January 19, 2022 Flu Vaccine Vouchers Through PA 211 United Way Worldwide in partnership with Walgreens has started the SingleCare Flu Vaccination Program, which will provide free flu vaccine vouchers for individuals who are uninsured. About Vouchers will be sent electronically to an email address so access to a working email is necessary. There is a limit of one voucher per person and each voucher will have a unique ID number. However, multiple vouchers can be sent to the same email, so the whole family can receive their flu vaccine vouchers at one email address. Note that the voucher can only be redeemed at Walgreens locations. Get a Voucher To receive a flu voucher, call 2-1-1.
December 21, 2020 MLK Day 2021: Celebrate With Service Join United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA) in celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in their “Book Drive for Diversity” and “Family Forum on Equality and Kindness.” About To celebrate the work and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., United Way created two meaningful opportunities for families to celebrate one of MLK’s most relevant messages for their work today: Everyone can be great… because everyone can serve. Book Drive for Diversity United Way has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development to increase access to books promoting a positive equity message for young readers. Because of public health concerns, the Book Drive for Diversity will be completely virtual. Help United Wat put books championing people of all abilities, genders, races, ethnicities, and economic statuses into the hands of eager readers. To register and receive a list of thoughtfully chosen titles to purchase on behalf of the drive, complete the online form. Family Forum on Equality and Kindness In the teaching spirit of Dr. King, United Way has joined with YWCA Greater Pittsburgh to host a virtual forum for families to engage in meaningful discussions about social justice, learn practical skills, and encourage a more inclusive culture. Sign up for this lively, positive online event to bring greater significance of MLK Day to your family. Participants can choose from two breakout sessions. Both sessions are led by highly experienced, engaging experts in the field. Breakout sessions include the following: How to Talk to Your Children About Race Social Media as a Tool for Social Change More Information For more information, view the full event flyer.
August 6, 2020 School-Age Funding Opportunity in Allegheny County If your Out-of-School-Time program needs funding support, check out this new school-age funding opportunity in Allegheny County. About With many Allegheny County schools starting the year full or partially remote, families with school-age children will face several challenges this fall. The critical work of Out-of-School-Time programs in supporting children and families is more important now than ever. The Allegheny Department of Human Services (DHS), Trying Together, and United Way’s Allegheny County Partners for Out-of-School-Time (APOST) joined forces to support your work. Funding is available for both in-person Community Learning Hubs, as well as Virtual Pods and Programming. Interested applicants should review the information below and apply by Friday, August 14. Funding Details Funding can be requested from Community Hub programming through December 31, 2020 for staffing, learning materials, personal protective equipment (masks), cleaning supplies, technology for staff only, building upgrades (wifi), transportation, and additional partners to provide enrichment activities and/or tutoring support. For Virtual Pods and Programming, funding will not exceed $50,000 per program for programming through December 31, 2020. This funding may be used for staffing, learning materials, online learning platforms, technology for staff and/or students, and additional partners to provide enrichment activities and/or tutoring support. Eligibility To receive funding, programs must meet a list of requirements, including requirements related to, but not limited to, staffing, enrollment, health, safety, and reporting. Before submitting an application, please review the full list of requirements carefully. Only apply if this is something you are committed to pursuing. If this is not the right fit for your program, there are many other ways to support children and families this year. Apply for Funding If your program is interested in providing this expanded service, please complete this online application form and submit a budget by Friday, August 14. Submit your budget to Amy Malen via email at amy.malen@alleghenycounty.us. Please note that there is no guarantee that funding will be available for all agencies that are interested in providing this service. DHS, Trying Together, and the United Way will review all applications submitted and assess how to best match interested agencies with specific needs and available funds. Funding will be available for both in-person and virtual offerings, however, priority will be given to in-person requests given child care needs. More Information For more information, please review this document.
June 12, 2020 Allegheny Child Care is Growing As of this week, we are excited to announce that we have expanded the Allegheny Child Care search tool to include: after-school; out-of-school; and summer programs! If you provide one or more of these services and have not already confirmed your information, we ask that you update your listing as soon as possible at providers.alleghenychildcare.org. Promote Your Out of School & Summer Programs Now If your program re-opened as part of Allegheny County’s move to the “green phase” last week, we hope that your first week back has been a welcomed return for you and your children, families, and staff. By updating your information, the Allegheny Child Care tool will assist you in promoting and marketing your program(s) to families. In turn, this will allow you to expedite the process for getting children enrolled, thus making an often stressful task less burdensome for families especially at this time. If you have any questions or issues please: email us at info@alleghenychildcare.org; review our FAQ guide; or join us for our next Virtual Director Roundtable discussion on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. when we will share details on the recent updates to the Allegheny Child Care tool and answer questions. Thank you for your assistance. Updating Your Information In order to add the after-school, out-of-school, and summer-time programs to the platform, we pulled public data currently available from our partners at Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time (APOST) and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. As information may have changed due to COVID-19, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to review the information listed for your program(s) on the platform and then updating it accordingly at providers.alleghenychildcare.org. In particular, please update your: current operational status (open/closed and availability); age group(s) served; and basic profile information. You will receive regular email reminders to update your vacancy information so parents searching for care can find your program. More Information From the COVID-19 crisis, Allegheny Child Care is a unique pilot project that has been developed to support the child care needs of families. Caregivers and parents of young children can now search available child care spots at Allegheny County early learning programs in real-time with the Allegheny Child Care tool.
March 5, 2019 Kindergarten Registration Open in Allegheny County If your child is five, it’s time. Kindergarten registration has opened in Allegheny County for the 2019-2020 school year. View details on Kindergarten registration costs, locations, and dates at trying together.org. Hi5! Campaign Successful transition practices help school districts identify and work with early care and education providers in their community to support young children and their families so they are comfortable and prepared for the first day of Kindergarten. Through a partnership called Hi5!, Trying Together, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU3) work with over 40 local school districts. Due to these efforts, Kindergarten registration rates have improved to a 97% early or on-time registration rate for Allegheny County children as reported for the 2017 – 2018 school year. Learn More Learn more about Kindergarten Transition with this white paper from Trying Together (PDF). For questions, contact Emily Neff at 412.421.3889 or hi5@tryingtogether.org.
May 7, 2018 Kindergarten Transition White Paper Highlights Regional Efforts The move from pre-kindergarten to Kindergarten marks a critical point in the lives of young children and their families. In the 2017 – 2018 school year, Allegheny County reported early registration at 84% and on-time registration at 97% for Kindergarten students. This success is due largely in part to the local Hi5! Campaign funded by the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and chaired by Trying Together and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3. To highlight the successful regional and national efforts of child care centers, Head Start and pre-k teachers, and school districts to support young children and families in this momentous occasion, Trying Together has released a white paper entitled, Kindergarten Transition. The paper provides researched recommendations and activities including: requiring local transition teams; providing guidance on how to leverage funds; encouraging data sharing; including parents and guardians in the transition process; ensuring high-quality, developmentally appropriate Kindergarten; strengthening relationships and collaboration between early childhood programs and elementary schools; and rethinking the responsibility of school readiness. “Research and evaluation nationally shows that children who experienced effective transition practices retain the developmental gains made in early childhood through the early elementary grades,” said Cara Ciminillo, Trying Together Executive Director. “Through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA), Pennsylvania school districts will now have more flexibility to use federal dollars to support their Kindergarten transition efforts.”
