Welcome to PA Early Education News. An inside look at Pennsylvania's
Formerly the BUILD Early Childhood Education News
Top News
Pennsylvania partners come together to build family engagement skills and knowledge.

Helping families keep warm this winter: LIHEAP applications now available.

Check out the new website for PA Department of Human Services.

New tools help guide access to child care for children and families experiencing homelessness.

Middle class children need preschool, too.

Including children with disabilities in high-quality early childhood programs.
Get Info about Early Education in PA    
 

 
Message from OCDEL Deputy Secretary, Michelle Figlar

Thank you for taking time to read this month's PA Early Education E-News. We are moving to a monthly distribution, but will continue the same quality information about early childhood education around the Commonwealth and the country. Last month, I had the opportunity to meet and read to some of our young children in celebration of Pennsylvania's Promise for Children Month! Thanks to the staff and families at Hildebrandt's Department of Education Child Care Center in the Pennsylvania Department of Education building in Harrisburg, and East Pennsboro Kindercare in Enola for letting me read at their facility. Read more!


Annual Performance Report for Pennsylvania's RTT-ELC Grant Now Available

The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services website has updated information on the performance of all state Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grantees. Included is a report, At a Glance: Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Year 2014 Progress Update, that highlights some of the work undertaken by the twenty States during 2014. 
Pennsylvania's efforts are highlighted as a Phase 3 grantee, demonstrating an increase in the number of 
  • Programs in the top tiers of the Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS), 
  • Children with high needs in state funded preschool programs in the top teirs of the TQRIS, and
  • Children with high needs in Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)-Funded, and Early Head Start/Head Start programs that are in the top teirs of the TQRIS.
Also included are the results of the monitoring process to assess the state's implementation of the program requirements and approved scopes of work for RTT-ELC and the state-level systems and processes need to support implementation. For regular updates on Pennsylvania's RTT-ELC grant-funded initiatives, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. 
MeetingsFriend Neighbor and Family Child Care Home Provider Meetings

In 2014, the federal law that oversees and provides funding for child care assistance (Child Care Development Block Grant /CCDBG) was reauthorized for the first time since 1996. In an effort to support families with access to safe, reliable child care, the law requires most friend/neighbor caregivers receiving subsidy and all family child care home providers to become certified by November 2016. Regional Certification Offices are holding provider meetings to provide information on upcoming changes to policy and what to expect from annual inspections. Certification staff will be on hand to present information and answer questions. The meetings will also include representatives from the Regional Key and CCIS coordinators. Please contact your Regional Office for dates and locations. Visit the PA Key website for a new tip sheet and resources.
The Importance of Reading to Children 

Early literacy is about much more than vocabulary building, but is an important tool to help children learn about everything else--social skills, dealing with stress, social studies, science and more. In a new video, OCDEL Deputy Secretary, Michelle Figlar, shares the value of reading to children and why it's critical in the building of children's academic and social skills. Hear how reading to a child can address the word gap and improve a child's vocabulary. Get tips on how to encourage a child's learning through reading. Share this brief video in your newsletter, on your website, or at your next meeting with families, peers and community leaders. 
Early Learning GPS App launched 

Want to help your baby, toddler or preschooler get ready for kindergarten? Start with the Early Learning GPS. Answer questions for video tips that can have a big impact on your child's growth and learning. Save favorite tips and activities; keep a scrapbook of your child's growth; and get help choosing child care. You can access the Early Learning GPS online at www.earlylearninggps.com, or download the new app for Android, Apple, or Kindle.  

There are some great new features to the Early Learning GPS: 
  • Search over 300 activities based on Pennsylvania's Early Learning Standards to save to your child's map 
  • Search online resources by keyword Search and save local resources to your child's map 
  • Enable weekly push notifications for tips and book giveaways 
Professionals interested in sharing the Early Learning GPS with families - visit the Pennsylvania's Promise for Children website for sample logos, articles, social media posts, as well as a virtual tour and quick start guide. 

This initiative is a part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.
Summit Sessions Focus on Pennsylvania's Early Learning Priorities 

During the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Summit on December 2 in State College, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will host sessions that focus on Public Policy and exploring Pennsylvania's early learning priorities. 
  • 8:15 - 9:30: General Session with representatives from Commonwealth leadership. 
  • 9:45 - 11:15: 1.02 Early Learning Policy Session #1: Meet the Administration, K6.10 C3 
  • 11:30 - 1:00: 2.02 Early Learning Policy Session #2: The Impact of the Child Care Development Block Grant Reauthorization in Pennsylvania, K6.10 C3 
  • 1:15 - 2:45: 3.02 Early Learning Policy Session #3: Keystone STARS Standards Revision, K6.10 C3 
  • 3:00 - 4:30: 4.02 Early Learning Policy Session #4: Pre-K Expansion in PA, K6.10 C3 
The Early Childhood Education Summit provides early care and education practitioners, parents and advocates from across the early learning and school-age spectrum - Childcare, Head Start, Early Intervention, PA Pre-K Counts, Home Visitation, and School Districts - an opportunity to dialogue and learn while building a stronger early learning community. The program includes more than two hundred workshop sessions, inspiring keynotes, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Attendees can not only acquire new information, but can also connect with colleagues and enhance relationships with others in the early childhood field.

To attend the session, registration at the ECE Summit is required. Click here to register for the Summit.
 
 
 
 

Happy 40th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)! 

In 1975, the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act (Public Law 94-142) guaranteed access to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to each child with a disability across the country. Subsequent amendments, as currently reflected in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), have led to an increased emphasis on access to the general education curriculum, the provision of services for young children birth to five, transition planning, and accountability for the achievement and performance of students with disabilities. Today, due largely to the provision of IDEA-supported programs and services, over 6 million infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities are achieving at levels that would not have been imagined in previous decades. The federal Office of Special Education Programs is collecting stories from children and youth with disabilities, teachers, parents, researchers, and other IDEA stakeholders about the impact the legislation has had. People can share art, photographs, and writing with us for possible use during the upcoming 40th Anniversary events. Click here to submit a stories by November 8.
Learn more about PA's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant    
 

 


FEConferenceSupporting Partners in Engaging Families: 2015 Family Engagement Conference

Over 300 family leaders, professionals across Early Learning, Early Intervention, Family Support and Elementary Education sectors throughout the state participated in the 2015 Family Engagement Conference. The focus of the conference was building family engagement skills and knowledge among families and professionals, and providing an opportunity to learn strategies, supports and resources to support strong partnerships to increase children's school readiness and achievement. The conference also encouraged stakeholders to move from family engagement as a set of individual activities, to family engagement strategies that are based upon shared knowledge, simultaneously allowing for the individual needs of Pennsylvania's communities. Discover the information and resources presented that can make a difference in family engagement.
This initiative is a part of Pennsylvania's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant. For more information on other initiatives funded by this grant, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.
Read Early Learning Articles of Interest






DHSWebsitePA Department of Human Services has a new website! 

The PA Department of Human Services (DHS) recently launched a new, more user-friendly website. Users can apply for benefits, find a county assistance office, help keep kids safe in PA, learn about the many programs, and more! Bookmark the new website at www.dhs.pa.gov.
LIHEAP2015-16 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Accepting Applications

The 2015-16 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is now open and accepting applications. LIHEAP is a grant that offers assistance in the form of a cash grant, sent directly to the utility company, or a crisis grant for households in immediate danger of being without heat. Families can apply online, on paper, or in person. In addition to the LIHEAP cash program, households experiencing a heating crisis may be eligible for additional benefits through the LIHEAP crisis program. Visit the PA Department of Human Services for more information, include applications.
Autism Speaks Hosts Applications for iPad Airs 
Application deadline November 7 

Autism Speaks has announced that 1,045 iPad Airs will be awarded to financially disadvantaged individuals with autism. Eligible applicants are individuals who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder by a licensed professional; reside in the United States; and have limited income and cannot afford to purchase an iPad. Click here for how to apply. Application deadline is November 7, 2015. 
Submit your ideas to Bridge the Word Gap
Deadline December 31, 2015

The Bridging the Word Gap Challenge from the Health Resources & Services Administration will award $300,000 to support innovative solutions that can help promote early-language development among children from low-income families. The goal is to create a tool to help families and caregivers talk and engage more with young children, so all children are on the path to success from an early age. In the first phase of the Challenge, submit an idea for a tool to promote frequent verbal interaction and broad vocabulary between parents/caregivers and children up to age four. Submitted ideas should include an evaluation that describes the ability to execute the idea in Phase 2 (Development and Small Scale Testing) and Phase 3 (Scaling). Submissions for Phase 1 are due by December 31, 2015.
Get Early Learning Trends and Reports
 
 
 
 
 

MiddleClassMiddle Class Children Need Preschool, Too

A study, Together from the Start: Expanding Early Childhood Investments for Middle-Class and Low-Income Families from The Century Foundation, reports that children from middle-income families are more likely to attend preschool than their peers from low-income families, but less likely to attend than children from high-income families. New research has revealed the ways that high-quality early care and education benefit both middle-class children and middle-class parents. Middle-class children attending high-quality early learning programs show improved cognitive outcomes and increased future earnings. Data on parent employment, preschool enrollment, and the cost of child care also make it clear that middle-class families too often lack access to the high-quality early childhood programs that parents and children need to thrive.
homelessnessSupporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness 

Now available are two tools, Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness: CCDF State Guide and Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness: CCDF State Self-Assessment, developed by the Ounce of Prevention Fund and the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth to assist states in utilizing the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan as a vehicle for advancing access to child care for children and families experiencing homelessness.  Families experiencing homelessness often face numerous barriers to the programs and services that can support the healthy development of their children, including early care and education programs. In recognition of the challenges faced by homeless families, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 includes a number of new provisions designed to address barriers and improve access. Implementation of the CCDBG Act presents an important and unprecedented opportunity not only to improve the overall quality of early care and education but to also expand access to a critical support for homeless children and families.
Discrimination of Young Children from Immigrant Families

A new report, The Impact of Discrimination on the Early Schooling Experiences of Children from Immigrant Families, part of a research series supported by the Foundation for Child Development, maps the types of personal and structural discrimination that young children of immigrants may experience at school, and the consequences of discrimination for children, their families, and schools. The report includes recommendations that focus on training teachers, building relationships between schools and immigrant communities, and encouraging more varied, culturally sensitive learning experiences.
Find Early Learning Resources
 
 




Flu: Recommendations for Child Care Facilities: The PA Department of Health provides recommendations for child care facilities to prevent influenza in child care settings. 

PNC Grow Up Great� Lesson Center: High-quality science and arts lesson plans for early childhood educators are available from PNC Grow Up Great� Lesson Center. The Lesson Center features a collection of lesson plans organized by common preschool themes such as Recycling, Weather, and Habitats, which can be easily used in preschool classrooms. These free lessons provide developmentally appropriate activities - designed and tested by leading science and arts organizations - and can be used flexibly with existing curricula. Each lesson includes a learning objective, list of materials, background information for teachers, questions to guide student inquiry, related vocabulary with child-friendly definitions, recommended books, and more. A printable letter in English and Spanish is available to send to families to reinforce what their children learned in class.

November Baby Talk: The November edition of Baby Talk from Camille Catlett has resources for responding to toddlers' irrational behavior, about young children's fears, how a two-year old's vocabulary can predict kindergarten success, and more.

Let's Talk About Math! ZERO TO THREE announced new resources available for parents and caregivers to help them work with young children on early math skills.  
Find Early Learning Funding Opportunities
 
 



Harrisburg Rotary Foundation: Nonprofit organizations serving children and their families in the Harrisburg area may be eligible to apply for the Harrisburg Rotary Foundation grant. Application deadline is December 15, 2015.

PA Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grant Program: The 2016 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Education Grant provides a grant opportunity in several environmental focus areas, including connecting children with nature,  developing educational programs or infrastructure for regular, immersive outdoor education. Programs in environmental education should be age- and developmentally-appropriate. Environmental Education programs should focus heavily on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Eligible applicants include Public schools and school districts (K-12) (includes Intermediate Units), incorporated private schools, nonprofits, and businesses. Application deadline is December 18, 2015.
November 2015
Employment Opportunities

Seeking employment in the Early Care and Education field? 
Community Events 
 
Professional Events

November 13-14: 
November 18:
  
Want your event to appear
in the PA Early Education News?
Email information to Mary Hall, marhal@berksiu.org

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) provides families access to high quality services to prepare children for school and life success. 

  

Find more information about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania
 
The Pennsylvania Early Childhood Education News is a project of the Pennsylvania Build Initiative and the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Human Services to inform early learning professionals, the early childhood community, policymakers, community leaders and the public on developments in early childhood education and care in Pennsylvania.


Please feel free to forward this email to friends, family, and colleagues.
You may access archived copies at Pennsylvania's Promise for Children.
 

Copyright � 2015. All Rights Reserved.