The Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller announced the distribution of more than $400,000 in grant funding to shelters serving families experiencing homelessness, domestic violence survivors and their families, and others across Pennsylvania to improve internet access and support purchase of computer equipment for parents and children to use while staying at the shelter. This funding will allow parents at these centers to look for jobs, housing, and other necessary services and for children to participate in educational services and programing, especially as some schools continue to operate blended or virtual learning models.

Fifty-nine family homeless, women’s, and domestic violence shelters in 28 counties received $420,375 in grant funding distributed by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to support the purchase of or improvements to internet and wireless access, computer equipment and supplies, and family engagement materials and activities for parents and children to use while in shelter. Read more.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) have teamed up to create a domestic violence awareness toolkit to educate family support workers and Family Supports staff on how domestic violence may impact the clients and families they serve while screening for intimate partner violence. The toolkit also aims to provide domestic violence programs with a deeper understanding of the OCDEL network and the services their programs provide within all communities across the Commonwealth.

Research shows that exposure to violence, especially during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood can significantly increase the likelihood of serious physical, emotional, and behavioral health problems. Children who live with domestic violence are also at increased risk to become direct victims of child abuse and are at an increased risk of becoming perpetrators themselves. Children who have been exposed to domestic violence often learn destructive lessons about the use of violence and power in relationships. They may also believe that it is acceptable to exert control or relieve stress by using violence, or that violence is in some way linked to expressions of intimacy and affection. Children also associate experienced abusive tactics with their view of adulthood, and how adults behave. Read more.

Now available is the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) 2020 Digital Yearbook which honors the graduating class of NFP from across the country. Highlighted are family stories, including those from Pennsylvania 2020 graduates.

Nurse-Family Partnership empowers first-time moms to transform their lives and create better futures for themselves and their babies. Over more than four decades, research consistently has proven that Nurse-Family Partnership succeeds at its most important goals: keeping children healthy and safe, and improving the lives of moms and babies. Nurse-Family Partnership works by having specially trained nurses regularly visit young, first-time moms-to-be, starting early in the pregnancy, and continuing through the child’s second birthday.

PDOs have specialized staff that serve as the primary point of contact for early educators. PDO Coordinators and Liaisons offer technical assistance to those seeking to advance their career or credentials, from aspiring high school students to lead educators seeking certification. PDO staff can help individuals or programs find, access, and attain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials or Early Childhood Education degrees outlined in Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education Career Pathway. PDO Coordinators and Liaisons are aware of local programing that offers delivery in modalities accessible to working adults and can share resources or provide individualized support to enrolled educators. 

In response to the Policy Statement on Supporting the Development of Children who are Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Programs, developed by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has partnered with WIDA to offer resources that provide guiding principles, research, and best practices for early learning professionals working with young dual language learners (DLL) and English language learners (ELL), their families, and their communities. WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators.

Click here to access the free resources and professional development. If you have any questions please contact Barry Wiestling at bwiestling@pa.gov. 

The Pennsylvania Key is seeking several Infant Toddler Coaching Consultants to work directly with the OCDEL Early Head Start- Child Care Partnership agencies to support infant/toddler staff in child care facilities through a coaching initiative designed to address the fundamental work around classroom environments, pedagogical perspectives, child-staff interactions and engagement of children in learning/activities. Coaches will implement a Practice Based Coaching approach to their work with center-based classroom staff and possibly family service staff. The consultant would also be asked to provide training as needed for staff. This is a one-year position with a one-year contract that can be renewed annually. Consultants may be contracted between 16 hours and 20 hours per month depending on the region and the need. Counties in need of consultants include Lawrence, Venango, Lancaster, Lebanon, Huntingdon, Berks, Chester, Philadelphia and Montgomery.

Interested candidates will possess at least 5 years of direct coaching/mentoring experience, a conceptual understanding of early learning systems in Pennsylvania and a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or relevant degree. Education and or expertise in infant/toddler practices and a familiarity with Early Head Start standards is preferred.

For consideration and more details please contact Kelly Williams at 717-515-7136 or kelwil@pakeys.org. Deadline to respond is Nov. 20, 2020.

The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) is accepting T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship applications for the Spring 2021 semester. Early Childhood Education professionals interested in attending college for the Spring semester that begins in January should apply to T.E.A.C.H. now! T.E.A.C.H. applications must be complete and submitted with all required documentation/information by Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, to be considered for the Spring 2021 semester. PACCA will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis, however incomplete applications and applications received after this date will not receive priority for consideration. PLEASE NOTE: New scholarship awards for the Spring 2021 semester will be dependent upon funding availability at that time. 

Click here to download a scholarship application. Questions? Click here to contact a T.E.A.C.H. Counselor. 

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® PENNSYLVANIA is administered by the Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA). T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood^® PENNSYLVANIA is a licensed program of Child Care Services Association.  

Join the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) during the winter months for some hot topics around early language and literacy development. Get access to resources to share with families and use in classrooms and centers. These 30-minute webinars will be offered at no cost at 8:30 am and repeated at 1:30 pm on the second and fourth Friday of each month running from January through March 2020.

PQAS credit hours, Infant Toddler hours, and ACT 48 hours available for these webinars. Get additional information on topics, credits and registration.

The way individuals and families access health coverage is changing in Pennsylvania. Shop and purchase quality health insurance plans at pennie.com through Open Enrollment which runs from Nov. 1, 2020 through Jan. 15, 2021. Current HealthCare.gov customers are being transitioned to Pennie for their 2021 coverage.

Pennie is available to all Pennsylvanians and aims to improve the accessibility and affordability of individual market health coverage.

Pennie is the ONLY place that can connect Pennsylvanians to financial assistance to lower monthly payments and/or out-of-pocket expenses. Nearly 9 out of 10 Pennie customers currently qualify for financial assistance.

Pennie is here to help every step of the way and provides free customer assistance through three avenues:

Spread the word – Open Enrollment is here and it is time to get and stay covered!

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is warning of a possible scam concerning Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits and reminding Pennsylvanians to be skeptical of unsolicited or random calls or text messages about public-assistance programs – especially when the calls or text messages solicit personal information, such as Social Security numbers.

DHS is investigating a report of individuals receiving calls with pre-recorded messages advising them to expedite their P-EBT benefits issuance by providing their Social Security number and case record number. In the message, the speaker claims to be from a County Assistance Office (CAO).

DHS and other government agencies do not ask for information about P-EBT, SNAP or any other public-assistance programs via unsolicited or random calls or texts, and Pennsylvanians should not reply to such a call or text or share any personal information if they are contacted in this way. If you or anyone you work with receive unsolicited or random calls or text messages telling you that you qualify for assistance and then asking for personal information, it is most likely a scam. Do not respond. Delete the message so you do not get caught in an identity theft scam. Read more.

The 2020-2021 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is now open! The season is scheduled to close on April 9, 2021. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps families living on low incomes pay their heating bills in the form of a cash grant. Households in immediate danger of being without heat can also qualify for crisis grants. The cash grant is a one-time payment sent directly to the utility company/fuel provider to be credited on your bill. These grants range from $200 to $1,000 based on household size, income, and fuel type. This is a grant and does not have to be repaid. Applicants can apply online or on paper. Get more info.

The Inventory is a tool from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment to help Pennsylvania obtain a baseline understanding of the content and experiences that exist within all colleges and universities' preparation programs for individuals working with children birth to age eight. The Inventory includes two surveys for higher education programs and faculty:

This survey is for program directors, coordinators, or department chairs. The first round of surveys was launched Oct. 27, 2020, so if you received one (or more) surveys, please be sure to complete it now! Surveys were sent directly to faculty who were identified as program leads. If you did not receive a link to the survey and you are the director/coordinator of an early childhood degree program, please contact Dr. Abby Copeman Petig at abby.petig@berkeley.edu. As administrators of degree programs, you have a particularly valuable perspective about the goals and important elements of the programs, resources that would strengthen students' experiences, and the impact of COVID on early childhood higher education.

This survey will launch in the next month or so! This survey is for all current full-time and part-time faculty teaching in early childhood education programs. Faculty members in programs preparing early childhood educators possess valuable knowledge about the degree programs, the challenges students and institutions face, and ways that students and programs could be better supported.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue recently announced the continued extension of nationwide flexibilities that allow free school meals for all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. The USDA previously extended child nutrition waivers through December 2020 based upon available funding at the time. The extension will allow schools and other local program operators to continue to leverage the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) to provide no cost meals to all children, available at over 90,000 sites across the country, through June 30, 2021.

Researchers at Yale University conducted the first large-scale assessment of the risk of working in child care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that exposure to child care was not associated with an elevated risk of spreading COVID-19 from children to adults, provided the child care programs took multiple safety measures — including disinfecting, handwashing, symptom screening, social distancing, mask-wearing, and limiting group size — and were located in communities where the spread of COVID-19 was contained.

Working parents depend on out-of-school time programs for child care coverage during work hours as well as for academic and social-emotional enrichment. However, what is known about quality afterschool programming is generally viewed through the lens of enrichment alone. What do parents who seek school-age care out of necessity value most about their child’s afterschool or summer program? How do they define quality? Last year, the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment set out to hear directly from parents on these questions, from the perspective of supporting Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies and their designated networks. The goal was to learn more about how working parents perceive school-age care options, what they value most, and how they choose care that fits the needs of their work schedules. The stakes are high for so many parents who need flexible, affordable school-age child care in order to work. The purpose of this brief, The Demand for Both Coverage and Quality in Out-of-School Time, is to illustrate how CCDF bridges the needs of low-income working families with promising practices for out-of-school time, relating the experiences of parents in their own voices.

The Education Commission of the States, in collaboration with Education Counsel and New America, recently issued State Policies to Enhance Transitions Into Kindergarten. The Policy Guide provides an overview of state strategies for streamlining and making successful the transition from pre-K into kindergarten. It draws on examples from nine states and identifies three types of policy options for state policymakers to consider.

Bellwether Education Partners has published new research on promoting early math learning for dual language learners (DLL). Language Counts: Supporting Early Math Development for Dual Language Learners examines research and practice to identify promising strategies for supporting early math learning for DLLs in the classroom and at home with their families. 

The vodcast, 911: Responding to Medical Emergencies, from Better Kid Care, provides guidance for creating a medical emergency response plan in child care programs. A medical emergency response plan can help child care staff in guiding their actions during emergency situations so they can be more clear, efficient decision makers, and everyone knows their role in an emergency situation. Also available is the printable, Who's Responsible? form to help organize a program's response by assigning tasks to specific team members before an emergency situation arises.

Families who could use help in feeding their children can enter their address to find free, healthy meals being served by organizations in their community on the No Kid Hungry website. The website does not use information for any other purpose than to locate food assistance.

Families can also find these resources by texting the word FOOD to 877-877. Information is available in English and Spanish.

Within the first 24-48 hours after birth, all babies go through a series of state mandated screenings to detect certain serious conditions that can affect their long-term health or survival. Newborn screening is important because the earlier a condition(s) can be detected and diagnosed, the sooner a baby can receive treatment and/or intervention. This gives babies the best chance at a healthy life. To increase awareness, knowledge, and understanding of newborn screening, National Institute for Children's Health Quality partnered with Genetic Alliance to develop a website that delivers general as well as state-specific and condition-specific newborn screening information. Learn more about the Newborn Screening Information Center website.

From brain architecture to toxic stress to COVID-19, The Brain Architects podcast from Center on the Developing Child brings together experts and practitioners from pediatrics, social services, and education, among other disciplines, to explore what we can do during the early years to ensure that all children have a strong foundation for future development and lifelong health.

This interactive E-handout from National Institute for Children's Health Quality helps families learn about safe sleep practices. Child care providers can share with families and staff, and click through the pages to find different sleep scenes and environments. A series of prompts and pop-ups show what is and is not safe and inspire learning conversations. Families can also access the handout at home and use it to teach their friends and families about safe sleep. 

As schools have reopened for the 2020/21 academic year, many districts plan to incorporate educational technology, such as online learning management systems and educational apps. How can early childhood and early elementary school teachers reconcile the need for e-learning with what they know about how young children learn best? See the tips from the IES Regional Educational Laboratory Program.

Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak and Dr. Julie Causton recently offered a session, Inclusive Virtual Learning: Designing and Delivering an Effective and Engaging Conference Session. Although this information was targeted towards presenters to the Division for Early Childhood conference, it contains tips for conducting inclusive and engaging virtual professional development, with how to make teaching and presenting more inclusive, engaging and effective for any presentation. Check out the graphic record, then view the full presentation.

The October 2020 edition of Natural Resources from Toni Miguel and Camille Catlett shares information about emergencies and natural disasters, ideas for teaching children about handling disappointment and more. The November 2020 edition of Baby Talk shares information on the early music experience, a still-face experiment that shows the damage done when parents stare at their phones, and more.