportunities with their children. Due to COVID-19, the Raising Readers Together Club is being held virtually via Zoom. Wednesday sessions are suitable for tweens and teens. Thursday sessions are suitable for children ages five years old and under. To register, please submit the online registration form. Featured Books Wednesday Sessions: Tweens and Teens January 13 – February 3: “Twins” by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright February 10 – March 3: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier Thursday Sessions: Ages Five and Under January 14: “Another” by Christian Robinson January 21: “Be You” by Peter H. Reynolds January 28: “Scribble Stones” by Diane Alber February 4: “The Princess and the Pea” by Rachel Isadora February 11: “An African Alphabet” by Eric Walters February 18: “Regina’s Big Mistake” by Marissa Moss February 25: “In My Heart” by Mackenzie Porter March 4: “ABC of African American Poetry” by Ashley Bryant More Information For questions or to register, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
January 14, 2021 Raising Readers Together Club: Virtual Sessions About Families and community partners come together weekly for an hour of fun and relaxing conversation about the power of early reading experiences for young children. Families experience conversations, interactive storytelling, and shared reading opportunities with their children. Due to COVID-19, the Raising Readers Together Club is being held virtually via Zoom. Wednesday sessions are suitable for tweens and teens. Thursday sessions are suitable for children ages five years old and under. To register, please submit the online registration form. Featured Books Wednesday Sessions: Tweens and Teens January 13 – February 3: “Twins” by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright February 10 – March 3: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier Thursday Sessions: Ages Five and Under January 14: “Another” by Christian Robinson January 21: “Be You” by Peter H. Reynolds January 28: “Scribble Stones” by Diane Alber February 4: “The Princess and the Pea” by Rachel Isadora February 11: “An African Alphabet” by Eric Walters February 18: “Regina’s Big Mistake” by Marissa Moss February 25: “In My Heart” by Mackenzie Porter March 4: “ABC of African American Poetry” by Ashley Bryant More Information For questions or to register, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
January 13, 2021 Raising Readers Together Club: Virtual Sessions About Families and community partners come together weekly for an hour of fun and relaxing conversation about the power of early reading experiences for young children. Families experience conversations, interactive storytelling, and shared reading opportunities with their children. Due to COVID-19, the Raising Readers Together Club is being held virtually via Zoom. Wednesday sessions are suitable for tweens and teens. Thursday sessions are suitable for children ages five years old and under. To register, please submit the online registration form. Featured Books Wednesday Sessions: Tweens and Teens January 13 – February 3: “Twins” by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright February 10 – March 3: “Guts” by Raina Telgemeier Thursday Sessions: Ages Five and Under January 14: “Another” by Christian Robinson January 21: “Be You” by Peter H. Reynolds January 28: “Scribble Stones” by Diane Alber February 4: “The Princess and the Pea” by Rachel Isadora February 11: “An African Alphabet” by Eric Walters February 18: “Regina’s Big Mistake” by Marissa Moss February 25: “In My Heart” by Mackenzie Porter March 4: “ABC of African American Poetry” by Ashley Bryant More Information For questions or to register, contact Cynthia Battle at 412.567.1304 or cynthia@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
December 17, 2020 Virtual Service Delivery Webinar Series Are you interested in learning how to build and sustain relationships with families virtually? Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for their free Virtual Service Delivery Webinar Series. About Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for a series of free webinars and an online learning community to explore the challenges and opportunities posed by virtual service delivery, and learn about strategies providers have found for building and sustaining strong relationships with families virtually. Featured Topics Finding the Balance in Virtual Service Delivery Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Using a Hybrid Approach to Partner with Families Thursday, November 5, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Providing Staff Support and Supervision Virtually Thursday, November 19, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Understanding and Responding to Trauma in Virtual Service Delivery Thursday, December 3, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Taking Care of Yourself as a Virtual Service Provider Thursday, December 17, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan for Pennsylvania On December 11, 2020, the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force and Pennsylvania Department of Health released a COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan for Pennsylvania (PDF). The goal of the interim COVID-19 vaccination plan is to provide a transparent strategy to vaccinate all Pennsylvanians who want to be vaccinated so that Pennsylvanians can return to everyday activities as quickly and safely as possible. At this time, early childhood education professionals including teachers, school staff working directly with students, child care employees, and early intervention staff fall under the 1B category (page 14), defined as essential business personnel who cannot work remotely or maintain social distancing. A variety of factors influence the distribution of vaccinations, including vaccine supply levels, number of critical personnel requiring the vaccine, and vaccine storage requirements. The vaccine supply is projected to increase quickly over the proceeding months, allowing vaccination efforts to be expanded to additional critical populations and the general public. It is important to note that recommendations on the various population groups to receive initial doses of the vaccine could change after the vaccine is available, depending on each vaccine’s characteristics, vaccine supply, disease epidemiology, and local community factors. The Pennsylvania Department of Health will follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) ACIP recommendations in identifying populations of focus. More Resources for COVID-19 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. COVID-19 Resources for Families and Caregivers COVID-19 Resources for Early Care and Education Professionals For more information about COVID-19, visit the Allegheny County Health Department, World Health Organization (WHO), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.
December 3, 2020 Virtual Service Delivery Webinar Series Are you interested in learning how to build and sustain relationships with families virtually? Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for their free Virtual Service Delivery Webinar Series. About Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center for a series of free webinars and an online learning community to explore the challenges and opportunities posed by virtual service delivery, and learn about strategies providers have found for building and sustaining strong relationships with families virtually. Featured Topics Finding the Balance in Virtual Service Delivery Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Using a Hybrid Approach to Partner with Families Thursday, November 5, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Providing Staff Support and Supervision Virtually Thursday, November 19, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Understanding and Responding to Trauma in Virtual Service Delivery Thursday, December 3, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Taking Care of Yourself as a Virtual Service Provider Thursday, December 17, 2020 | 2:00 p.m. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
