March 30, 2020 Using Sesame Street in Communities: Resources to Offer Comfort Join Sesame Workshop and Brazelton Touchpoints Center on May 6 for their second webinar in the Caring For Each Other series to explore Resources on Offering Comfort. About Together with early childhood experts from Abriendo Puertas and the United Way Greater Houston Bright Beginnings Program, Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Sesame Workshop will address the importance of giving and receiving comfort and model ways to handle stress. Presenters will also show you some of Sesame Workshop’s easy-to-use and accessible tools that remind children of the circle of care that surrounds them. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. For more workshops and courses, click here.
Using Sesame Street in Communities Resources for Health Emergencies Join Sesame Workshop and Brazelton Touchpoints Center on April 1, 2020 for a 60-minute conversation about how to use Sesame Street videos, games, and other assets so families can feel healthy, find comfort, and learn playfully at home! About Sesame Workshop and the Brazelton Touchpoints Center are partnering to share helpful online resources to stay informed, engaged, and responsive to the needs of children and families in your neighborhood through health emergencies. As a result of COVID-19, families around the world are needing to adjust, adapt, and keep each other safe. In response, Sesame Workshop is launching the Caring for Each Other initiative—a long-term commitment to supporting families for the duration of this crisis. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
March 24, 2020 Questions Answered for Families During Time of Uncertainty Join the PEAL Center on Wednesday, March 25 for their webinar, “Questions Answered for Families During Time of Uncertainty.” About In this webinar, PEAL Center team members will review the latest information and identify key information for families who have children with IEPs. Their goal is to ensure that families understand their rights under IDEA while encouraging collaborative problem solving and creative solutions. By attending, participants will hear about critical and timely information, including evolving guidance, resources for families, strategies for progress monitoring at home, and answers to questions you may have. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
March 23, 2020 Mindfulness in Early Childhood: Practical Strategies for Immediate Use Join the Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) for their webinar “Mindfulness in Early Childhood: An Overview with Practical Strategies for Immediate Use” to learn about key phrases and techniques that reduce stress and increase awareness in early childhood education. About This webinar will provide a general overview of mindfulness with a strong focus on how you can use key phrases and techniques in your professional life and in working with families to support stress reduction and an increase in awareness. In addition, the intent is to provide access to these same tools to reduce the burdens and stressors faced by the families with whom you work. The key component will be to focus on “attention” and “the now” as it pertains to the space between what is happening in the moment and your response. The ability to become aware of our emotions and regulate the manner in which we respond will support the work that you do on a daily basis. Opportunities will be afforded for self-reflection and the application of these tools in the future. You will leave this webinar with practical strategies and resources that you can implement immediately. Additional resources will also be shared that will enable you to move forward in your own journey of exploring mindfulness. Registration Interested individuals can register to attend the live webinar on the following dates: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 1 – 3 p.m. To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. Both webinars will be recorded and made available for viewing on the Pennsylvania Family Support Programs website.
March 20, 2020 Literacy in a Time of Rapid Change: Strategies & Resources for Virtual Learning Join literacy experts, authors, and experienced virtual educators, Dr. Troy Hicks and Shaelynn Farnsworth, for the webinar, “Literacy in a Time of Rapid Change: Strategies and Resources for Virtual Learning,” as they discuss resources and strategies to best support remote teaching and learning. About In this webinar, presenters will explore ways to virtually teach and engage students in literacy learning by sharing curricular content, edtech tools, resources, communities, and tips to get participants thinking critically and creatively in this time of crisis. As educators are working to meet the needs of all students virtually, it is important to also be mindful of issues related to equity, accessibility, and student populations with special needs. This webinar will be of interest to kindergarten through higher education teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, curriculum and instruction, TOSAs and coaches, assistant superintendents, and tech directors. There will be time to have your questions answered at the end of the presentation. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
December 18, 2019 Online Resource: Supporting Children with Hearing Loss To support families and professionals who interact with children with hearing loss, Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) developed an online resource titled, “Getting Started: Supporting Children with Hearing Loss.” About In the first section of their free course, EITA says that “families who have just received word that their child is deaf or hard of hearing can display a wide range of reactions,” with most wondering what caused the hearing loss in the first place. To increase family and professional knowledge and awareness about hearing, hearing loss, and available supports in Pennsylvania, EITA created the “Getting Started: Supporting Children with Hearing Loss” course. In it, EITA highlights important information and resources, including first steps, communication and language resources, best practices, and more. Click here to view the resource. More Information For more information and to access the resource, visit the EITA website.
October 30, 2019 OCDEL Announces New Community Survey About Every five years, states have the opportunity to learn about the well-being of families of young children in local communities. Pennsylvania is asking any individual living in the state to complete this short survey. Through the data collected, Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will better understand the resources for families living in your community. Survey responses will be used statewide and locally to inform Family Support Services, such as parenting classes and home visiting services. Hearing from everyone is important! Whether you’re a parent or a provider of family and early childhood services, please complete and share this survey. Take the OCDEL Community Survey In English Please take about five to ten minutes to complete the survey. Your input is critical to informing stakeholders about the factors that may affect the well-being of young children and families in communities across Pennsylvania. If you wish to complete the OCDEL Community Survey in English, enter the following link into your web browser: is.gd/surveypa En Español Le pedimos que pase entre 5 a 10 minutos para contestar la encuesta. Sus aportes son muy importantes para nosotros ya que nos ayudarán a identificar y comprender los factores que pueden afectar la salud dentro de su familia y su comunidad en Pennsylvania. Si desea completar la encuesta en español, meter el enlace siguiente en su navegador de internet: is.gd/encuestapa More Information To learn more, read the full announcement. *Information provided by OCDEL
October 25, 2019 What’s It Really Worth? How to Run a Profitable Child Care Business In this professional development course, participants will learn the basic principles of operating the business of a child care program. Strategies to maximize profits and minimize expenses, public funding sources, and STARS participation effects will be highlighted. This session is intended for program directors of centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes. Course Timeline: November 11 – December 9, 2019 CKC: D8.4 C2, D8.2 C3, D8.7 Keystone STARS Alignment: LM. 2.1 / CDA:5 and 6 Four professional development hours available after completion. Limited spaces are available. Questions For more information on how to register, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network. Registration To register, complete the form below.
August 2, 2019 PA DHS Announces KinConnector Helpline On August 1, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (PA DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Aging Secretary Robert Torres announced a helpline for families in kinship care situations, including grandparents raising their grandchildren because of the opioid crisis. About The KinConnector helpline was created by Act 89 of 2018, which established a kinship navigator program for Pennsylvania. KinConnector will act as a bridge that helps families identify resources, including gaining access to local, state, and federal resources. The KinConnector helpline is staffed by Kinship Navigators–compassionate, knowledgeable social service professionals prepared to help families locate, understand, and access resources that may be able to help them. This helpline, however, is just the beginning. A website of resources is set to launch in late 2019. KinConnector Helpline KinConnector can be reached by calling 1.866.KIN.2111 (1.866.546.2111). Assistance is available Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services Examples of provided services include: connecting caregivers to health, financial, and legal services, connecting caregivers to training and parenting advice, identifying local physical or behavioral services, identifying support groups, helping caregivers enroll a child in school, helping caregivers apply for federal, state, and local benefits such as CHIP and Social Security, and other services designed to support caregivers. Why Kinship Matters Kinship care is becoming more common in Pennsylvania, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings often stepping in to fill the role of parents who are seeking treatment or, in the most tragic cases, have died from the disease of addiction. Kinship care guardians often make a selfless choice to care for a young relative and ensure they receive care and support from a family member they know and trust, even when processing their own emotions around their family’s situation. Children being cared for by relatives are less likely to end up in foster care and will experience better outcomes when they are living with a relative or someone they know. KinConnector will help ease the burden on these families and give them the tools and resources they need to be successful. More Information For more information on resources available for kinship families and grandparents raising grandchildren, visit dhs.pa.gov. Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
May 13, 2019 Lunch & Learn: Sensory Learning & the Autism Spectrum Join Parents in Toto Autism Resource Center, Seneca Valley School District, and Remake Learning to discuss the importance of sensory learning for youth on the autism spectrum, benefits of this learning, and the parent resources that are available. About Educators, administrators, community organization leaders, and parents are highly encouraged to attend and take part in this important conversation surrounding differently-abled youth in the region. Lunch will be served. More details and accessibility will be noted in an email closer to the event. For any dietary restrictions or requests, email Allie at allie@remakelearning.org. The deadline for restriction requests is June 19, 2019. Registration This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, visit the event webpage. For questions about the event or accessibility, email Allie at allie@remakelearning.org.
