October 5, 2022 October is Head Start Awareness Month October is Head Start Awareness Month and it aims to spread awareness about a crucial program that benefits millions of children, caregivers, and families throughout the nation. Since its inception, Head Start has served 37 million children; helping them to build necessary skills to be successful in school and life. About Head Start Head Start is a federal program that promotes the school readiness of children from birth through ages five that is available to families with incomes no more than 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The program provides a learning environment that supports the cognitive, social, and emotional development of participating children. Many Head Start programs also offer Early Head Start, which serves infants, toddlers, and pregnant women and their families who have incomes below the federal poverty level. To learn more about Head Start, visit Benefits.gov. Benefits of Head Start Did you know that children participating in Head Start programs have increased access to health care and improved physical health throughout their lifetimes? Evidence shows that Head Start children: were served more fruits, vegetables, and milk and fewer sweetened beverages and other sweets and snacks, when compared to other child care sites; are three times as likely to have healthy eating patterns as non-participants; who received 60 minutes of outdoor playtime were 42% less likely to be obese at the end of the program year; received sleep health interventions that increased their sleep duration and decreased their behavioral sleep problems; had access to regular screenings, immunizations, well-child visits, dental and nutrition services, healthy meals, and social service programs such as SNAP and WIC; and were less likely to be hospitalized for accident or injury, missed fewer school days, and had fewer emergency hospital visits. Resources Head Start’s six decades of experience leans on taking a comprehensive approach by providing a framework that meets social, emotional, psychological, nutritional, and health needs of children. In support and celebration of #HeadStartAwareness Month, Trying Together has compiled Head Start resources to spread awareness of the importance of this federal program: Pennsylvania 2022 Head Start & Early Head Start Profile Head Start Awareness Month Digital Toolkit Data Brief on Child Safety in Head Start Programs Head Start Program Facts: Fiscal Year 2021 Text4FamilyServices Available for Head Start Professionals Learn More To learn more about the Head Start program and eligibility requirements, or to find a Head Start provider near you, visit the Office of Head Start’s website.
June 17, 2022 New Text4FamilyServices Available for Head Start Professionals On June 16, The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE) launched its new Text4FamilyServices. The text messaging service is dedicated to supporting and enhancing the vital work of Head Start and Early Head Start family services professionals, supervisors, and other staff who work directly with families. About Text4FamilyServices is a messaging service that supports the work of Head Start and Early Head Start family services staff, their supervisors, and other program staff who work with families. Individuals who sign up, will receive free text messages, including: Two to three texts messages per month with information and links to helpful resources to strengthen their practice with families Additional messages about: Upcoming parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) professional development opportunities and new resources Office of Head Start campaigns and initiatives Subscribe To subscribe for Text4FamilyServices, text PFCE to (toll-free) 833-302-0206. Select your job title [family services staff, supervisor, other] and preferred language [English or Spanish] to start receiving free PFCE (Parent, Families and Community Engagement) text messages. Text STOP to (toll-free) 833-302-0206 to unsubscribe or HELP for technical assistance or reach out to pfce@ecetta.info. Learn more about Text4FamilyServices.
May 3, 2022 Pre-K Counts and Head Start Enrollment The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is enrolling for Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs, which provide high-quality pre-kindergarten education for children who are three to five years old and not eligible for kindergarten. About Pre-K Counts The Allegheny Intermediate Unit Pre-K Counts Program provides high quality pre-kindergarten classroom education for children. Eligibility Preference given to children eligible for kindergarten the following school year Households that meet income guidelines (up to 300% of the federal poverty level) Call 412-394-5863 for more information, classroom locations, or to enroll. Head Start The Head Start program provides eligible preschool children with high quality, comprehensive, in-home or classroom programming designed to support school readiness skills. The program offers services that include health and wellness, education, social services, and family engagement. Eligibility Households currently receiving TANF cash, SSI, are homeless, or a foster parent for children ages 3-5 Households that meet income guidelines (up to 100% of the federal poverty level) Call 412-394-4594 for more information and classroom locations or complete the online pre-application form. Find Other Pre-K Counts and Head Start Programs Families can find Head Start program in their community through the Head Start Provider Locator and Pre-K Counts programs on the COMPASS website. For assistance from the ELRC Region 5, call 412.350.3577 or email elrc5@alleghenycounty.us.
February 14, 2022 Request for Applications: 2022-23 PA Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will use a competitive Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) Request for Application (RFA) process for fiscal year 2022-23. The intent of HSSAP is to increase the number of low-income, Head Start-eligible children receiving high quality pre-kindergarten services in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf’s proposed 2022-23 state budget expands HSSAP by $10 million. With this expansion funding, the state will be able to increase the number of children served in high-quality pre-kindergarten. About HSSAP funding is awarded competitively on a five-year grant cycle. Fiscal year 2022-23 begins a new five-year cycle. All current HSSAP grantees, as well as any new, eligible applicants must apply during this competitive RFA process. This RFA is intended to support providers in preparing to serve and enroll children by September 2022. The RFA is being released February 2022 to give providers time to conduct outreach to families; recruit, hire and train staff; and plan for implementing the program, pending grant approval. Applicants may submit funding proposals aligned with the program models outlined in the Head Start Program Performance Standards 1302 Part B. The ceiling or limit on the potential number of slots that may be awarded to any applicant will depend upon a county’s unmet need percentages and the amount of funding available. Funding is contingent upon approval by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. HSSAP grants are funded via state dollars and, therefore, carryover funds are not permitted. All grant dollars identified in this FY 2021-22 application must be encumbered or spent by June 30, 2022. Eligibility Eligible entities include: Head Start grantees; and Early Head Start grantees. Successful applicants MUST demonstrate: Current federal funding for Head Start or Early Head Start as a grantee or delegate; and No uncorrected deficiencies from the most current federal Monitoring Review. Applicants must also have the following in place to complete an application: REQUIRED Letter of Intent (information below); Vendor number (SAP #); Administrative unit number (AUN); Master provider index number (MPI); and Federal ID number or tax ID number. How to Apply All information relevant to the application process is available in the HSSAP Application Guidance. HSSAP applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) using the template posted online. The LOI represents the applicant’s intent to apply for HSSAP funding and includes preliminary information about requested funding, program model, provider type, and area to be served. Information submitted in the LOI may be modified in the final eGrants application. Eligible applicants who apply for HSSAP funding must provide assurance that they operate in full compliance with the federal Head Start Performance Standards as reported on their Integrated Monitoring Report. They also must assure they will provide updates to OCDEL and the Head Start Collaboration Office director when changes in their compliance occur. Failure to report changes may jeopardize current or future grant funding. Programs interested in applying must submit a fully completed LOI by 3 p.m. on February 25, 2022 to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov. Programs that do not submit the LOI will not be able to access or submit a funding application in the eGrants system. Late submissions will not be accepted. Agencies submitting a fully complete LOI by the due date will be notified when the HSSAP application is open in eGrants. More Information A pre-application webinar will be held virtually on February 23, 2022 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register for the webinar, visit the HSSAP Virtual Bidders Conference registration page. The recording will be posted at HSSAP How to Apply shortly after to assist interested applicants in the completion of the application. The Bidder’s Conference will include information on the application process and program requirements and participation is highly encouraged. In addition to the Bidder’s Conference, applicants are encouraged to view the asynchronous Grant Writing 101 course found in the Professional Development (PD) Registry. This course provides general tips on how to approach grant writing. A PD Registry login is required to access this course. For questions, contact PDE by sending an email to RA-PAPreKCounts@pa.gov.
February 10, 2022 Webinar: Update on COVID-19 Infections and Vaccines Two years into the global pandemic, Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care programs continue to give their best to protect our children, families, and staff. This webinar by the Office of Head Start will present the latest COVID-19 information for programs providing comprehensive services in center-based, home-based, family child care, and other early care and education settings. This webinar will be offered with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish. Topics for the webinar include: Updates on the COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 and up COVID-19 risk reduction strategies This webinar will benefit: Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care program staff, families, directors, managers, and administrators Home visitors Child care health consultants Head Start federal staff Head Start national and regional TTA staff Head Start Collaboration Office directors Register Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | 2 p.m. Register online
January 25, 2022 Nominations Open for Francine Bunch Memorial Award Celebrate the successes of your Head Start or Early Head Start program by honoring a Head Start parent or staff member for the Francine Bunch Memorial Award. About the Francine Bunch Memorial Award The Francine Bunch Memorial Award is awarded to one parent and one staff person, each with a Pennsylvania Head Start Association (PHSA) member organization, who displays the qualities of the late Francine Bunch, who started as a parent and ultimately became a Parent Involvement Coordinator with the Lancaster Child Development Program’s Head Start . Learn more about Bunch. Eligibility This honor may be awarded to one parent and one staff person each year. They must meet the following criteria: The nominee(s) is a parent, staff member or former parent who is affiliated with a dues paying member program of the association. The nominee(s) is actively involved with their local program and the program clearly benefits from their involvement. The nominee(s) takes initiative in growing her/his professional development while involved in the local program. The nominee(s) is involved in other local community activities. The nominee(s) serves as a positive role model for parents and staff alike. The nominee(s) promotes positive working relationships between parents, staff and friends at the local, state or federal level. Nominations Staff from a PHSA dues paying program may nominate a parent, former parent and/or coworker for the Francine Bunch Award. To nominate a candidate, staff must complete the Francine Bunch Nomination Form in full and attach a narrative that describes how the nominee meets the six criteria above. Each nomination form and accompanying narrative will be evaluated by the PHSA Scholarships and Awards Committee, and one parent and one staff person will be selected to receive the award. Award winners are recognized with a commemorative plaque during PHSA’s Annual Spring Conference Deadline The application packet is available at the PHSA website. The deadline to apply is March 11, 2022.
March 8, 2021 New Pre-k Report Highlights Needs for Pre-K Counts and Head Start Rate Increase In the last five years, Pennsylvania’s spending on pre-k has increased by $145 million for state-funded, high-quality pre-k programs including Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP). As the Commonwealth continues to increase public dollars for early childhood education, it is imperative that investments go towards increasing rates for publicly-funded programs to pay providers closer to what high-quality pre-k costs. Trying Together, in its role as a partner of the Pre-K for PA statewide advocacy campaign, released the report Invest in Quality: A Case for Paying Closer to What High-Quality Pre-K Costs in early March 2021. In this new report the campaign recommends maintaining the rate increase provided to Pre-K Counts and HSSAP in fiscal year 2020-21. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Pennsylvania ranks 19 out of 28 in per capita investments of pre-k programs. Pre-k rates have not kept pace with inflation. Investing in quality through rate adjustments ensures pre-k programs can maintain high-quality and safe early learning experiences for children and families. According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the existing problem of the underfunded early childhood infrastructure. Early care and education is a critical piece to economic recovery. Pre-k will not only be essential to supporting the growth of our youngest learners who have missed out on months of learning opportunities, it will also serve as part of the infrastructure for getting families back to work. In addition to the typical personnel and operations costs, COVID-19 health protocol have presented a new set of costs for the PPE and sanitation materials to ensure the safety of children, staff, and families. The report maintains that Pennsylvania should allocate $9 million — consistent with the rate increase provided through the federal CARES Act funding — to specifically go toward a rate adjustment for both Pre-K Counts and HSSAP. The following allocations should be directly passed through to providers in order to meet the current needs: A $7 million allocation to provide rate adjustments of Pre-K Counts current base rate from $8,750 to $9,025. A $2 million allocation to provide rate adjustments of HSSAP current average base rate from $10,500 to $10,805. Read the full report: Invest in Quality: A Case for Paying Closer to What High-Quality Pre-K Costs
January 26, 2021 How Moving Inspires Staff Wellbeing and Social-Emotional Health Are you interested in enhancing the health and wellbeing of staff who are serving young children and families? Join the Pennsylvania Head Start Association on February 11 for their Train the Trainer event, “Move2bFree: How Moving Inspires Staff Wellbeing and Social-Emotional Health.” About This two-part session is designed to enhance the health and well-being of dedicated, hard-working staff who are serving young children and families. This session will address common issues of overweight and dental disease using concepts from I Am Moving, I Am Learning, the childhood obesity prevention initiative, while incorporating lively music with health messaging from Choosy Kids. This session is best suited for Head Start and Early Head Start program staff, Early Childhood Education staff, Home Visiting staff, and community-based professionals (health providers, family support, etc.). Learning Objectives By attending, professionals will learn strategies for self-care and engage in movement, self-reflection, peer-to-peer learning, and setting individual goals to improve health. Professionals will also complete the following learning objectives: Rekindle personal joy by reconnecting to self-care through increased movement and physical activity. Describe how increasing movement and responding to music can energize and transform brain health, supporting self-confidence to model positive attitudes and healthy behaviors for children. Apply health messaging strategies and activities for stress reduction, healthy nutrition, and oral health in daily routines. Registration To register for this event, complete the online registration form. Registration will close on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Space is limited. For questions, contact Professional Development Director Kayle Richardson at 717.831.8375 or kayle@paheadstart.org.
October 6, 2020 Promoting Inclusion in ECE Programs On September 30, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released guidance on strategies early learning programs should use to ensure all young children with disabilities and their families have access to high-quality, inclusive programming. About OCDEL issued this announcement to provide guidance on strategies that promote inclusion for all students, set an expectation for high-quality programs to be inclusive of children with disabilities, and identify resources available to local early learning programs. Who Does This Apply To? Effective October 1, 2020, this announcement applies to both federally- and state-funded programs, including Child Care Works, Child Care Certification, Early Head Start, Head Start, Early Intervention, Home Visiting programs, Keystone STARS, Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, and Family Centers. Next Steps To promote inclusion, local early learning programs must complete the following actions: 1. In collaboration with program staff and families: develop and implement a written program policy that focuses on actively including young children with disabilities in your early learning program; review and modify existing policies, practices, and procedures to ensure barriers are removed that would prevent children with disabilities from accessing or participating in your early learning program; and develop resources for effective communication between families and program staff to ensure families know the benefits of and their rights related to inclusion. 2. Assess staff competencies and implement professional development, which includes family perspectives, related to inclusion based on the needs of staff and families. 3. Seek assistance from your local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) to identify examples of inclusive program policies, structures, and activities to provide models of dissemination and replication throughout Pennsylvania. 4. Develop and strengthen partnerships between your program and Early Intervention programs so that supports and services for children with disabilities can be provided within the daily routines and activities of high-quality early learning programs. 5. Participate in ongoing opportunities for stakeholder input and professional development opportunities on additional OCDEL guidance related to the inclusion of all children. 6. Implement this policy in conjunction with the Announcement, Reduction of Expulsion and Suspension in Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania and any additional guidance related to the inclusion of all children. OCDEL’s Support To promote practices that support the inclusion of all young children in early learning programs, OCDEL will complete the following actions: 1. In collaboration with and input from stakeholders and families, OCDEL will: provide high-quality professional development opportunities through The Pennsylvania Key, ELRCs, Professional Development Organizations, and Early Intervention Technical Assistance; identify examples of inclusive program policies, structures, and activities to provide models for dissemination and replication throughout Pennsylvania; and provide written guidelines for implementing inclusion policies. 2. OCDEL will provide individualized support, including on-site coaching and consultation, to OCDEL-funded programs. 3. Through the ELRCs, OCDEL will: identify opportunities for community partnerships to promote inclusion, including partnerships for providing individualized support, professional development, and other capacity-building resources; provide support and guidance to assist child care programs to progress in their Keystone STAR level rating; and support child care programs to understand their vital role in supporting inclusion. More Information For more information, read the full announcement.
August 18, 2020 Virtual UnConference: Caring in a “New Normal” Join Trying Together from September 14–23, 2020 for our second free Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’. PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available. Registration is required. About Virtual UnConference: Caring in a ‘New Normal’ will feature a panel discussion and three workshops on topics including finance, interacting with young children, and social-emotional health during the COVID-19 health crisis. This UnConference will build on guidance shared during our first Virtual UnConference: Re-Opening to Our ‘New Normal’. To watch a recording, visit our UnConference page. Featured Workshops Positive Interactions During the Pandemic Monday, September 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Register In this workshop, Sarah Grubb from ELRC Region 5 will walk early childhood educators through the essential elements of positive interaction, the educator’s role in co-regulation, and strategies for supporting children best through positive, day-to-day interactions. A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children Thursday, September 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Register Join Diana Schwab for a conversation and Q&A focused on the social and emotional needs of children. In this workshop, participants will discuss early childhood social and emotional development with a particular focus on how children communicate social and emotional needs through behavior. This workshop will also discuss how to focus a child’s behaviors as a communication of developmental strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as mental health needs. Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Register This workshop will discuss the importance of building a business plan and budget as the foundation of your organization’s financial wellness, especially during this time of changing external forces due to COVID-19. Presenter Chris Pentrack of Supporting Strategies will suggest beginner tools and methods to build these items, as well as resources for additional assistance. Presenters will discuss topics such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, monitoring, and forecasting cash for the organization. Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Register This workshop will feature a panel of directors who will discuss the measurements currently being followed to prevent the spread of illness in their individual child care programs. A portion of the conversation will include health and wellness tips that can help support your staff and teachers during these challenging times. The discussion will conclude by identifying which health and safety practices will most likely be permanently incorporated into everyday practice moving forward beyond COVID-19. Registration Registration for this UnConference is being completed on the PD Registry. If you do not have a PD Registry account, please complete this online form to create one. If you are unable to create an account, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org for more information. Click the links below to register for each workshop you are interested in. Registration is required. Positive Interactions During the Pandemic Monday, September 14, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. A Conversation on How to Support the Social/Emotional Needs of Children Thursday, September 17, 2020 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Building a Foundation for Your Organization’s Financial Wellness Monday, September 21, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Providing Safe and Healthy Care in Child Care Now and Beyond the Pandemic Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. More Information For questions, contact UnConference Director Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org.
