September 8, 2020 Supporting Fathers as Central to Family Life Are you interested in learning about what changes are needed to make room for fathers in the “first shift” of family life? Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center on November 17 for their webinar, “From ‘Second Shift’ to ‘First Shift’: Supporting Fathers as Central to Family Life.” About This webinar will focus on institutional, practitioner, and family changes that must occur to make room for fathers in the “first shift” of family life. It will showcase a user-friendly tool from the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) program that can help organizations assess their “father friendliness.” Agency and program changes that increase fathers’ inclusion in family life will be shared. Presenters will highlight fathers’ contributions to family life in over-burdened, under-resourced communities, which often go unrecognized. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website.
Parent and Child Voices: Fathering and Co-Parenting Are you interested in learning about the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) program? Join Brazelton Touchpoints Center on October 20 for their webinar, “Parent and Child Voices: The Importance of Fathering and Co-Parenting.” About This webinar will feature the voices of children, fathers, and mothers on the importance of fathering and co-parenting. Presenters will explore how the SFI program helps parents learn to hear what their partners and children need, and figure out—together—the routines, parenting strategies, and future plans they want to keep or change to best sustain their family. The webinar will include short videos of children talking about what their father’s presence or absence means to them, and of parents discussing how SFI changed their families. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Brazelton Touchpoints Center website.
August 24, 2020 Early Childhood Garden Education Program Available Interested in integrating garden and cooking activities into its classroom curriculum? Submit your application today for Grow Pittsburgh and the Sampson Foundation’s Early Childhood Garden Education Program. About Grow Pittsburgh and the Sampson Foundation are offering an Early Childhood Garden Education Program for early childhood centers across the Pittsburgh region. Gardens are outdoor classrooms that are adaptable to most play yards and are designed to fit the space and needs of each center. The program will integrate garden and cooking activities into the classroom curriculum to support the development and education of the whole child. The partnership aims to support educators in teaching their students how to grow, cook, and eat fresh food while celebrating the cultures and experiences of their families and city. To learn more about the program, view the full description. Eligibility To be eligible for this program, early childhood centers must: complete and submit the application (parts 1-6, including photos); be located in Allegheny County; be an early childhood facility (includes: family, group, and center) licensed in Pennsylvania; have at least five organized and motivated people in your garden leadership group (can include staff and parents, but must include at least three teachers interested in supporting the program), exceptions made for smaller facilities; have signatures of support from both the director and head custodian; have a sustainable site for gardening on the property that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day with supporting photos for the completion of Part 3 (Grow Pittsburgh can provide support); have enrollment that includes at least 50 percent of children receiving subsidized funds through CCIS, CACFP, Head Start, or Pre-K Counts. If your program doesn’t meet these criteria, please submit as much information as possible and program hosts will work to help you in alternative ways. Submit An Application To apply, complete and submit the application. Applications can be submitted via email at victoria@growpittsburgh.org or postal mail at: Grow Pittsburgh 6587 Hamilton Ave #2W Pittsburgh, PA 15206 More Information For general application questions and assistance, please contact Victoria Thurmond at 678.977.9389 or victoria@growpittsburgh.org.
August 7, 2020 Brown Mamas Launches Mama Mentorship Initiative Are you interested in receiving advice, resource assistance, and emotional support from a mama mentor? Sign up to join Brown Mamas’ new Mama Mentorship program! About Motherhood can be tough, and it becomes even more challenging when you don’t have anyone to ask for advice, assist in resource acquisition, and lean on for mental and emotional support. That’s why Brown Mamas launched its Mama Mentorship Initiative. By galvanizing the collective knowledge in the Black mothering community, Brown Mamas will provide their moms with access to a group of mothering elders who have wisdom and experiences to share. Once per month, Brown Mamas will host virtual Mama Mentoring sessions for up to 15 mamas. They will work with experienced moms from the local community to mentor new and ‘in the thick of it’ mamas through their motherhood journey. The first Mama Mentorship cohort begins in August. Registration If you are interested in joining Brown Mamas’ Mama Mentorship program, visit their website to complete the online signup form. More Information This information was provided by Brown Mamas. For more information, visit the Brown Mamas website.
July 21, 2020 Child Care Works Payment Practice Changes Effective 9/1 On July 17, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) issued an announcement stating that starting September 1, 2020, Child Care Works (CCW) payments will return to payment practices and policies based on attendance and invoicing for all children. This will remain true regardless of when a child was enrolled with the provider. Additional Policy Changes In addition, the following policies will again be effective starting September 1: absences will be tracked and counted towards the 40 days of absences for all children; children’s enrollment after five days of absence will be suspended until the child returns to care; all Adverse Action notices will be sent to families per policy; dual enrollments, the practice implemented under COVID-19 to support both a closed provider and families who need care, will end; and collection of family co-pays will resume. The announcement is intended to provide advance notice to child care providers, allowing them to plan for the use of final CARES Act funding which will be issued in August. Providers should communicate the resumption of absence policies (effective September 1) to the families they serve. More Information For more information, view OCDEL’s full announcement or contact your local ELRC.
July 17, 2020 Antiracist Dialogues for Action: Antiracist Out-of-School Time Programs Are you interested in learning, sharing knowledge, and working together with fellow changemakers to dismantle racism and injustice? Join ELIE Circle on August 12 for “Antiracist Dialogues for Action: Antiracist Out-of-School Time Programs.” About On August 12, ELIE Circle will hold the second virtual meeting of the Antiracist Dialogues for Action – convenings for out-of-school time educators (e.g., afterschool staff, librarians, teaching artists, researchers) to learn, share knowledge, and work together to dismantle racism and injustice. The dialogues consist of the following: a 30-minute presentation providing context, research, and historical perspectives on main dialogue topics; a 45-minute small group dialogue on a related subtopic for participants to a) share collective knowledge and b) work with other educators to determine goals and next steps; and a 15-minute closing and larger group share out. All dialogues are designed for educators which includes those that are working directly with young people in any capacity and those at out-of-school-time organizations without direct contact. These dialogues are categorized in two categories: Educators and Youth Work. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
July 16, 2020 COVID-19 Supplies Distribution Event for Child Care Providers About Trying Together, Global Links, and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 are partnering to ensure that 650 licensed child care operators in Allegheny County are fully equipped with the protective and cleaning supplies they need to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy environment for children and employees. All licensed child care providers in Allegheny County are eligible to receive cleaning supplies and safety equipment. Providers must have their tax identification (EIN) numbers read for staff at the distribution site. What’s Included Child care operators are invited to visit a distribution location to receive: an infrared, no-touch thermometer; gloves for diaper changes and cleaning; hand sanitizer; disinfectant; reusable cloth masks; reusable clear plastic face shield; and one case of tissues. Available Dates and Locations Distribution at Global Links | Register Wednesday, July 22 | 1 – 3 p.m. 700 Trumbull Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 Distribution at LaRoche University | Register Thursday, July 23 | 1 – 3 p.m. 9000 Babcock Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Distribution at Edgewood Town Centre | Register Friday, July 24 | 1 – 3 p.m. 1763 South Braddock Avenue, Swissvale, PA 15218 See a map of each distribution location. Registration To ensure enough supplies are available, please register for the date and location of your choice via the PPE Supply Pickup Form. Each provider must sign up separately. Providers with multiple locations should sign up for each program, specifying the program name on each form. More Information The purchase and distribution of supplies are made possible through the generous support of local foundations. For more information, call 412.350.3577 or visit elrc5.alleghenycounty.us.
COVID-19 Supplies Distribution Event for Child Care Providers About Trying Together, Global Links, and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 are partnering to ensure that 650 licensed child care operators in Allegheny County are fully equipped with the protective and cleaning supplies they need to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy environment for children and employees. All licensed child care providers in Allegheny County are eligible to receive cleaning supplies and safety equipment. Providers must have their tax identification (EIN) numbers read for staff at the distribution site. What’s Included Child care operators are invited to visit a distribution location to receive: an infrared, no-touch thermometer; gloves for diaper changes and cleaning; hand sanitizer; disinfectant; reusable cloth masks; reusable clear plastic face shield; and one case of tissues. Available Dates and Locations Distribution at Global Links | Register Wednesday, July 22 | 1 – 3 p.m. 700 Trumbull Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 Distribution at LaRoche University | Register Thursday, July 23 | 1 – 3 p.m. 9000 Babcock Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Distribution at Edgewood Town Centre | Register Friday, July 24 | 1 – 3 p.m. 1763 South Braddock Avenue, Swissvale, PA 15218 See a map of each distribution location. Registration To ensure enough supplies are available, please register for the date and location of your choice via the PPE Supply Pickup Form. Each provider must sign up separately. Providers with multiple locations should sign up for each program, specifying the program name on each form. More Information The purchase and distribution of supplies are made possible through the generous support of local foundations. For more information, call 412.350.3577 or visit elrc5.alleghenycounty.us.
COVID-19 Supplies Distribution Event for Child Care Providers About Trying Together, Global Links, and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 are partnering to ensure that 650 licensed child care operators in Allegheny County are fully equipped with the protective and cleaning supplies they need to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy environment for children and employees. All licensed child care providers in Allegheny County are eligible to receive cleaning supplies and safety equipment. Providers must have their tax identification (EIN) numbers read for staff at the distribution site. What’s Included Child care operators are invited to visit a distribution location to receive: an infrared, no-touch thermometer; gloves for diaper changes and cleaning; hand sanitizer; disinfectant; reusable cloth masks; reusable clear plastic face shield; and one case of tissues. Available Dates and Locations Distribution at Global Links | Register Wednesday, July 22 | 1 – 3 p.m. 700 Trumbull Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 Distribution at LaRoche University | Register Thursday, July 23 | 1 – 3 p.m. 9000 Babcock Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Distribution at Edgewood Town Centre | Register Friday, July 24 | 1 – 3 p.m. 1763 South Braddock Avenue, Swissvale, PA 15218 See a map of each distribution location. Registration To ensure enough supplies are available, please register for the date and location of your choice via the PPE Supply Pickup Form. Each provider must sign up separately. Providers with multiple locations should sign up for each program, specifying the program name on each form. More Information The purchase and distribution of supplies are made possible through the generous support of local foundations. For more information, call 412.350.3577 or visit elrc5.alleghenycounty.us.
July 15, 2020 T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Fall 2020 Deadline Early childhood education professionals interested in attending college for the fall semester can submit applications to receive a T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education And Compensation Helps) Scholarship. Eligibility The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) offers a variety of T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to meet the needs of the early care and education workforce in center and home-based settings. Eligible applicants must: work a minimum of 25-30 hours per week directly with children in a DHS-certified child care program; make $19 or less an hour ($25 or less per hour for directors); and be interested in pursuing coursework at a participating college toward a degree or credential in early childhood. Scholarship awards are dependent upon the availability of funds and priorities of funders. Other eligibility criteria may apply are subject to change without notice. See the brochure. Application Details To be considered for the Fall 2020 semester, T.E.A.C.H. applications must be completed and submitted with all required documentation by Friday, August 7, 2020. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however, incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. New scholarship awards for the Fall 2020 semester will be dependent upon funding availability at that time. Interested applicants should also begin the college admissions process now and contact an early childhood education (ECE) advisor at their intended college/university. This helps to ensure that scholarship applicants are admitted to their college/university and can register for courses if/when they receive a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship. T.E.A.C.H. can provide contact information for early childhood education advisors at partnering institutions if needed. Submit an Application To download a scholarship application, visit the PACCA website. Completed applications must be submitted to PACCA by Friday, August 7 through one of the following methods: Email: teachinfo@pacca.org Fax: 717.657.0959 Mail: 20 Erford Road, Suite 302 Lemoyne, PA 17043 More Information For questions about scholarship eligibility and requirements, contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor at 717.657.9000.
