January 4, 2023 Women’s Rap Are you a single mom or caregiver in need of some self-care? Women’s Rap provides a safe place for communication, encouragement, and reflection. Event Details Second Friday of Every Month 6 – 7:30 p.m. Location The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Learn More For more information, contact Nicole Banner at 412.545.5039 or nicole@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
Women’s Rap Are you a single mom or caregiver in need of some self-care? Women’s Rap provides a safe place for communication, encouragement, and reflection. Event Details Second Friday of Every Month 6 – 7:30 p.m. Location The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Learn More For more information, contact Nicole Banner at 412.545.5039 or nicole@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
Women’s Rap Are you a single mom or caregiver in need of some self-care? Women’s Rap provides a safe place for communication, encouragement, and reflection. Event Details Second Friday of Every Month 6 – 7:30 p.m. Location The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Learn More For more information, contact Nicole Banner at 412.545.5039 or nicole@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
Women’s Rap Are you a single mom or caregiver in need of some self-care? Women’s Rap provides a safe place for communication, encouragement, and reflection. Event Details Second Friday of Every Month 6 – 7:30 p.m. Location The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center 7219 Kelly Street Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Learn More For more information, contact Nicole Banner at 412.545.5039 or nicole@tryingtogether.org. Learn more about the Homewood Early Learning Hub and Family Center on the Trying Together website. Please share this flyer with your networks.
May 5, 2022 Provider Appreciation Day Proclamations Friday, May 6, 2022, has been proclaimed as Provider Appreciation Day in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh. About Provider Appreciation Day National Provider Appreciation Day is recognized on the Friday before Mother’s Day to celebrate essential workers providing care to young children and thanking child care providers for their work. Allegheny County Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has formally proclaimed Friday, May 6, 2022 as Provider Appreciation Day in Allegheny County. The proclamation was presented to Trying Together during a meeting on May 4 with staff members Emily Neff, Director of Public Policy, and Jan Sapotichne, Associate Executive Director, accepting. Representatives from the departments of Children Initiatives and Human Services also attended the proclamation presentation. “We know that quality early childcare and education can positively impact a child’s life and have an effect on their health, education, social lives, future earning opportunities and more,” said Fitzgerald. “Having access to high quality programs is important for so many reasons, and it is early child care providers and educators that we rely on for this work. The essential nature of their work was never more pronounced than during the [COVID-19] pandemic.” City of Pittsburgh On May 5, City of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey joined Trying Together staff to visit Project Destiny Early Learning Center on the Northside to present a proclamation for Provider Appreciation Day. The children at the child care center also got to enjoy story time with Mayor Gainey.
February 1, 2022 Register Now: 2022 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is an annual fundraising walk that benefits local health and human service agencies. The primary goal of the walk is to help participating organizations raise money for their individual missions. Registration for the 2022 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community opens on February 1, 2022 and is free for all participants. Join Our Team If you’re interested in walking or donating, join Trying Together’s team! Registered virtual walkers will have the option to sign up as an individual, join a team, create a new team, or pull up team information from a previous event. Thanks to Highmark’s online platform, participants can donate and track donations made, send templated email reminders to your teammates, and more! Visit our registration page to sign up and learn more! Support Our Goal One hundred percent of the donations received will go directly to the participating organizations. Utilize our social media toolkit to share information about the Highmark Walk on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All donations must be received no later than June 30, 2022. Learn more about how to donate on the Trying Together website. COVID-19 Information In an abundance of caution, and for the protection and safety of our Walk participants and volunteers, the decision has been made to modify all seven 2022 Highmark Walks for a Healthy Community to an online only fundraiser and virtual walk for this year’s campaign. A virtual walk is a real walk, but allows for more flexibility! Whether on a treadmill or at the park, participants can choose their start and stop times, and then share photos and videos on social media to raise awareness! More Information For more information and answers to common questions, visit Highmark’s FAQ page.
2022 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is an annual fundraising walk that benefits local health and human service agencies. The primary goal of the walk is to help participating organizations raise money for their individual missions. One hundred percent of the funds raised through this event go directly back to the participating organizations. Please share this flyer with your networks. Join Our Team If you’re interested in walking or donating, join Trying Together’s team! Registered virtual walkers will have the option to sign up as an individual, join a team, create a new team, or pull up team information from a previous event. Thanks to Highmark’s online platform, participants can donate and track donations made, send templated email reminders to your teammates, and more! Visit our registration page to sign up and learn more! Donations One hundred percent of the donations received will go directly to the participating organizations. All donations must be received no later than June 30, 2022. Trying Together will accept donations via the online donation platform or mail. If you would like to submit a check or cash donation, please complete a Walker Donation Form. All forms and donations must be mailed to Trying Together at the following address: Trying Together 5604 Solway Street Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Ask your networks to help fundraise, too! Utilize our social media toolkit to share information about the Highmark Walk on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! All registered walkers who raise or donate $30 or more will receive a Walk for a Healthy Community t-shirt while supplies last. For every $50 you raise for participating organizations, you will receive one chance for raffle prizes. Will you help Trying Together reach its fundraising goal? For more information, contact Maria Pisano, Director of Communications, at maria@tryingtogether.org. COVID-19 Information In an abundance of caution, and for the protection and safety of our Walk participants and volunteers, the decision has been made to modify all seven 2022 Highmark Walks for a Healthy Community to an online-only fundraiser and virtual walk for this year’s campaign. A virtual walk is a real walk, but allows for more flexibility! Whether on a treadmill or at the park, participants can choose their start and stop times, and then share photos and videos on social media to raise awareness! More Information For more information and answers to common questions, visit Highmark’s FAQ page.
January 20, 2022 Registration Open for UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care Registration is now open for Trying Together’s “UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care,” which will be held February 8 to February 18, 2022. Between February 8-18, expert-led virtual workshops will share content related to trauma-informed care. We begin the UnConference with keynote speaker Dr. Veirdre Jackson and dive into how we can create an environment of healing through equity and trust. Following the keynote, workshop sessions include how to identify family stressors, how to provide responsive care-giving for children experiencing trauma, and an overview of the recently launched Rapid Response Team from Trying Together. Registration is now open and specific workshop dates and times will be added. For a flat fee of $25, you may attend as many sessions (keynote or workshops) as you like. Sessions will also be recorded for viewing after the UnConference has completed. You must register for the UnConference in order to access session recordings. PNC Grow Up Great is the series sponsor. Featured Sessions Keynote: Co-Creating A Healing Community of Equity & Trust Tuesday, February 8, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Veirdre Jackson, Living Strong Consulting Communities, however defined, are made up of people who bring a range of experiences and histories. Remaining open, curious, and culturally humble is essential to understanding a community’s resilience, strength, and wisdom. Claudia Woody says, “Inclusion means not ‘just we’re allowed to be there,’ but we are valued there.” Participants will explore the 5 Blocks of Building Restorative Relationships that allow caregivers to create holistic and supportive spaces that are responsive to historical trauma and equity literacy which holds us accountable to doing the work of learning together, seeking understanding, and creating a safe, valued, and heard community. Rapid Response Team: Reducing Expulsions and Suspensions in Early Childhood Education Thursday, February 10, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presented by: Alicia Sebastian, Trying Together This session will discuss the ongoing and growing issue surrounding expulsion and suspension in early childhood education that have been linked to staff implicit bias, challenging behaviors, and staffing issues. The presentation will guide parents, caregivers, directors and staff working with children ages 0-5 on how to prevent expulsion and suspension in early childhood education. The session will discuss ways to implement evidence-based strategies to promote positive behavior support, self-regulation, and positive mental health. We will share community resources and programs for children and families in Allegheny County. Self-Care Isn’t Selfish, It’s Necessary: Practical Tools for Early Childhood Educators to Reduce Stress and Avoid Burn-Out Monday, February 14, 2022 | 12:30 – 2 p.m. Presented by: Tracy Larson, Director, Early Childhood Partnerships, Office of Child Development In this session, participants will learn why self-care is necessary, how to recognize when they need to be more intentional about self-care, and research informed strategies and activities to reduce stress and avoid burn-out. At the end of the session, participants will create a personalized self-care plan. Talking to Listen: Exploring Family Stressors and Creating Positive Relationships to Support Families Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presented by: Patrick M. McKelvey, MS, NCC, National Youth Advocate Program Inc. Children react differently to stress and trauma, which can sometimes exhibit itself as challenging behaviors in the classroom. This workshop helps educators understand the impact that family stressors (such as a death, food insecurity, changes in placement, community violence, etc.) can have on both children and their caregivers. Participants will learn how to notice these family stressors; how to communicate with caregivers to build relationships that provide a supportive environment for young children; and self-regulation strategies to manage strong emotions when having difficult conversations with caregivers. Teaching Children Through a Trauma Lens Thursday February 17, 2022 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Presenters: Amanda Harrison, MA, LPC, NCC, Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant with the PA Keys Research continues to show the detrimental effects that complex trauma has on the developing brain with our most vulnerable population. Over time, these young children are at risk for developmental delays, limited positive relationships, and a host of other difficulties. Our early education classrooms can create safe, responsive, and equitable environments to assist in reducing these harmful effects. This presentation will identify different types of trauma, how young children with trauma may present in the classroom, and supportive strategies teachers can implement to foster environments that encourage healing. Registration Registration for the UnConference: Creating a Safe Place with Trauma-Informed Care can be found on our UnConference page. For a flat fee of $25, you may attend as many sessions (keynote or workshops) as you like. Sessions will also be recorded for viewing after the UnConference has completed. You must register for the UnConference in order to access session recordings. Participants will receive PQAS and/or Act 48 hours. More Information For questions about the UnConference, contact Yu-Ling Cheng at conference@tryingtogether.org. For additional information, including FAQs, visit our UnConference page.
December 8, 2021 ELRC Region 5: Ask the Coaches (Program Observation Instruments and the Self-Assessment) Join ELRC Region 5 on January 6 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for their online discussion, “ELRC Region 5: Ask the Coaches (Program Observation Instruments and the Self-Assessment).” Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5 Quality Coaches will host two discussions on January 6 for Allegheny County early learning program and child care owners, directors, and administrative staff to learn about different types of program assessments. Coaches will describe the importance of self-assessing programs with approved program observation instruments and how to score and best use these types of assessments. Participants will have the opportunity to connect and network with fellow colleagues and peers. Registration is required. One PQAS credit hour will be available. Registration January 6, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. January 6, 2021 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. To receive credit, participants must complete the PD Registry Credit Request Form (in addition to the registration form). If you have any questions, please contact Holly Cessna at holly.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412-812-1544. Questions about receiving credit should be directed to Allison Hritz at allison@tryingtogether.org.
Report Highlights Home-Based Child Care as Key to Economic Recovery Trying Together, Allegheny County child care providers, business leaders, and advocates joined representatives of state legislative offices and members of the community on December 7, 2021 to release a new report from the nonprofit ReadyNation on the importance of protecting and strengthening home-based child care – calling such actions essential to supporting our state’s working parents and to bolstering our economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19. About The report, “Home-Based Child Care: A Key to Keeping the Pennsylvania Workforce and Economy Strong,” documents that the number of family child care homes has dropped 32 percent across Pennsylvania in recent years. In fact, almost half of the 1,000+ child care providers that have closed permanently since the onset of the pandemic have been home-based providers. The report cautions that given the current overall shortage of child care, particularly for infants, this decrease in home-based child care availability is especially problematic. The panel discussion focused on the need to include home-based child care as part of state and federal efforts to stabilize and strengthen the overall child care system. Noting that home-based child care is frequently overlooked when discussing solutions to the present child care crisis, the report identifies reforms focused on quality caregiving and sustainability. Specifically, the report recommends: Enhanced mentorship opportunities for home-based providers; Revising the Keystone STARS Program to recognize key differences among home-based providers and ensure that high-quality home-based providers can more readily become rated as high-quality; Increasing compensation to cover the actual cost of high-quality care through subsidy rates and reform the reimbursement rates for home-based high-quality care; Stabilizing the budgets of home-based child care providers through participation in programs like Infant Toddler Contracted Slots; and, Engaging in public education and promotion efforts statewide on the importance of high-quality child care across all settings. More Information To learn more about the panel discussion, read this news release or view the recording.
