September 2018 edition
An inside look at Pennsylvania's early education system.
What's New for September
During September, we're celebrating National School Success Month. So many different people contribute to the school success of children--bus drivers, classroom aids, teachers, families and more. If you've made a contribution to help children succeed in school, we want to hear about it! See below for ways you can share your contribution. We'd also like to hear ways your child is a school success. (And remember that successes can be large or small!)

Encourage the families in your community whose child is receiving Infant-Toddler or preschool Early Intervention to apply for the free training, Competence and Confidence Partners in Policymaking—Early Intervention (C2P2 EI). This excellent training helps give families the information and training they need to be strong advocates for their child. Reimbursement for travel and child care expenses is available.

There are several opportunities available for early learning and school professionals to share their knowledge, experience and wisdom with others. Take a look below at some of the calls for workshop presenters at national conferences and consider applying to share your expertise with other early learning professionals.
Early Education in Pennsylvania
Wolf Administration Announces Shared Services Project for Educational Agencies to Build Better Outcomes for Children
The Wolf Administration recently announced that four Pennsylvania educational agencies have been selected to participate in the Shared Services Project to increase better outcomes for young children by improving the business supports for early childhood programs. The Shared Services Project al igns with Governor Tom Wolf’s commitment to education in Pennsylvania in providing unprecedented support to high-quality pre-k programs and is supported through a generous grant from the Heinz Endowments. 

Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4, The Learning Lamp, Trying Together and Northwest Institute of Research will share staff, skills, funds and costs across a network of early learning centers and family child care homes to use resources more efficiently and provide high-quality child care. Shared Services is a management framework that helps center- and home-based early childhood education providers build shared organizational capacity, improve teaching and learning, deepen community engagement and promote long-term sustainability.  Read more.
Families Encouraged to Apply Now to Participate in C2P2 EI
Application deadline October 5
Registration is open for families to participate in Competence and Confidence Partners in Policymaking—Early Intervention (C2P2 EI), a free training for families of children who receive Infant-Toddler or preschool Early Intervention services. Families will learn to navigate the Pennsylvania Early Intervention System, identify best practice supports and connect with community resources , and build a community of family advocates.

Applicants should be Pennsylvania family members who: 
  • Have a child, infant to school age
  • Desire to advocate for themselves and others by building leadership skills
  • Are willing to commit to ALL 4 two-day trainings. (Friday 1 to 9 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM to 3 PM)

Travel and childcare expenses reimbursed, meals are included and overnight lodging (for those traveling 40+ miles). See the flyer for more information or contact Cathy Roccia-Meier at cathyRM@temple.edu or 215-204-1772.
Helping Families Get a Great Start To a New School Year
It's time to go back to school! In this video , the Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Deputy Secretary, Suzann Morris (with a special guest, Clyde), has some tips for getting families and their children off to a great school year start. Share the video on program, school or organization's website or social media platforms, in enewsletters or add the link to communications with families and early learning friends.
BCIU & PA Key Seeking Qualified Candidates
The BCIU and PA Key are seeking qualified individuals for the following open positions:


Send cover letter and resume to Kelly Hollenbach, BCIU, 1111 Commons Blvd., P.O. Box 16050, Reading, PA 19612-6050 or email to kelhol@berksiu.org. Online application available at www.berksiu.org. See descriptions for application deadlines. EOE
Find Child Care Video Now Available
The Find Child Care video is a family-friendly video that demonstrates how to use the www.findchildcare.pa.gov website to locate an early learning program and get additional information families need to find child care. It also shares information on how families can apply for child care assistance. This brief video is great to share in waiting rooms, on websites, on social media or through any other delivery to reach families.

Early Learning partners are encouraged to download and view the captioned version, then share it with their partners and families. When clicking the link, you may be prompted to create an account, but just click the bottom where it says “No thanks, continue to file.” The video can also be viewed on PA's Promise for Children YouTube account and shared directly from that location.
Celebrate National School Success Month
This month Pennsylvania celebrates National School Success Month!  Governor Wolf has demonstrated a strong commitment to education in Pennsylvania through his continued support and investment in education, including high-quality pre-K programs. Investing in high-quality pre-k programs helps children be ready to learn on the first day of kindergarten and sets them on a path of school success.

Visit PA's Promise for Children's Facebook page to see highlights of children's learning, the ways they learn, and those who help them become a school success. 

Families and early learning professionals throughout Pennsylvania can submit their story of school success through the end of September.

Families: Share what makes your child successful in school. What is it your child has learned or likes to do that makes them a great student? It can be a big or little success! Send a photo, your child's first name, your county and your child's success to Mary at  marhal@pakeys.org .

Early Learning Professionals & School District Staff: The work you do with children guides them to be a school success. What makes you a successful teacher, bus driver or cafeteria worker? Everyone works together to help children succeed and we want to know how you help. Send a photo, your name, your county and school/early learning program's name, and your story to Mary at  marhal@pakeys.org .
Let’s Talk Quality Blog Gets New URL
Beginning August 2018, the Program Quality Assessment blog Let's Talk Quality! Program Quality Assessment in PA will have a new URL! Let's Talk Quality (www.letstalkqualitypa.com) is a shorter and easier URL to use. Please be sure to change bookmarks or clear any history in your browser using the old URL.

Let's Talk Quality is a blog about program quality assessment. Learn about high-quality developmentally and culturally appropriate practices in early childhood and school-age programming, how program observation instruments (POIs) help teachers monitor their practices, plan for ongoing improvements, and much more. New posts occur each week.

Questions? Get answers. Email pqa@pakeys.org.
Save the Dates
Pennsylvania's PD Registry: Things To Know and Do
You could win an iPad from the PD Registry!

All users in the system who have completed their Professional Development (PD) Registry profile will be automatically entered into a random drawing to win a new Apple iPad! Two winners will be notified by November 15, 2018. Contest ends on October 31, 2018.

How to enter:

If you have already completed your profile, then congratulations, you are already entered in the contest!

If you have not completed your profile, here are the steps to do so and get entered:
  • Login to your PD Registry account at www.papdregistry.com.
  • Complete the Personal Information tab.
  • Complete the Employment tab.
  • Complete the Education tab by uploading important documents such as diplomas, transcripts, and certificates.

(The PD Registry team does not need official copies of college transcripts. High School diplomas do not need to be uploaded. Make sure any scans or photos that are uploaded are readable.)

Email registry@pakeys.org or call 1-800-284-6031 with any questions.
Of Interest
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. Use this month to help families and early learning partners prepare for emergencies like floods, fires, winter storms and more. 

  • Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide: This guide will help to become better prepared by learning about different kinds of emergencies, how to create emergency plans and kits for homes, vehicles and workplaces, and how to plan ahead if there is a special need.
  • Family Communication Plan for Parents and Kids: Guidelines to help families determine who would be their out-of-state point of contact, and where they would meet away from their home.
  • Emergency Supply Kit Checklists for Parents and Kids: Checklists designed to help parents and kids prepare for emergencies.
  • Helping Children Cope: Tips to help children recognize their reactions during and after emergencies, and also help children cope with their emotions.
  • Better Kid Care: Emergency preparedness information and resources for family child care homes and child care centers.
  • Child Care Aware: Resources for early learning professionals that include emergency preparedness webinars, tools, publications and the latest news on emergency preparedness.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Planning and preparing for emergencies to keep schools and early learning programs safer. Includes resources targeted specifically at the youngest learners.
Call for Presenters: 2019 Social and Emotional Learning Conference, Building Skills for Lifelong Success
Submission deadline: September 12
The Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning (CPSEL) is seeking relevant and compelling presentations for the 2019 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Conference which will be held Monday, May 20 through Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Md. CPSEL seeks high quality, effective presentations addressing the latest research and promising practices in supporting children's social and emotional development, character education, student engagement and school climate improvement. 
Workshops and sessions should support one of the five CASEL core competencies: 

  • Self-Awareness
  • Self-Management
  • Social Awareness
  • Relationship Skills
  • Responsible Decision-Making 

Preference will be given to sessions that address the latest trends in SEL research and practice including equity, culturally-sensitive SEL, positive psychology, trauma-informed practices and academic integration. Learn more.
Call for Presenters: National Child Nutrition Conference
Workshop Proposal Deadline: September 17
Workshop proposals are being accepted for the National CACFP Sponsors Association Conference April 23-25, 2019 in Chicago, IL. NCNC is a training event for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) community and home of the USDA requested Summer Food Program training which gathers attendees from all 50 states and U.S. territories to serve 4.4 million children daily. Over 130 hours of workshops are provided during the three-day annual event. Workshop topics include nutrition, Head Start, afterschool, summer food, advocacy and policy, financial management, research & resources and more. Find out how to submit a proposal.
Complete a Survey From NICHQ to Better Support Breastfeeding Mothers
Are you a health professional that supports breastfeeding mothers? This fall, the National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) is hosting a webinar on strategies health professionals can leverage to help families follow breastfeeding best-practices. To ensure this webinar is as beneficial as possible, NICHQ asking for input. Complete a brief (one-minute) survey about your experience. NICHQ will share the results with you and use your answers to shape the upcoming webinar. 
Attention Cambria and Somerset ECE Professionals: Early Care and Education Shared Services Alliance is Looking For You
Members of a newly formed Early Care and Education Shared Services Alliance are recruiting staff and addressing other common issues together with the help of a grant through the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) , funded by the Heinz Endowments. The Alliance is open to additional members in Cambria and Somerset counties. 

Shared Services is a management framework that enables center- and home-based early childhood education providers to reduce costs, access personnel and administrative supports through shared capacity, and enhance quality of care by reinvesting savings in comprehensive professional development and improved compensation to attract and retain quality staff. For more information, including how to join the Alliance, see the release or call Stephanie at 814-262-0732 x248 or email swilt@thelearninglamp.org. 
Results from the 2018 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey
The National Farm to School Network (NFSN), in partnership with Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, launched the 2018 National Survey of Early Care and Education Providers in the spring of 2018. Over 2,000 ECE providers from across the country responded and shared information about current farm to ECE initiatives, motivations for participation, challenges to starting or expanding farm to ECE, and more. Join the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems to hear about the survey findings and learn how you can use the results to promote farm to ECE in your community. This webinar will be recorded and archived for future viewing.  Register here for the October 11 webinar.
Westmoreland County Community College to Offer CDA and PD for ECE Professionals
Westmoreland County Community College is offering a series of courses that will fulfill the educational training requirements for the infant-toddler, preschool, or renewal CDA credentials. The additional work experience, portfolio, and professional requirements required by the CDA Council must be completed independently by the candidates. Based on the CDA pursued, students may choose from the courses to be offered at the Youngwood campus beginning in October 2018. See the flyer for more information on the CDA.

Westmoreland County Community College is also offering a series of professional development courses that can be taken individually as workshops or as a full 3-hour college credit course. See the flyer for more information on the professional development.
Latest on Social Media
Check out these recent highlights featured on social media.

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Research and Reports
Why Does Child Care Cost So Much Yet Providers Make So Little?
It’s a common question. Why do parents spend so much on child care, yet early childhood teachers earn so little? The average cost of child care is out of reach for many families and rivals college tuition, while early educators are among the lowest paid workers in the country. How is this possible?
 
High-quality early care and education experiences, to which early educators are essential, provide lasting benefits to children, our economy and society, but receive only minimal public investment. The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley and Child Care Aware® of America teamed up to create a new video that explains why parents cannot afford to pay, educators cannot afford to stay and to propose a solution for a better way to support children, their families and early educators.
Why and How States are Integrating DC:0-5 Into State Policy & Systems
Accurate identification of a mental health disorder for a young child is only possible with a developmentally appropriate diagnostic classification system. Advancing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: The Integration of DC:0-5 Into State Policy and Systems, a new paper from the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center, discusses why and how states are integrating DC:0-5 into state policy and systems. The paper provides examples of some of the strategies that states have used to allow, promote, or require the use of DC:0-5, and provides recommendations for further improvements in state infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) policy and practice. This paper provides a point-in-time overview of how DC:0-5 is being integrated into state systems and policies, with examples that illustrate the innovative work going on across the United States.
Child Care Aware of America’s 2018 State Fact Sheets
Child Care Aware of America recently published its most recent set of fact sheets illustrating the unique child care landscape in each state. State fact sheet statistics are calculated from federal databases and state-level information collected annually from Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies as well as survey data.

Each state fact sheet includes child care facts, including data on infants, toddlers, and young children; the supply of child care; the cost of child care; and the child care workforce. They also describe services provided by and the role of CCR&Rs in each state as well as participation in state initiatives for quality, health and wellness, family engagement, and emergency preparation.
The Power of Play
A new American Academy of Pediatrics statement, The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children, says that the importance of children's play cannot be overemphasized. The statement reinforces the effects on brain structure and functioning resulting from play, and highlights the benefits in executive functioning, language, early math skills, social development, peer relations, physical development and health of play. It includes implications for preschool education, addresses modern challenges and even covers the role of media in children's play.
Collaboration Could Improve Adult-Child Interactions
Coaching is a critical support for high-quality interactions between adults and children, in both the home visiting and early care and education (ECE) fields. A new blog post highlights ways for researchers in these two fields to collaborate on improved coaching for adults in their interactions with young children. Opportunities for collaboration include identifying the essential elements of coaching that maximize its impact, developing ways to measure the quality of interactions, and determining the best ways to leverage technology to expand the reach of coaching.

This blog is the second part of a series on cross-collaboration between home visiting and ECE. Read the full blog post on childtrends.org. 
Teacher Distress in the ECE Workforce
A growing body of research suggests that a mentally healthy early care and education workforce can provide the best quality of care for children. A new report, Supporting the Psychological Well-Being of the Early Care and Education Workforce: Findings from the National Survey of Early Care and Education funded from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, uses data from the National Survey of Early Care and Education to understand how various workforce supports, like a climate of respect and day-to-day stability in classroom assignments, are associated with ECE teachers’ psychological well-being.
Resources
August edition of Baby Talk Now Available
The August edition of Baby Talk by Camille Catlett shares information about supporting infant's language development, the genius of play,supporting infants and toddler with disabilities or suspected delays and their families in the home and in the classroom and more! 
Back-to-School Checklist for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Back to school is an exciting time for all students and parents. It can also be quite nerve-wracking. For a child with special needs and their parents, it can be an anxiety provoking experience. This post from Special Moms Network is intended to make the back to school transition a little bit easier.
Afterschool Supports
As children begin a new school year, many families may be faced with a need for after school care. This three-part brief series from the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment has ( Part 1) information on what quality school-age care is and why it matters; ( Part 2) the choices families make and why; and ( Part 3) how states subsidy policies can support increase options and support family decisions. Although from June 2016, the information can easily apply to today's needs.
Start this school year off right and buckle up safely
One page graphics from the Centers of Disease Control demonstrate how to avoid the most common mistakes while using rear and forward-facing car seats for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and older children. 
Clarification
The August edition of the PA Early Ed News included erroneous information regarding an app to aid early learning providers in uploading information to process the monthly subsidy attendance invoicing. Please note that the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning has not approved, nor endorsed, any apps for this purpose. 
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