June 28, 2023 2023 Infant/Toddler and School-Age Child Care Institute (ITSACCI) Child care leaders and their partners continue to work together to ensure that all children, families, and their caregivers have access to high-quality resources that equitably support their social-emotional development and mental health needs. Social-emotional and mental health supports are foundational to children’s healthy development and learning and are associated with positive long-term health, educational, and well-being outcomes. Children, families, and child care professionals all thrive when effective social-emotional and mental health supports are intentionally integrated and aligned. The Virtual 2023 Infant/Toddler and School-Age Child Care Institute (ITSACCI) will provide professional development opportunities on the topics of social-emotional development and mental health to child care leaders and their partners, whose work is focused on infant/toddler and school-age policies and practices carried out under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program. Hosted by the Administration for Children & Families and its Office of Child Care, this interactive event will enable attendees to learn about promising practices from their peers and to collaboratively problem-solve to address challenges in supporting the social-emotional development and mental health of every child and caregiver. Event Details ITSACCI will be a three day event. Day one will focus on infants/toddlers and school-age care, day two will focus only on school-age care, and day three will focus only on infant/toddler care. When: Tuesday, August 15 – Thursday, August 17 | 1 – 4 p.m. daily Where: Virtual Registration: Register Learn More To learn more, visit the OCC website or view the event flyer. Please contact the Child Care Communications Management Center at occ-cmc@strategixmanagement.com with any questions.
June 23, 2023 ELRC Region 5 Now an Infant Formula Bank The main office of the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 in Downtown Pittsburgh is now an infant formula bank location of the Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank. About the Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank Managed by Beverly’s Birthdays and their baby division, Beverly’s Babies, the Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank is a resource to support families in need of baby formula during a personal, situational, or financial emergency/crisis. A baby can receive up to 12 cans of formula or the liquid (RTF) equivalent in his/her first year. There are seven formula banks available for the public to directly access for support: Allegheny County Locations ELRC Region 5 (Main Office) 304 Wood St, 4th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.350.3577 The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 412.545.5039 McKeesport Family Center 339 5th Avenue McKeesport, PA 15132 412.672.6970 Hilltop Family Center 1630 Arlington Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15210 412.432.1635 Westmoreland County Locations Beverly’s Birthdays 11065 Parker Drive North Huntingdon, PA 15642 724.590.5106 Highland’s Family Center 415 Fourth Avenue Tarentum, PA 15084 724-224-9006 Monessen Family Center 412 Reed Avenue Monessen, PA 15062 724.684.4370 Find location hours and details on the Beverly’s Birthdays website. Learn More Details about the program are available online. Families in need can call 724-590-5106 or text pghformula to 844-511-1544. To learn more, visit the Beverly’s Birthday’s website.
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.
April 11, 2023 Review and Comment Period Now Open for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is inviting families, community members, child care providers, early childhood educators, and other professionals to review and make comments on the 2023 proposed grant application for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The review and comment period is now open and closes on Friday, April 28. About IDEA, IDEA Part C, and the IDEA Part C Application The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in providing early intervention and school-aged services to children with special needs. Part C of IDEA (also known as the Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program) provides early intervention services for children from birth through 36 months of age. Through the IDEA Part C application, children from birth to 36 months of age who have special needs due to developmental delays and disabilities are eligible to receive early intervention services at no cost to families. Depending on child needs, early intervention services can include family training, counseling, and home visits; occupational, physical, or speech therapy; hearing loss services; health, nutrition, and social work; assistance with service coordination; assistive technology devices and services; and transportation. The services provided to children and their families differ based upon the individual needs and strengths of each child and the child’s family. Services may be provided in the child’s home, child care center, nursery school, play group, Head Start program, early childhood special education classroom or other settings familiar to the family. Participate in Review and Comment Period Anyone who would like to review the proposed grant application can find the document at Early Intervention (pa.gov) or Early Intervention Services (pa.gov) on the right side menu of the webpages. Additionally, interested individuals can request a hard copy by emailing ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov or by calling 717.346.9320. Opportunities to provide public comment include: Mailing written comments to: Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports ATTN: Public Comments for Part C Grant Application 333 Market Street, 6th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 Emailing written comments to: ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov Attending the Public Comment session from 10 – 11 a.m. on April 17 via Zoom. Session details: https://paiu.zoom.us/j/95889985301 877.369.0926 (US Toll Free) Meeting ID: 958 8998 5301 If you need an accommodation or assistance to review the proposed grant application or to submit comments, please contact ra-ocdintervention@pa.gov or call 717.346.9320. Comments will be accepted through Friday, April 28. Learn More The Department of Education will review all comments before submitting the final grant application. To learn more about the review and comment period, visit the Pennsylvania Key website. Sources The above information was compiled from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), Pennsylvania Department of Education (DOE), and Pennsylvania Key websites.
December 23, 2020 Understanding the Behavior of Grieving Children Join the Highmark Caring Place on January 13 for their webinar “The Curious Observer: Understanding the Behavior of Grieving Children” to learn how behaviors can serve as a manifestation of children’s grief. About We often misunderstand grief in children, or mistakenly believe that children do not experience grief at all. Yet, anyone old enough to love is old enough to grieve. Because young children and infants experience and respond to grief in unique ways, their grief is not always clear to adults and caregivers. Children’s grief can even be masked for adults because children communicate via their behaviors, such as play. Since it can be difficult for children to verbally express their complicated and confusing feelings about the death of their loved one, especially during times of grief and loss, it’s important that we understand behaviors such as play as ways of communication. This webinar will discuss how behaviors can serve as a manifestation of children’s grief. As a caring adult, you will learn activities and interactions that can support the children in your life through their grief work. Featured Topics During the webinar, participants will: learn how behavior (such as play) is a form of communication for children from birth into adulthood, recognize how behaviors can serve as an expression of a child’s grief, and identify activities and interactions that support children in their grief work. Registration To register for this event, visit the online registration page. Share this flyer with your network.
December 10, 2020 Infants and Toddlers Face Racism Too Are you interested in gaining new insight into how racism shapes our lives from our earliest days? Join ZERO TO THREE on December 17 for their online event, “Continuing the Dialogue: Infants and Toddlers Face Racism Too.” About During this event, presenters will share excerpts from the session “Infants and Toddlers Face Racism Too: Science, Practice, and Policy.” Session participants will hear how racism affects America’s youngest residents, discuss this topic together, and learn about strategies and resources that can help address racism and advance equity in early childhood systems, services, and programs. Registration To register, visit the event registration page.
November 24, 2020 ECE Job Openings: 11/26 – 12/2 Are you looking to start or transition your career in the early childhood field? You’re in luck! Early learning programs in Pennsylvania are currently looking to fill positions. To view this week’s featured job descriptions, see the list below. Featured Jobs Education Program Supervisor The Children’s Home is seeking a Full-Time Education Program Supervisor for Child’s Way, a child care center for medically fragile children. This professional will be responsible for the supervision of all educational activities led by the teachers and will be a resource for teachers as well as families. This professional will also be responsible for ensuring that developmentally appropriate programming is provided for children, optimizing their growth and development. To apply, complete the online application. Infant and Toddler Teacher Love, Learn, and Play is looking to hire an Infant and Toddler Teacher who is able to work Monday through Friday. This professional will be responsible for coordinating the curriculum and managing a fun classroom. To apply, email llpchildcaredirector@gmail.com. Submit a Job Description Each week, Trying Together publishes a news post that features employer-submitted job positions from early learning programs across Pennsylvania. Trying Together shares these posts online through our website, social media channels, and newsletter. To make it into next week’s post, please submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Tuesday, December 1. This form is intended for positions in the early childhood field. Job descriptions not related to the early childhood field will not be included. All job descriptions submitted after December 1 will be published in the next week’s news post. Please note that news post publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Search Additional Jobs Are you interested in starting or shifting your career in early childhood care and education? Visit the ECE Hire website or sign up for their weekly newsletter for current job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. To stay up to date on our featured positions and more, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
November 19, 2020 ECE Job Openings: 11/19 – 11/25 Are you looking to start or transition your career in the early childhood field? You’re in luck! Early learning programs in Pennsylvania are currently looking to fill positions. To view this week’s featured job descriptions, see the list below. Featured Jobs Part-Time School Age Teacher Carriage House Children’s Center is seeking a part-time Assistant Teacher to help coordinate enrichment activities for a small classroom of school-age children who are participating in distance learning. Candidates should have a minimum of a high school diploma and at least two years’ documented experience working with children. To apply, complete the online application. For questions, contact chcc@carriagehouse.org. Early Childhood Education Teacher Angel’s Place is seeking an Infant/Toddler Teacher. An ideal candidate would have a Bachelor’s Degree and experience working with at-risk families. To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and references to angelsplacepittsburgh@gmail.com. For more information, visit their website. Lead Educator The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh is seeking Lead Educators for their Infant, Toddler, Preschool, and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms at their Squirrel Hill and South Hills locations. Lead Educators would be responsible for classroom oversight and the implementation of approved curriculum in the Early Childhood team. Interested applicants should have knowledge of the Pennsylvania STARS program, the Reggio Emilia approach, and constructivist social learning theory, or have a willingness to learn! Ideal applicants would have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood with 30 Early Childhood credits. Individuals with non-related Bachelor’s Degrees may also apply. However, they must be enrolled in an accredited Early Childhood program have the willingness to earn a minimum of an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood. To apply, complete the online application. Assistant Educator The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh is seeking Assistant Educators for their Infant, Toddler, Preschool, and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms at their Squirrel Hill and South Hills locations. Assistant Educators would be responsible for assisting the Lead Educator in classroom oversight and the implementation of approved curriculum in the Early Childhood team. Interested applicants should have knowledge of the Pennsylvania STARS program, the Reggio Emilia approach, and constructivist social learning theory, or have a willingness to learn! Ideal applicants would have an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood with 30 Early Childhood credits. Individuals with non-related Bachelor’s Degrees may also apply. However, they must be enrolled in an accredited Early Childhood program have the willingness to earn a minimum of an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood. To apply, complete the online application. Weekend Daytime Therapeutic Child Care Staff Jeremiah’s Place, Pittsburgh’s ONLY Crisis Nursery, is seeking Therapeutic Child Care Staff for their weekend overnight shift (Friday – Sunday; 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.). Staff are responsible for caring for the children at the 24-hour center during these shifts as well as completing housekeeping tasks. If you are a responsible employee who has experience working professionally with children, apply to join Jeremiah’s Place as they strive to maintain the safety of all children in this region! To apply, submit your resume to Jordan Shoenberger at apply@jeremiahsplace.org. Weekend Overnight Therapeutic Child Care Staff Jeremiah’s Place, Pittsburgh’s ONLY Crisis Nursery, is seeking Therapeutic Child Care Staff for their weekend daytime shift (Friday – Sunday; 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.). Staff are responsible for caring for the children at the 24-hour center during the weekends, providing enriching activities and structure for them. If you are a responsible employee who has experience working professionally with children, apply to join Jeremiah’s Place as they strive to maintain the safety of all children in this region! To apply, submit your resume to Jordan Shoenberger at apply@jeremiahsplace.org. Pre-K Counts Lead Teacher Heritage Community Initiatives is seeking a Pre-K Counts Lead Teacher to provide high-quality programming within their assigned classroom of three- to five-year-olds. This professional must be committed to best practices according to Pre-K Counts regulations and guidelines, and must be passionate about the early care and education field and working with children. The Pre-K Counts Lead Teacher must be able to develop and facilitate developmentally, individually, and culturally appropriate practices and intentional teaching. All lesson plans must be based on each individual child’s goals that come from the GOLD assessments and daily observations. To apply, send a cover letter and a copy of your resume to humanresources@heritageserves.org. For additional information about Heritage Community Initiatives, visit their website. Lead Toddler Teacher Crafton Children’s Corner is seeking a Lead Toddler Teacher who is able to work full-time, Monday through Friday. The Lead Toddler Teacher will be responsible for coordinating the curriculum and managing a fun classroom. Interested applicants must have a Childhood Development Associate (CDA) Credential or better. Experience is a plus. To apply, submit your resume to childrenscorner3@verizon.net. For more information about open positions, visit their website. Infant-Pre-Toddler Caregiver Crafton Children’s Corner is seeking an Infant-Pre-Toddler Caregiver who is able to work full-time, Monday through Friday. The Infant-Pre-Toddler Caregiver will assist the Lead Teacher with the curriculum, as well as daily activities and routines of the room. To apply, submit your resume to childrenscorner3@verizon.net. For more information about open positions, visit their website. Toddler Teacher Assistant Mount Washington Children’s Center is seeking a Toddler Teacher Assistant who will share the responsibility of carrying out lesson planning, diaper changing, and helping to prepare a socially, emotionally well-developed toddler. This professional will work with a Toddler Teacher. This position is 40 hours per week and includes benefits. To apply, submit your resume to mwcc15@yahoo.com. Assistant Group Supervisor Fifth Avenue Family Child Care is looking for a dynamic Assistant Group Supervisor with experience working with infants to preschool-aged children to join their team full time, starting in January 2021. They value creativity, child-led exploration, reliability, patience, and building an inclusive community. Providing a safe and enriching environment for play-based learning is a vital aspect of the position. Also included in the responsibilities for this role are: following COVID-19 mitigation protocols, changing diapers, assistance with toilet learning, light food prep, meal assistance, and day to day communication with parents. To apply, email your cover letter and resume to Leah Thompson at thompsonl@theellisschool.org. Submit a Job Description Each week, Trying Together publishes a news post that features employer-submitted job positions from early learning programs across Pennsylvania. Trying Together shares these posts online through our website, social media channels, and newsletter. To make it into next week’s post, please submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Tuesday, November 24. This form is intended for positions in the early childhood field. Job descriptions not related to the early childhood field will not be included. All job descriptions submitted after November 24 will be published in the next week’s news post. Please note that news post publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Search Additional Jobs Are you interested in starting or shifting your career in early childhood care and education? Visit the ECE Hire website or sign up for their weekly newsletter for current job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. To stay up to date on our featured positions and more, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
November 5, 2020 Early Childhood Job Openings: 11/5 – 11/11 Are you looking to start or transition your career in the early childhood field? You’re in luck! Early learning programs in Pennsylvania are currently looking to fill positions. To view this week’s featured job descriptions, see the list below. Featured Jobs Lead Pre-K Teacher Hilltop Children’s Center is looking to hire a Pennsylvania-licensed early childhood educator for their pre-k classroom. This is a year-round position. Interested professionals must be nurturing, empathetic, and dependable. Excellent classroom management skills desired. To apply for this position, please contact lisazappa@hilltopccc.org or submit the online application. Teacher/Assistant Teacher Beulah Christian Preschool and Child Care is looking to hire an experienced, positive educator to successfully lead a team or to work with an established team in providing engaging, developmentally appropriate activities based on the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards within NAEYC high-quality criteria. Successful candidates should be comfortable with all ages and available for an eight-hour shift from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, year-round. To apply for this position, please email Tracy Belmonte at tbelmonte@beulahpresby.org. Young Toddler Teacher Helping Hands Childcare is looking to hire a passionate teacher to work with one- and two-year-old children. Applicants should have two or more years of experience working with children and/or an early childhood degree. Applicants must be able to work between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., and must have or be able to obtain clearances for working with children. This position will start in November. To apply for this position, call 724.695.9200 or email helpinghands001@verizon.net. Please ask for Lori or Melissa. Assistant Group Supervisor Stubblefield’s Childcare and Early Head Start is looking to hire an Assistant Group Supervisor to supervise children ages six months to 12-years-old. To apply for this position, please email stubblefielddaycare@yahoo.com. Metropolitan Preschool and Nursery Metropolitan Preschool and Nursery is looking to hire Group Supervisors and Assistant Group Supervisors to ensure that all children are actively supervised and that their individual needs are met. To apply for this position, contact Dawn Fowler at 412.281.8315 or info@pghchild.care. Early Learning Program Certification Representative The Allegheny County Department of Human Services is looking to hire an Early Learning Program Certification Representative to conduct inspections of child care facilities and assess compliance with regulations that are in place to ensure the health and safety of children in regulated child care settings. This is a full-time position. This professional must be willing to travel. To qualify, applicants must meet a Pennsylvania residency requirement and have at least two years of professional experience providing direct services to children and youth and a bachelor’s degree that includes 24 semester hours of college-level courses related to early childhood, or have an equivalent combination of professional experience and training. Before you apply, please read the full job description. If you qualify, please contact Abigail O’Shura at 717.772.2219 or aoshura@pa.gov to apply. Submit a Job Description Each week, Trying Together publishes a news post that features employer-submitted job positions from early learning programs across Pennsylvania. Trying Together shares these posts online through our website, social media channels, and newsletter. To make it into next week’s post, please submit the Child Care Provider Job Post Submission Form no later than Wednesday, November 11. This form is intended for positions in the early childhood field. Job descriptions not related to the early childhood field will not be included. All job descriptions submitted after November 11 will be published in the next week’s news post. Please note that news post publication dates may vary due to state and federal holidays. For questions, contact Lainey Yockey at lainey@tryingtogether.org. Search Additional Jobs Are you interested in starting or shifting your career in early childhood care and education? Visit the ECE Hire website or sign up for their weekly newsletter for current job listings and helpful tips on interviewing, resumes, and more. To stay up to date on our featured positions and more, follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
October 19, 2020 Using Ages and Stages Questionnaires® as a Screening Tool This event is full. Additional Ages and Stages courses will be offered in January 2021. Are you interested in learning how to use Ages and Stages Questionnaires® as a screening tool for children ages three months to five years? Join Trying Together on November 20 for our virtual course, “Using Ages and Stages Questionnaires® as a Screening Tool.” About During this course, participants will learn how to use the ASQ® and ASQ:SE® as a screening tool for children ages three months to five years. The session will provide information on how to administer and score the screener and share results of the screener with families. Information about additional resources for making referrals to services will be included if needed. Session Details Session Date: Saturday, November 20, 2020 | 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Instructor: Pamela Zimmerman Core Knowledge Area: Assessment CDA Content Area: Observing & Recording Behavior Registration Deadline: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 Registration To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. PQAS and Act 48 credit available. 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 pdregistry@pakeys.org for more information. More Information For questions or more information, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
