January 4, 2022 CDC Isolation and Quarantine Updates As of Monday, December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is shortening the recommended time for isolation for the public. People with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. COVID-19 Exposure The CDC has updated the recommended quarantine period for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19. Additional Information Individuals should refer to the CDC website for updated information on protocols following a COVID-19 exposure or positive test.
June 18, 2020 In-Person Operations to Resume July 6 Office Reopening On July 6, Trying Together will reopen its physical office spaces to the public by appointment at the following location: The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center Reopening Date: Monday, July 6, 2020 M-F | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 7219 Kelly St, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 ELRC Region 5 Out of an abundance of caution with the rising COVID-19 cases in Allegheny County, ELRC Region 5 and its satellite offices will remain closed to the public for in-person services. Staff will continue to provide high-quality customer service via phone and video conferencing. Additional details about resuming in-person operations will be announced on Monday, August 3. Operations During COVID-19 Staff will be required to follow guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including wearing a mask while walking through or working in communal spaces, socially distancing themselves from others by at least six feet at all times, sanitizing their workspaces regularly, and maintaining proper handwashing and sanitizing. Locations and departments may have limited in-office staff as some employees continue to telework. Trying Together staff are still accessible via phone or email as they continue to work remotely. After July 6, appointments are required for families and professionals interested in accessing services and support at Trying Together’s physical locations. In-person operations will continue to be dependent on recommendations provided by Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Trying Together will continue to monitor these recommendations as well as the reopening status of Allegheny County. For questions about our operations, please email info@tryingtogether.org. More Information For more information about COVID-19 and prevention tips, visit our COVID-19 page. For questions related to COVID-19, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website or call 1.877.PA.HEALTH (1.877.724.3258). See the ELRC Region 5 news post for essential updates for early educators and families in Allegheny County in response to COVID-19.
January 8, 2020 Changes to Clearances for Employees Having Contact with Children In July 2019, Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order to strengthen protections for vulnerable populations, including children who receive child care services outside of their homes. About the Change The federal Family First Prevention Services Act requires all adults who work in child care settings that receive Title IV-E funding to obtain child abuse clearances, even if they are not working directly with children. Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services law formerly allowed a 90-day provisional hire period for individuals who had applied for but were still waiting for clearance results. However, in 2019, Act 47 eliminated this 90-day provisional hire period to ensure that all adults working with children are legally able to do so. Based on Act 47, child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes can request a waiver to hire an employee on a provisional basis for no longer than 45 days. The Department of Human Services is required to process Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearances within 14 days from the day in which the request is received and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history background checks within 30 days from the date of receipt. Generally, these clearances are processed more quickly than required. New employees are not permitted to work alone with children and must be in the immediate vicinity of a permanent employee until all clearances are received. To access the waiver and instructions, visit the Keep Kids Safe website. More Information For more information on obtaining clearances, visit the Keep Kids Safe website. *Information provided by PA Early Ed News
October 17, 2018 Trying Together Updates Privacy Policy Today, Trying Together released their updated Privacy Policy. This update was guided, in part, by the recent announcement that Facebook “will begin offering businesses a first-party cookie option with the Facebook pixel.” With this change, Trying Together works to remain proactive in letting their users know about and understand how this may affect their daily usage. Although internet browsers have been using cookies since the 1990s, internet tracking has remained a hot subject in the conversation digital privacy and security. This is no surprise as cookies themselves store specific pieces of a user’s information such as usernames, passwords, web histories, and more. However, when it comes to understanding the varying types and uses of cookies, the average American citizen may not be up to speed. What Are Cookies? In addition to a delicious snack, the term “cookies” is used to refer to small packages of data that are stored on our computers. These packages, or files, contain specific pieces of data in an attempt to better personalize the user’s experience. This data may consist of information such as entered usernames, saved passwords, entered addresses, and more. It’s because of these packets that users can remain logged into social media sites between uses, create “shopping carts” on online purchasing sites, and receive personalized ads based on your own shopping preferences. However, when considering internet privacy and security, it’s important to look deeper into what types of cookies are in place, which parties have access to cookies, and how each party utilizes that data. First-Party and Third-Party Cookies First-party cookies, as mentioned in the recent Facebook announcement, are packets of information collected by the website you are visiting. For example, if someone uses the Trying Together page and enters their name and email, cookies may pick up that information and store it just in case the user may need to insert that information on that website again in the future. These types of cookies are allowed in every web browser by default and enable features such as creating a “shopping cart” and staying logged into a social platform between uses. In general, websites utilize these cookies to increase ease of access or to curate website traffic analytics, however additional features may be included as well. Third-party cookies, however, are packages of information that are collected by a domain that is not the website the user is visiting. One of the primary uses of third-party cookies is to track browsing history to detect trends, generally represented through benefits such as personalized ads or recommendations. In relation to affecting a user’s day-to-day usage, third-party cookies play a very small role. These cookies are also enabled by default. As a consideration, all cookies are public, regardless of their type. It is best to monitor what type of information you are providing and to read through each website’s privacy statements to see how that data may be utilized. Cookie Concerns Concerns surrounding cookie use typically include topics related to privacy and security. For privacy, one concern is that because websites store packages of data and website usage, third-parties such as advertisers, users, and even government agencies can gain access to that information if given permission. For security, a major concern is security holes in browsers that may enable malicious parties to gain access to sensitive information such as credit card information, emails, and passwords. Both of these concerns hold weight and users should be proactive in looking into and understanding how their data is being utilized by the websites they are frequenting. Disabling Cookies If all of this talk about cookies and data storage is making you antsy, no need to worry. Users can disable both types of cookies at any time by changing their browser settings. Simply click on the “Help” menu or “Help Center” in your browser settings to learn how to adjust your tracking settings and cookie preferences. On mobile devices, this can be done by editing your “Privacy” settings through your browser. Keep in mind that disabling cookies may impact your ability to interact with a website. While disabling third-party cookies hardly impacts a user’s daily usage, disabling first-party cookies may affect website functions such as login credentials, purchasing ability, and general efficiency. How Does Trying Together Utilize Cookies and Data? As a brief overview, Trying Together utilizes cookies and collected data to provide customized content, contact users, fulfill orders, and more. We use various technologies such as cookies, web beacons, and pixel tags to store limited information when users interact with our site and emails. As an example, information may include non-personal data such as a mobile device identifier or MAC address, browser type, device model, and more. It may also include elements of service usage such as date and time of access, page visits, duration of visits, and others. On occasion, more personal information may be stored such as name, username, demographic information, and other publicly-observed data. To learn more about how Trying Together collects and utilizes user data, read our Privacy Policy. Questions If you have any questions or concerns regarding Trying Together’s privacy policy or data storage, please contact: info@tryingtogether.org
