September 8, 2020 Father Involvement and Co-Parenting: Why It Matters Are you interested in learning about the impact of fathering and co-parenting on child and family development? Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center on September 29 for their webinar, “Focus on Father Involvement and Co-parenting: Why It Matters.” About This webinar will explore the positive impact of fathering and co-parenting on child and family development and how the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) model supports fathers as equal partners in parenting. Presenters will introduce SFI’s Five Domain Model and its engagement tool for tapping father involvement and increasing shared parenting responsibilities. Directors from two community agencies serving diverse families will discuss the impact of implementing the SFI program in their communities. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website. Photo Credit Photography by Emily O’Donnell.
August 20, 2020 School-Age Child Care Update from OCDEL As local education agencies and private schools in Pennsylvania are finalizing and announcing their plans for the 2020-21 academic school year, OCDEL is becoming increasingly aware that many school districts are implementing hybrid or full remote instruction models for the school year. These announcements have raised questions about how families with children enrolled in Kindergarten and beyond will be supported if they need expanded child care. Continue reading below for answers to common questions. Frequently Asked Questions Can school-age children enroll in child care if their schools have announced moving to part-time or full-time remote instruction? Yes. During the 2020-21 school year, children whose schools have announced various schedule changes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can enroll in child care. If the district has announced that children will not attend school for face-to-face instruction, then working families can enroll children in child care during those days. Will OCDEL revise the school-age blended rate for children attending child care during the portion of the day that has typically been considered “school hours”? For the 2020-21 school year, the calculation of the blended rate will not change. It will still be based on 25 full-time days and 180 part-time days. If a child attends a school district where students will not return to school for in-person, five-day-a-week instruction, a child care provider who accepts the blended rate will receive a part-time blended rate for the days the child attends school in-person and attends child care part-time. The provider may receive a full-time payment rate on the days the child is not scheduled to attend school in-person and attends child care full-time. Paying the part-time blended rate, instead of a part-time rate, will compensate for any days the child was supposed to attend part-time buy may need to attend full-time because of a school’s closure, such as staff in-service days, holidays, professional development, and snow days. If school districts change how school instruction will be administered throughout the school year, related to COVID-19, the child’s schedule will be updated to reflect the school’s current schedule. View the full guidance. Will non-licensed programs be able to serve school-age children? Yes. Enrollment in a licensed child care facility is preferred, however, part-day school-age programs will be available to enroll school-age children during the 2020-21 school year. Enrolled children must be kindergarten age or older. School District Reopening Plans To view school districts’ reopening plans, visit the PA Schools Work website. To learn about the phased reopening of pre-k to 12 schools in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. More Information For more information, view this email from the Pennsylvania Key.
First Up Annual Conferences (Virtual) Due to current concerns, First Up has transitioned the First Up Annual Conference to a virtual platform for 2020-21. The Conference will feature multiple half-day virtual conference experiences on a range of topics. Available Conferences Family Child Care Conference Saturday, September 26 | 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Ticket Fee: $15 – $30 Early childhood professionals are invited to join First Up at the first Family and Group Child Care Conference. This event will be a time of inspiration, reflection, and learning as participants begin their day of honoring the Trailblazers of Family Child Care and hearing their wisdom and advice. Personal Empowerment for the ECE Professional Saturday, October 3 | 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Ticket Fee: $15 – $30 Early childhood professionals are invited to join First Up for a morning of personal empowerment and professional development. Featuring workshops on financial stability, professional communication, and other best practices in ECE, this Conference will help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Online Event Platform The First Up Conferences will be held via an immersive event platform called Accelevents. To learn more about Accelevents and what to expect, visit their website. To access the full experience, it is recommended that attendees participate via a computer or laptop. Receiving Credit Each Conference will offer 4.5 PA Keys (PD Registry) and/or PA Act 48 credit hours. If you are interested in receiving credit, you must indicate the type of credit you would like to receive during registration. Any credit requests made more than 30 days post-event cannot be guaranteed. A Certificate of Attendance will be available for download in the Conference Platform or by email following the event. Registration To register and learn more, visit the First Up website. More Information For more information, visit the First Up website or contact rebecca.tyrrell@firstup.org.
August 19, 2020 Why Care about Child Care? Are you a parent who needs child care? Are you interested in learning how to get help paying for child care? Are you worried about your child’s kindergarten readiness? Join the Pennsylvania Child Care Association on August 26 to explore these topics and more in their webinar, “Why Care about Child Care?” Register This webinar will act as an introduction for parents and other caregivers (grandparents, guardians, foster families, etc.) to the child care landscape in Pennsylvania. To register, visit the event webpage. Submit A Question You may ask questions in advance (anonymously if you prefer) by emailing shawn.towey@pacca.org, or you can enter them in the chatbox during the session. Share this flyer with your network.
August 3, 2020 New Family Care & Education Forum In response to uncertainty surrounding the 2020-2021 school year, Trying Together has launched the Family Care & Education Forum. This new community resource will connect parents and caregivers across Southwestern Pennsylvania and provide a space to ask questions, network, and support one another. About The Family Care & Education Forum is an online forum where parents and caregivers can engage in conversation with one another. Upon signing up, users will be able to post questions, respond to comments, and learn more about care and education opportunities in their area. With the upcoming start to the 2020-2021 school year, conversations in the Forum will start with a focus on finding in-home and out-of-home care; discussing safety measures being taken within local school districts; connecting with virtual learning programs; and brainstorming ways to incorporate play with socially distant learning. As this platform grows and expands, there will be new discussion topics related to care and education. Sign Up The Family Care & Education Forum is open to all caregivers, which Trying Together defines as any adult who interacts with young children. Users are encouraged to review Trying Together’s Social Media Policy and Privacy Policy prior to creating an account. While the focus of the Forum in the coming months will be Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Forum is open to all regions. More Information To view availability at licensed child care and out-of-school time programs in Allegheny County, please visit Allegheny Child Care on the Trying Together website. For questions regarding child care in Allegheny County, visit the ELRC Region 5 website, call 412.350.3577 or 1.888.340.3572, or email elrc5@allegheny county.us. Please contact forum@tryingtogether.org with any questions.
July 31, 2020 New Process to Prevent Suspensions and Expulsions Effective August 1, a new process to request support for a child with unique needs or challenging behaviors to prevent suspension and/or expulsion from early learning programs is available for families and early learning professionals. How to Request Support To request assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), early learning professionals and families can complete a new online form entitled, “PA Key Expulsion/Suspension Support Request.” Circumstances for Alternative Support If a family has an established relationship with their local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC), the family or case provider can reach out directly to their ELRC to receive program support. If the child is already receiving Early Intervention (EI) Services, providers can reach out to the child’s local EI program to request assistance with parent permission. If the child has not previously been evaluated and the family and/or early learning provider believes the child may be eligible for EI Services, call the CONNECT Helpline at 1.800.692.7288. If the child has been evaluated and does not qualify for EI Services, request assistance from the local ELRC to receive appropriate supports. More Information For more information, view the Developing Suspension and Expulsion Policies document.
July 29, 2020 IEPs and the 2020-21 School Year: What Families Need to Know Are you the parent or caregiver of a student with an IEP? Join the PEAL Center on August 11 for the webinar, “Students with IEPs and the 2020-21 School Year: What Families Need to Know.” About On August 11, Carole Clancy, Director of the Bureau of Special Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, will join the PEAL Center for a live presentation to offer an overview of guidance being provided to schools regarding students with IEPs. Director Clancy will discuss the following: COVID-19 compensatory services; instructional days and hours; the use of masks at schools; and COVID-19’s impact on evaluation, re-evaluation, and delayed eligibility determinations. Participants are encouraged to submit any questions they may have for the presenter in advance by completing this online form. Questions must be submitted no later than August 3, 2020. Registration This live event will be available on the PEAL Center Facebook page and will be recorded for those unable to attend. A webinar recording will be available on the Facebook event page after the session ends. Training will be delivered in English, with Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) translation available. Captioning in other languages is available if participants download the Microsoft Translator app. More Information For questions or more information, contact info@pealcenter.org or 1.866.950.1040. Share this flyer with your network.
July 22, 2020 Dismantling Anti-Blackness in Multiracial Families Join EmbraceRace on July 28 for “Raising Multiracial Children, Part 2: Dismantling Anti-Blackness in Multiracial Families” as they explore how to actively reject white supremacy and anti-Blackness in multiracial families. About During the second webinar of this two-part series on anti-racist parenting and multiracial children, presenters will discuss anti-Blackness and how anti-Black messaging shows up in multiracial families (including non-Black families). Referencing recent examples from social media, presenters breakdown three common myths that perpetuate anti-Blackness within multiracial families and describe how these myths negatively impact the identity development of multiracial Black children specifically. To conclude the series, presenters will offer tangible steps that parents and caregivers can take now to actively reject white supremacy and anti-Blackness and build resilience as a multiracial family. Questions and comments are welcome. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
Examining the Complexity of Multiracial Identity Did you know that roughly one in seven infants in the United States is multiracial or multiethnic? Join EmbraceRace on July 23 for “Raising Multiracial Children, Part 1: Examining the Complexity of Multiracial Identity” as they explore what it means to be multiracial and how caregivers can support the positive development of their child’s multiracial identity. About During this first webinar of a two-part series on raising multiracial kids, presenters will break down some of the complexities of identifying with more than one race, including the pivotal role caregivers and families play in shaping how multiracial children come to understand themselves and the world around them. Speakers will describe the challenges and strengths of identifying with more than one racial group, highlighting examples from recent research and drawing from their own personal experiences as multiracial individuals and parents of multiracial children. Comments and questions are welcome. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
July 17, 2020 New Summer Safety Brochure Available for Families Thanks to the warm weather and sunshine, summer in Pennsylvania offers plenty of opportunities to get outside, get active, and enjoy family activities. By heeding some simple tips, parents and caregivers can ensure that summer is both safe and fun! New Brochure Available The Allegheny County Health Department and Allegheny County Department of Human Services developed a new Summer Safety brochure, featuring important information and tips on how families can enjoy summer while staying safe. The brochure includes tips on the following topics: bug bites and stings; safety in the sun; safety on wheels; water safety; car safety; chemical and poison safety; and more. To view the full list of tips, download the brochure. More Information For more information about summer safety, visit the National Safety Council’s Summer Safety page.
