News

October 28, 2024

OCDEL Offers Scholarship Through Pitt’s Infant Mental Health Certificate

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is offering a scholarship for professionals serving children and families in prenatal, infant, toddler, and preschool programs.

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The scholarship enables participants to take part at no cost in a pilot program through the University of Pittsburgh’s Infant Mental Health Professional Development certificate. It is aimed at the state’s licensed child care providers, Head Start/Early Head Start and PA Pre-K Counts programs. 

Traditionally, the course has been provided to Infant/Toddler Early Intervention, OCDEL-funded home visitors, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health, and Rapid Response team members. 

The course is being extended to providers as a result of ongoing discussions and evaluation of requests for professional development from the field. Its extension is due to the challenges faced by providers across the state who support the mental health and well-being of young children and families. 

The scholarship seeks to enable early learning professionals to partner with others and better support families in Pennsylvania.

Those interested can apply through The Pennsylvania Key on behalf of OCDEL’s Bureau of Early Learning Policy and Professional Development. The application for the 2025 Infant Mental Health (IMH) Certificate & Learning Circle – Scholarship closes on Nov. 15.

Information on applicant criteria, the approval and evaluation process for candidates, course consideration, registration information, the course structure, and FAQs can be found on The Pennsylvania Key’s website.

News

September 25, 2024

Resources for October Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.

Here is a list of resources for October observances.

Month-Long Observances

HEAD START AWARENESS MONTH

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

NATIONAL BOOK MONTH

Days of Recognition

OCTOBER 2 IS NATIONAL CHILD HEALTH DAY

OCTOBER 4 IS NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY

OCTOBER 5 IS NATIONAL PLAY OUTSIDE DAY

OCTOBER 9 IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY

OCTOBER 10 IS WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

OCTOBER 11 IS NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY

News

August 27, 2024

Federal Final Rule on Head Start Regulatory Changes

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Department has released a final rule regarding regulatory changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Changes to the rule include requirements for wages and benefits, breaks for staff, and enhanced support for staff health and wellness.

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The changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards are aimed at supporting and stabilizing the Head Start workforce and improving the quality of services that its programs provide to children and families.

Changes also include enhancements to mental health services to better integrate mental health into every aspect of program service delivery. Enhancements are included in the areas of family service worker family assignments, identifying and meeting community needs, ensuring child safety, services for pregnant women, and alignment with state early childhood systems.

The changes also include minor clarifications to promote better transparency and clarity of understanding for grant recipients.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) released a statement praising the Department of Health and Human Services for the final rule. NAEYC noted that the rule would strengthen the Head Start workforce.

About Head Start

The federal Head Start program provides early education and other comprehensive services to more than half a million children, prenatal to age 5, in center- and home-based settings across the country. 

It is a leader in providing high-quality services that support the development of children from low-income families, helping them enter kindergarten more prepared to succeed in school and life.

Dates

The compliance date for many of the requirements in the final rule is Oct. 21, which is 60 days after it was published in the Federal Register. However, some of the requirements involve programs that might need more time to implement the regulatory changes.

For further information, call 202-240-3901 or email Jessica.Bialecki@acf.hhs.gov. The details of the final rule can be found on the Federal Register’s website.

News

August 23, 2024

Head Start: Serving Special Populations

Pennsylvania Head Start Association’s Region III Regional Office will host an event in late August on serving families experiencing homelessness and other issues.

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Serving Special Populations will cover the topics of families experiencing homelessness, foster care, incarcerated parents, and refugees.

Participants will engage in topical discussions to gain a deeper understanding of issues impacting Head Start and EHS programs and seek support, advice, and feedback from their colleagues and peers.

It is recommended for recipient directors, family services staff, and community partners to attend the event.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. on Aug. 27. Registration is now open.

News

August 14, 2024

Working Together Webinar

Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA will host an upcoming webinar on early learning initiatives in the state.

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The Working Together Webinar will focus on several topics relating to early learning in the state, including:

  • Early learning in the 2024-25 state budget
  • Follow up and response to state policymakers
  • Federal advocacy update and opportunities for child care

The webinar, which will be available in English and Spanish, will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA partners – including First Up: Champions for Early Education, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, Pennsylvania Child Care Association, Pennsylvania Head Start Association, and Trying Together.

Attendees will learn how to work together in 2024 to strengthen Pennsylvania’s early learning system for teachers and programs and grow access to more eligible families.

More Details

The webinar will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Those interested in attending must register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

News

September 26, 2023

Resources for October Observances

Various organizations, states, and nations recognize a number of observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and child care professionals acknowledge and navigate them.

Here is a list of resources for October observances:

Month-Long Observances

Head Start Awareness Month

Dyslexia Awareness Month

Hispanic Heritage Month (continued)

National Book Month

Days of Recognition

October 2 is National Child Health Day

October 4 is National Walk to School Day

October 7 is National Play Outside Day

October 9 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day

October 10 is World Mental Health Day

October 11 is National Coming Out Day

News

April 21, 2023

PNC Foundation to Match Donations to Pre-K and Head Start Requests

The PNC Foundation is partnering with DonorsChoose—an online nonprofit that allows individuals to fund classroom projects and teacher requests for resources and materials—to help early childhood educators obtain quality resources and experiences for students in public pre-K, public charter, and Head Start classrooms.

By committing to match “dollar-for-dollar” any DonorsChoose donations that support pre-k and Head Start projects, the foundation hopes to encourage others to fund child care and early childhood education.

The duration of the match is undetermined and subject to restrictions and a maximum dollar amount.

DonorsChoose Educator & Project Eligibility

Who can participate?

Pre-K teachers in every state, subject area, and grade level can use DonorsChoose. If you are an educator at a public school, public charter school, or Head Start program, are employed full-time by a school or district, and work directly with students at least 75% of the time, you are eligible to post projects.

What is eligible for funding?

You can request anything you need to enrich your students’ experience at school. Sports equipment? A classroom library? Furniture? Musical instruments? DonorsChoose can help. If you can imagine it, you can post a classroom project request for it.

How does it work?

The process is simple:

  1. Create your project in DonorsChoose.
  2. Receive donations from friends, family, and supporters through the DonorsChoose website.
  3. Receive your request. DonorsChoose orders everything for you and ships it straight to you or your school.

How long does it take?

The average project takes about 25 minutes to create and submit. Once your project is funded, DonorsChoose takes care of the rest.

Participate in the Match

To utilize the match from the PNC Foundation and better fund your pre-k or Head Start classroom project, add it to the DonorsChoose website by following the step-by-step instructions on the “How it Works” page.

Results from Past Partnerships Between the PNC Foundation & DonorsChoose

Previously, the PNC Foundation flash funded almost $2 million dollars in requests from 3,054 pre-k teachers across 30 states through DonorsChoose. As a result, almost 89,000 pre-k and Head Start students and their early educators received support for materials and projects. Throughout greater Pittsburgh, 126 pre-k teacher requests were fully funded.

Learn More

PNC’s support of DonorsChoose coincides with the launch of this year’s “Great Month” at PNC—an annual celebration held each April to raise awareness of PNC Grow Up Great® and the importance of high-quality early childhood education. Launched in 2004, the $500 million, bilingual initiative supports programs, resources, and experiences that help to prepare children from birth through age five for success in school and life.

To learn more about PNC’s partnership with DonorsChoose and how to participate, visit the PNC Bank website or view the flyer.

News

April 12, 2023

BabyTalks Series: Supporting Infant and Toddler Peer Relationships

Children are born with the amazing ability to form strong bonds with their caregivers, but how do we help infants and toddlers prepare for peer relationships?

Join the Office of Head Start and their National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning for this webinar, and learn how infants’ and toddlers’ experience with others shapes their understanding of themselves and their relationships with peers.

This webinar will have English and Spanish captioning.

Webinar Details

Thursday, April 20 | 3 – 4 p.m.

Virtual

Register

Learn More

In this webinar, Beth Zack, Ph.D., and Marley Jarvis, Ph.D., from the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning will present research on how children build peer relationships.

Attendees will discover the importance of creating spaces where children feel like they belong and how this helps children understand themselves and others, as well as explore strategies and resources that help infants and toddlers build a strong foundation for a lifetime of healthy peer relationships.

To learn more, visit the “Supporting Infant and Toddler Peer Relationships” registration page.

News

April 11, 2023

AIU Career Fair

Join the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) as the organization hosts a Career Fair on Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

A variety of positions are available throughout the organization, including roles in English as a second language (ESL), special education, Head Start, Early Head Start, family and community engagement, occupational/physical therapy, virtual learning facilitators, and technology services programs. Attendees will be able to meet and network directly with AIU team members.

All attendees are guaranteed an interview. Registration required. This event is in-person.

Where: AIU Central Office, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA. 15120. Submit your resume to the AIU in advance.

For more information, email recruitment@aiu3.net or visit the AIU Career Fair event page.

News

February 22, 2023

ELPA Poll Shows Strong Support for Investments into Early Childhood

A new poll, commissioned by the Early Learning PA Coalition and conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research from February 1 – 7, 2023, found that 98% of PA voters believe that early childhood education is important. The poll also showed strong voter support for increased investment for early care and education programs like pre-k, high-quality child care and home visiting services.

There has been significant growth in voter’s overall support from a June 2022 poll, where 90% of voters said they found early childhood education to be important.

Poll Details

Partners of the Early Learning PA Coalition released the new polling data on voter support for early childhood care and education programs during a press conference held on Tuesday, February, 21, 2023 at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, PA.

According to the poll:

  • 78% of PA voters support increasing state funding to serve more eligible children in pre-k programs, which is an increase from 65% in 2022;
  • 78% of PA voters also support increasing state funding to help more low-income working families afford high-quality child care, up from 67% in 2022;
  • 68% of PA voters support increasing state funding to provide voluntary home visiting services to eligible families , up from 60% in 2022; and
  • 81% of PA voters favor allocating state funding to increase wages of child care workers.

“As we start budget season here in Harrisburg, the partners of the Early Learning PA Coalition urge Governor Shapiro and all members of the General Assembly to respond to this level of voter support for growing the Commonwealth’s investments in early care and education,” said Kristen Rotz, President of the United Way of Pennsylvania and principal partner in the Early Learning PA Coalition. “Pennsylvania must make these programs more accessible to children and families that qualify and further stabilize and strengthen the system by addressing historic teacher shortages caused by low wages.” said Rotz.

Visit the Pre-K for PA Facebook page to watch the February 21, 2023 press conference in full.