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July 9, 2019

DHS Licensed Providers: Plan of Correction Notice

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is offering training for all DHS licensed providers on completing a Plan of Correction (POC).

About

This free, live webinar training will focus on the elements needed for the foundation of an acceptable POC. It is strongly recommended that all facility staff involved in completing POCs attend one webinar session. Each scheduled webinar will last approximately one hour. Only one webinar should be attended, as the material covered will be the same in each session.

Webinar Dates

The dates for the webinars are as follows:

    • Tuesday, July 16, 9:30 – 10: 30 a.m.
    • Tuesday, July 16, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
    • Wednesday, July 17, 10:30 – 11: 30 a.m.
    • Wednesday, July 17, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
    • Tuesday, July 23, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
    • Wednesday, July 24, 10:30 – 11: 30 a.m.
    • Wednesday, July 24, 1:30 – 2: 30 p.m.
    • Thursday, July 25, 9:30 – 10: 30 a.m.

Registration

To register for a training session, visit the registration web page.

Space is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. After registering, you will receive a link to connect you to the webinar training.

Unable to Attend?

If you are unable to attend one of these webinar sessions, DHS will be offering a similar training in a self-paced format in late July 2019. Additional information will be shared on how to access the self-paced training in the future.

*Information provided by the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning

News

New Clearance Required for Child Care Providers

Due to a federal requirement under the reauthorization of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), child care providers are required to complete a new clearance—the National Crime Information Center/National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR).

About

The NSOR clearance will verify that a check of the National Sex Offenders Registry was conducted and if the individual can or cannot work for a regulated child care provider. This clearance is required in addition to a Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check for Employment or Volunteers, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Fingerprinting.

There is no fee for the NSOR clearance.

Requirements

The following individuals must complete the NSOR verification certificate by July 1, 2020:

    • any individual 18 years or older residing in the child care facility;
    • all individuals working for Regulated Child Care Providers;
    • any individual with an ownership interest (corporate or non-corporate) in a Regulated Child Care Provider and who participates in the organization and management of the operation.

Application Process

By late summer/early fall 2019, there will be a paper application process for the NSOR clearance, and in late fall there will be an electronic process in place at keepkidssafe.pa.gov.

Learn More

For more information on required clearances, visit the Keep Kids Safe website.

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*Information provided by the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning

News

July 8, 2019

Safe Travels: Keeping Children Safe from the Heat

Traveling with children in the car isn’t always easy, especially if there has been a change in a parent’s routine or schedule. When caregivers feel tired or distracted, they may put their child or other children at risk due to unsafe vehicle behaviors.

Overview

Even if the outside temperature feels cool, leaving a child in the car, intentionally or unintentionally, is dangerous. While outside temperatures may be in the mid-60s, the temperature inside a vehicle can quickly rise above 110°F, rising almost 20°F within the first 10 minutes. However, the risk of leaving a young child in the car is completely preventable.

Preventative Measures

Read these tips from Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock! to learn how to keep your child safe:

Never leave a child alone in a motor vehicle.

Leaving a child alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke. It takes only minutes for a vehicle to heat up and become deadly. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s.

Make a habit of checking your back seat.

Place your purse, cell phone, briefcase, backpack or other items you typically carry in the backseat when you enter the vehicle. Put the diaper bag in the front seat with you as a reminder that your child is still in the vehicle. Open the back door to check the back seat when you exit your vehicle.

If you see a child unattended in a vehicle, call 911.

Immediately call 911 if you see a child unattended in a vehicle. Provide the 911 operator with as much information as you can–type and color of vehicle, location in the parking lot, etc. Stay with the vehicle–don’t go into a store or office and assume the police are on their way. Check to see if the vehicle doors are unlocked.

After parking your car, lock it. Children who get inside an unlocked vehicle can become trapped.

A vehicle may be a tempting hiding spot for playing children. Lock your vehicle to prevent children from getting inside.

*Information provided by PA Promise for Children

News

June 14, 2019

Family Involvement Conference XLV

Join the Pennsylvania Coalition for Parent Involvement this October for the Family Involvement Conference.

About

The Family Involvement Conference is presented to you by the Pennsylvania Coalition for Parent Involvement Ltd. in collaboration with the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE).

This conference is based upon the premise that active family involvement in the education process is the key to effective schools and student achievement. Its goal is to bring together, in a common forum, school administrators, teachers, community members, and parents, to interact and address issues that are vital to academic success and the well being of our children. This includes afterschool and out-of-school-time programs, special needs children and early childhood education.

Join with colleagues and parents to share ideas about how to make this partnership a reality in your school.

Registration Fees

Registration fees vary depending on selected type:

    • Individual Rate with Meals: $450 per person
    • Individual Rate without Meals: $220 per person
    • Group Rate with Meals (5+): $425 per person
    • Group Rate without Meals (5+): $180 per person
    • Day Attendees (with lunch): $135 per person, per day

Registration

Participants must register for this event, and forms may be submitted via mail, email, or fax.

To learn more about how to register, visit the Family Involvement Conference website.

Learn More

For questions, call 610.250.9455 or visit the Family Involvement Conference website.

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News

May 29, 2019

Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Sign Up Moving to PD Registry

Beginning Fall 2019, applicants will apply for the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program through the PD Registry.

About the Program

The Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Program pays 95% of tuition costs for eligible college coursework taken by early learning professionals, with a maximum benefit of $6,000 per individual each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). The program covers tuition costs only and does not include books, materials, or fees. Tuition costs net of other funding sources such as scholarships, stipends, discounts, or grants (except the Pell Grant) are used to determine the amount of assistance. It is recommended completed applications be submitted at least four weeks prior to the start of the course, or prior to the tuition due date, whichever is first.

Access the Program Before Fall 2019

During the transition, The Pennsylvania Key is still currently accepting applications for the 2018-19 fiscal year and summer classes. Early learning professionals taking coursework beginning before fall semester are welcome to apply using the current process in the Portal. At this time, applications will not be reviewed for the fall semester.

More Information

For new eligibility requirements and to stay up-to-date on the ongoing changes, visit the Pennsylvania Key website.

*Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key

News

HundrED Announces Pittsburgh Spotlight Selections

In March of 2019, HundrED released their full list of Pittsburgh Spotlight innovation submissions. Now, after two months of careful deliberation and assessment, HundrED has announced their 12 featured innovative solutions.

About the Spotlight

In partnership with the Grable Foundation and Remake Learning, HundrED’s Pittsburgh Spotlight shines a light on the educators and innovators doing extraordinary things to help students in southwestern Pennsylvania succeed. Receiving 82 individual submissions from southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia schools, museums, libraries, nonprofits, government agencies, and more, the Pittsburgh Spotlight is a great opportunity for changemakers to highlight, celebrate, and learn more about the work happening in local communities.

While HundrED Spotlights are designed to identify 10 of the most inspiring innovations that focus on a location or theme, Lasse Leponiemi, Executive Director and Co-Founder of HundrED said,

“Pittsburgh broke that mold. The response was so robust that we chose to expand our selection to 12 innovations.”

Selected Innovations

    • Simple Interactions: This research project of the Fred Rogers Center creates free tools and resources to give educators a language for noticing and affirming their interactions with young children. These simple interactions support relationships between children and adults.
    • Fabricating Change in Mental Wellness: Students diagnosed with mental health conditions work side by side with social workers, therapists, and teachers in this digital Fab Lab at Intermediate Unit 1. The results: increased participation, improved engagement, and fewer disruptions.
    • The Finch: Borne out of research about what engages and excites students in learning computer science, this robot developed by BirdBrain Technologies can be programmed to do physical actions in 9 different coding languages. A free loan program makes it widely available to schools.
    • Global Minds Initiative: Founded, designed, and run by students, this after-school program combats intolerance by fostering intercultural friendships and global understanding. Immigrant and refugee students come together with their peers in safe, inclusive spaces.
    • Hillman Academy: At this 8-week full-time summer program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, high school students perform cancer research under the mentorship of world-renowned scientists in a rigorous, supportive, real-world STEM environment.
    • JAM: Two first-grade girls’ interest in making things to help their community has blossomed into an after-school maker learning program at Avonworth School District that is a catalyst for kindness in school and an engine for raising funds for community causes.
    • MAKESHOP: The first museum makerspace, this permanent exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a research-based learning environment where children and families make, play, and design using “real stuff.”  And they offer professional development, maker learning resources, and more.
    • Summer Dreamers Academy: By combining the academic benefits of summer school with the fun of camp, this free summer program run by Pittsburgh Public Schools reduces summer learning loss while giving Pittsburgh students fun, enriching summer experiences.
    • transformED:  Allegheny Intermediate Unit is rethinking teacher professional development and support for school districts implementing innovative practices. At transformED, educators explore, discover, invent, and learn.
    • Youth Express: Students use the tools of radio to create and distribute original programming through Saturday Light Brigade‘s 24/7 radio station. Programming is based on the idea that when youth realize that their voice matters, they realize that they matter.

To learn more, visit the HundrED website.

See HundrED’s official release.

About HundrED

HundrED is a not-for-profit organization that researches, highlights, and propels K-12 education innovations in an effort to improve education and inspire a grassroots movement by encouraging pedagogically sound, ambitious inventions to spread across the world. The Pittsburgh Spotlight is one of 6 individual spotlight categories, all centered around specific regions or topics. Through this spotlight, HundrED seeks to highlight educators and innovators in our area that are doing extraordinary things to help students.

Interested in highlighting your innovative solution? Submit your innovation for HundrED’s 2020 Global Collection by June 30, 2019.

*Information provided by HundrED

News

May 28, 2019

Cast Your Vote: 2019 WQED Reader’s Choice Award

Community members are invited to take part in selecting the 2019 WQED Reader’s Choice Award Winner by casting their votes by Friday, May 31.

About

For the past 10 years, WQED has partnered with The EQT Corporation to present the Writers Contest to children throughout their viewing area. Through the support of EQT, WQED has been able to reach out directly to schools, libraries, and families throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia to encourage children to submit their original stories and illustrations.

In the 10 years of sponsorship from EQT, WQED has received over 12,000 story entries, communicated with hundreds of teachers and librarians to provide them with resources, impacted thousands of WQED viewers with messages about the contest, and provided a website full of information that encourages students and arms adults with relevant literacy information.

Cast Your Vote

Voting is now open and will end on Friday, May 31st at 12:00 p.m. The Reader’s Choice Award Winner will be announced on Monday, June 3. To learn more and cast your vote, visit the WQED website.

*Information provided by WQED

News

May 22, 2019

City Receives Grant to Support Safe Travel for Schoolchildren

On May 22, 2019, officials from Mayor William Peduto’s administration discussed a state grant of more than $450,000 to support safe routes to school for elementary and middle school students in Pittsburgh.

About

A bill was discussed at Pittsburgh City Council’s standing committees meeting accepting $464,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, which provides assistance to municipalities to support the creation of safe and appealing alternatives to single occupant vehicle travel.

More than 30 million Americans nationwide transport their children to and from schools every day, which research shows increases hazardous road conditions and harms the environment. The Safe Routes to School program seeks to address that by supporting walking and biking to school, leading to eased traffic conditions and better health for schoolchildren.

“The ability to walk or bike to school has long been one of the classic characteristics of Pittsburgh, but over recent decades it has become increasingly hazardous for children, who are our most valuable and vulnerable travelers,” said Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) Director Karina Ricks. “This grant will allow us to dedicate resources to help us collaborate with school leaders and parents to identify areas where low-cost improvements can be rapidly implemented.”

What’s Next?

DOMI is proposing using the PennDOT grant to hire a Safe Routes to School coordinator who is part educator, part engineer and will work on programming for students to walk and bike more easily. The coordinator will work on traffic calming and other safety improvements on streets near schools best suited for walking and biking.

Once approved, DOMI plans to have a person in the position by the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.

Learn More

To learn more about PennDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program, visit their website.

*Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh

News

May 16, 2019

Foster Care Awareness and National Mental Health Month

Did you know that May is Foster Care Awareness Month and National Mental Health Month? In recognition of these important subjects, Every Child Inc. has highlighted information and statistics for individuals to consider as we work to better support Pennsylvania’s children, families, caregivers, and community members.

 

 

Foster Care Facts

    • Approximately 13,000 – 15,000 PA children are currently in foster care and part of the child welfare system.
    • Between 400,000 – 500,000 children in the U.S. are in foster care each year.
    • In 2013, more than 8,000 youth 13 and older lived in the foster care system in PA.
    • One in four PA youth who “age out” of the system experience homelessness and/or struggle with mental health challenges such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders, with nearly 1 in 4 youth having been arrested since leaving care.
    • Young PA women in foster care are two and a half times more likely to become pregnant by 19 than young women were not in foster care.

Mental Health Facts

    • ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children.
    • Treatment rates vary among different mental disorders:
        • Nearly 8 in 10 children (78.1%) aged 3-17 years with depression received treatment.
        • 6 in 10 children (59.3%) aged 3-17 years with anxiety received treatment.
        • More than 5 in 10 children (53.5%) aged 3-17 years with behavior disorders received treatment.
    • Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders begin in early childhood:
        • 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2–8 years (17.4%) had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

News

May 14, 2019

Imagination Library Online Registration Now Open

On April 27, 2019, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced that a new program will offer free monthly books to Pittsburgh children from birth to age five. The program is currently accepting applications from parents and guardians.

About the Program

The free book program – in conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Benter Foundation, and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania – will mail all eligible children an age-appropriate book every month up until their fifth birthday. Participating children will receive their first book through the U.S. Postal Services six to eight weeks after the registration form has been received.

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, and
    • notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes.

Registration

To sign up for this program, register your children online via the Imagination Library website!

Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details.

More Information

For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux via email (tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov) or phone (412.255.2505).