August 1, 2019 5th Annual Back to School Giveaway Join Pennsylvania State Representative Ed Gainey on Saturday, August 17 at Destiny International Ministry for the 5th Annual Back to School Giveaway! About Pittsburgh students should start the 2019 school year off right! Students in grades K through 5 who stop by on August 17 will receive a backpack and school supplies. In addition, families will enjoy helpful information on state programs for kids, safety information, food, and music. Students must be present to receive a backpack. All are welcome. Questions For questions, contact 412.665.5502. Donate Supplies If you or your business is interested in donating supplies, backpacks, or food, contact Representative Gainey’s office at 412.665.5502. Share this flyer with your network.
July 29, 2019 Early Learning: Young Sprouts Join the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh this August for a series of nature-focused explorations of treasures, art, songs, and stories! Sessions are designed for children 0 – 5 years old, but suitable for all ages. Session Topics Garden Science: Things that Float Garden Science: Life Cycles Garden Science: Things that Fly Garden Science: The Curious Garden More Information To learn more, visit the Facebook event page!
July 28, 2019 Response: Pennsylvania Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget Recently, the state finalized the budget for fiscal year 2019-20, running now through June 30, 2020. About Alongside monumental increased investments for pre-k and home visiting, child care line items expanded, but only due to increases in funds from the federal government that are appropriated (or allowed to be spent) in the new state budget. Meanwhile, state child care dollars were cut by $36 million and replaced with federal funds. While Trying Together is excited by the growth of pre-k and home visiting, this budget was a missed opportunity to support greater access to and affordability of high-quality child care. It is critical that our state policymakers know that the early childhood community is paying attention to their actions. Detailed Budget Overview Governor Wolf’s enacted budget includes the following: Child Care $6 million cut from the Child Care Services line item (replaced by federal funds). $30 million cut from the Child Care Assistance line item (replaced by federal funds). $27 million of federal dollars allocated to serve 970 additional infants and toddlers eligible for Child Care Works in high-quality programs; raise tiered reimbursement rates for STAR 2, 3, and 4 providers caring for infants and toddlers; and support apprenticeships for infant and toddler teachers. Pre-K $25 million increase for Pre-K Counts. This funding will also provide a rate increase of 2.95%, meaning approximately $250 more per child served over the prior rate. $5 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program to serve more children. Evidence-Based Home Visiting $5 million increase for evidence-based home visiting programs to serve an additional 800 eligible families. Why It’s Important Today, only one-third of children on child care subsidy are accessing high-quality STAR 3 or 4 care. On average, families wait 88 days to access subsidies they need to join or remain in the workforce, with 4,300 children on the subsidy waiting list. However, child care subsidy reimbursements do not cover the cost of quality care. With this, child care staff are often paid low wages, with 50 percent of child care staff receiving public assistance. We are pleased to see a waiting list initiative to serve more infants and toddlers in high-quality care and an increase in tiered reimbursement that will provide further program stability and consistency in teacher:child relationships. These are initiatives we and partners advocated for and strongly align with our Start Strong PA campaign goals. Trying Together appreciates Governor Wolf’s continued commitment to early care and education programs in the commonwealth. With this, we recognize that countless families still lack access to high-quality early learning programs that they can afford. Trying Together will be doubling down on our advocacy for greater state and federal funding for child care. Take Action To support the work of early childhood and caregivers of young children, we participate in multiple campaigns, including Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, and Childhood Begins at Home. However, the success of these advocacy efforts is only possible when the early childhood community is visible and heard by our elected officials. Visit our Take Action page and take action on the campaigns that matter to you. By doing so, you can thank lawmakers for greater investments in pre-k and home visiting and let them know that you expect to see them restore and grow investments in high-quality child care. To stay up-to-date on how to advocate for these issues, sign-up to receive public policy updates. See the full budget history here.
July 24, 2019 Tips for Managing Air Travel with Young Children Vacations may seem like fun getaways for families, but with them comes an often dreaded necessity: air travel. While flying with young children can be challenging, Macaroni Kid Centreville‘s Jourdan Card highlighted 10 tips to help you travel like a pro. To read Card’s full article, visit the Macaroni Kid Centreville website. Tip 1: Don’t Overpack Your Carry-On It’s tempting to fill your carry-on to the brim, including any and every item your child might want along the way. But lugging around a heavy bag is exhausting, especially when you have a young child or children to look after. Jourdan Card’s rule of thumb is always one extra outfit per kid and an extra shirt for the adults caring for them. Calculating the total travel time, she also prepares one diaper per hour. If your child uses a pacifier, packing several could be useful. You’ll need extra just in case the first one drops on the floor. Caregivers should also prepare snacks, bottles/formula, and any needed medicines or comfort items. Tip 2: Conquer Security Like A Boss Going through security is already a long process, so families are encouraged to prepare ahead of time to avoid additional delays. Card recommends wearing as little extra clothing as possible, because scarves, hats, belts, and other loose items will all have to come off. She recommends simple clothing such as well-fitting pants, a shirt, and tennis shoes. In addition to this, she recommends pulling out any mobile devices, food, and liquids before getting in line so they’re ready to go instead of trying to get them out of the bag last minute. To make this easier, you can put the items in clear, ziplock backs so security can check them quickly as well. Tip 3: Keep Your Hands Available Card recommends babywearing through security, that way you can gate-check your stroller for free. If your stroller is small enough to fit on the conveyer belt, it has to go through, so make sure you know how to fold it quickly ahead of time. If the stroller is too big, it will have to go through the metal detector and receive a manual screening. Tip 4: Potty Break Allow for extra time to get through security and go to the bathroom before your flight. It’s not the easiest process to change a young child in an airplane bathroom, so this is highly recommended! Tip 5: The Muli-Bag System During her family trips, Card usually carries a decent-sized backpack to store everyone’s items. But in addition to that, she packs some reusable grocery bags. Placing each child’s stuff in their own grocery bag, Card allows her children to keep their things separate on the plane, that way the children have easy access to their items and feel control over their items. Tip 6: Bring Your Children’s Favorites In her example, Card mentions that her toddler loved milk. But she learned the hard way that milk isn’t always available on planes. Because of this, she recommends buying some of your child’s favorites in the shops after you go through security. It’ll keep your child calm on the ride. Tip 7: Create A Busy Binder Before going on trips, Card puts together a binder full of ziplock bags, each storing a simple activity. When her kids get cranky or bored during the trip, she pulls them out for some needed fun! Tip 8: Headphones While many airlines have small televisions in the seatbacks, the headphones they provide can often be too big for young children’s ears, which means they’re going to be falling out or off constantly. If you’re going to have access to any digital tech, Card recommends bringing kid-sized headphones so they can watch their favorite shows without disturbing others. Tip 9: Car Seats On Airplanes Double-check that your car seat is TSA approved, there will be a small sticker on the back or side letting you know. If it is, you’re legally allowed to bring your child’s car seat on the plane. However, if you choose to use a car seat in lieu of a lap-held infant (2 and under), each person must have their own purchased seat. Tip 10: Proof of ID It’s not guaranteed to happen, but some airline staff may request proof of your child’s age. Card recommends being prepared by carrying a copy of your children’s birth certificates just in case. *Information collected from Macaroni Kid Centreville
July 23, 2019 Free Leadership Training for Families Receiving EI Services Are you a parent, caregiver, or family member of a young child who receives Early Intervention services in Pennsylvania? Join the Temple University College of Education for Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking Early Intervention (C2P2 EI 2019-20). About C2P2 EI 2019-20 provides free leadership development training for families of children who receive Infant-Toddler Early Intervention or Preschool Early Intervention Services. The training will provide participants with up-to-date information, leadership development training, resources, and skills. Participants learn about the local, state, and national issues that affect children with disabilities. Eligibility To be eligible, applicants should be Pennsylvania family members who: Have a child—infant or school-age—that receives Early Intervention services, Desire to advocate for themselves and others by building leadership skills, and Are willing to commit to all four 2-day trainings. Training Information Training Dates Trainings will be held on Fridays from 1 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. October 11-12, 2019 December 6-7, 2019 March 6-7, 2020 April 3-4, 2020 Location The Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel 4650 Lindle Road Harrisburg, PA 17111 (717) 564.5511 Covered Costs Meals included Travel and child care expense reimbursements Overnight lodging (for those traveling 40+ miles) Application To apply and for more information, visit the event website. The application deadline is September 20, 2019. Questions For questions, contact Cathy Roccia-Meier at 215.204.1772 (voice), 215.204.1805 (TeleTypewriter/TTY), or cathyRM@temple.edu.
July 22, 2019 Family Check-Up Helps Families Build & Grow Together The day-to-day challenges of raising children aren’t easy, but families don’t have to do it alone. At the Homewood-Brushton Family Support Center, Family Check-Up offers an opportunity for all families to take a seat, talk about their challenges, and move forward with strategies to solve them. About Family Check-Up In family support centers across the nation, the Family Check-Up (FCU) model aims to promote child and family well-being by providing parents and caregivers with new skills and tools to strengthen family relationships. The program starts off with an initial interview and an assessment of the family’s strengths and needs, followed by creating tailored goals to meet the unique needs of each family. A final feedback session provides an opportunity to continue building parenting skills through the “Everyday Parenting Curriculum” and information on possible follow-up services. All services are free and confidential. Benefits of Participation For more than 20 years, research has shown that participating in FCU: increases parent and caregiver confidence, reduces family stress and conflict, and reduces challenging behaviors displayed by preschoolers, school-aged children, and teens. Schedule an Appointment Interested in signing up? Schedule an appointment by contacting Family Coach, Adriana Chung, at 412.727.6649. See our interview with Adriana to learn more.
July 16, 2019 Family Fun Night Families with young children are invited to participate in an evening of free activities, games, and prizes. Food and refreshments will also be provided. Registration is not required, but preferred. Learn More For more information, contact Toni Beasley at 412.727.6649 or toni@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
Parent-Child Interaction Are you looking to engage in an educational experience with your young child? Join other caregivers and their young children for creative STEM-based activities. Together, parent and child will interact with each other and socialize with other families to grow, learn, and play! Learn More To learn more, contact Neil Walker at 412.728.2892 or neil@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
Pittsburgh Children Receive First Round of Free Books In July 2019, Pittsburgh preschoolers received their first round of free books from the City of Pittsburgh’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. About The free book program – in conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Benter Foundation, and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania – mails all eligible children an age-appropriate book every month up until their fifth birthday. In February, legislation was introduced to Pittsburgh City Council to accept $250,000 from the Benter Foundation to establish the Pittsburgh program. In early July, the first shipment of books was sent out to 1,402 children who were enrolled in the program at the beginning of June. Another 400 children have been added to the program since then and will receive their first books in coming weeks. All children receive “The Little Engine That Could” as their first book, as it is Dolly Parton’s favorite. 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 Notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes Sign Up To sign up for this program, visit the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library website. More Information For instructions, frequently asked questions, and more, visit the City of Pittsburgh’s website. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
July 15, 2019 KidsPlay at Market Square KidsPlay provides free interactive and educational programming for children in Market Square, with local partners including Science Tots, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, KidsBurgh, the Senator John Heinz History Center, and more. Active Dates Tuesdays, June 4 – August 27, 2019 | 10 – 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, June 8 – August 31, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn More To see a list of upcoming activities, visit the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership website.
