Dear First Up Community,
As our lives are being changed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we remain committed to all of you – to ensure you have the information and resources you need to take care of yourselves and your communities. In times of uncertainty, it’s easy for our attention to be fractured – and we don’t know where to go information. We are committed to supporting you as you navigate the changes in the ECE community and as you support your own friends and family. In the midst of it all, please remember to find time to look after your own needs as well.
To that end, we have collected some important resources about ECE Updates, fun activities parents can do with children, free meals for families who need them, unemployment compensation and advocacy updates, as well as resources for stress management.
Use the tabs above to navigate the page and please reach out to us if there is something you need that you can’t find here.
You are a valued part of the First Up family. We are in this together. Take good care.
We will be updating the following collection of links as more information, processes, and policies are released. If you want to suggest an essential link/resource not found on this list, please email Mindi Leiber.
PLEASE NOTE: We have streamlined these COVID-19 resource offerings in order to improve navigation and highlight re-opening information. If you are looking for a link found in our previous postings, please visit this archive page. We will not continue to update the archive page, so please be aware that some information on the archive page may be outdated or contradicted by current policy and recommendations.
Take Action Today!
Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop because we may not be in our early childhood programs or school buildings. We need your support to get services and resources for programs and families. Please click on the Advocacy and Civil Engagement tab for ways to take action!
Government & Regulatory
- A Variety of Newsletter Sign-ups from OCDEL and PA Key
- Bucks County Early Learning Resource Center (Region 16) Resources
- Chester County Early Learning Resource Center (Region 19) Newsletter
- Delaware County Early Learning Resource Center (Region 15) Newsletter (July)
- Montgomery County Early Learning Resource Center (Region 17) Newsletter
- Philadelphia County Early Learning Resource Center (Region 18) Newsletter (sign-up at bottom of page)
- PHLpreK Newsletter Sign-up
- Office of Head Start Newsletter Sign-up
Child Development
- EmbraceRace (scroll to the bottom of the page)
- Language Castle
- The Council for Exceptional Children Newsletter (scroll to the bottom of the page)
- To subscribe to Babytalk Listserv, send an email with no message or signature block to subscribe-babytalk@listerv.unc.edu
- Newsletter Sign-ups from the BUILD Initiative
- Read by 4th
- Newsletter Sign-ups from Zero to Three
- Newsletter Sign-ups from NAEYC
Social-Emotional Development
Health and Safety
Finance and Operations
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
Take Action Today!
Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop because we may not be in our early childhood programs or school buildings. We need your support to get services and resources for programs and families. Please click on the Advocacy and Civil Engagement tab for ways to take action!
- Caring for Our Children – Quality Health and Safety Policies and Practices
- List of Inclusive Mental Health Services for People of Color, LGBT
- SEPECC Companion Tool to CDC COVID-19 Re-opening Guidance
- Universal Masking Order FAQ
- Technical Assistance for Health and Safety
- CDC Guidance on Cleaning
- List of EPA-approved Disinfectants
- PA Information on Where to Obtain Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
Take Action Today!
Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop because we may not be in our early childhood programs or school buildings. We need your support to get services and resources for programs and families. Please click on the Advocacy and Civil Engagement tab for ways to take action!
- Coaching to Success: free individualized and cohort-based coaching by financial and operational experts from The Reinvestment Fund
- PHLpreK Employment Portal for PHLpreK Providers Seeking Staff
- Child Care Hiring: Tips for Hiring Quality Teachers
- 10 Questions to Ask When Hiring Early Childhood Educators
- Recorded Webinar: Rebuild your ECE Program for the New Normal Part 2 – Marketing and Staffing
- Join Sharedsourcepa.org for a Complete Human Resources Section
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
Take Action Today!
Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop because we may not be in our early childhood programs or school buildings. We need your support to get services and resources for programs and families. Please click on the Advocacy and Civil Engagement tab for ways to take action!
Family Engagement
- Effective Family Supports for Out-of-Classroom Learning during COVID-19
- Parent Information Handouts from ParentingCounts.org
- Building Productive Relationships with Parents
- Strategies for Family Engagement
- More Family Engagement Strategies from the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
- Supporting Young Children after Crisis Events
Teaching Practices
- Guidance for Providing Effective Teaching Strategies in Virtual Classrooms Pre-K and K-3
- Effective Interactions in Socially Distanced Classrooms During COVID-19 Pre-K and K-3
- Should We Be Worried About Learning Loss in Early Childhood?
- Shifting Blackboards: Supports for Emergency Online Teaching, Adjusting Assignments, and Rethinking Field Experiences
- “Essential not Expendable” Facebook Group Dedicated to Supporting Early Childhood Educators
- Follow Angela Nelson-Searcy, Early Childhood Education Consultant
- Preventing and Reducing Suspensions and Expulsions in Early Care and Education Settings
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
Take Action Today!
Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop because we may not be in our early childhood programs or school buildings. We need your support to get services and resources for programs and families. Please click on the Advocacy and Civil Engagement tab for ways to take action!
- JEVS Human Services
- Encourage Learning about Family Issues at Your Place of Work
- PA Family Support Alliance (PAFSA)
- COMPASS (health and family services, as well as childcare finder)
- PA Office of Unemployment Compensation
- US Department of Labor CareerOneStop
- Financial Assistance for Families in PA
- Information on Food Services and Family Programs in the City of Chester
- Rent and Mortgage Assistance
- Information on Assistance in the City of Philadelphia
- Information on Voting in the Upcoming Election
- Hand Sanitizer Information, Including List of Recalled Products
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
Take Action Today!
Early Childhood Education doesn’t stop because we may not be in our early childhood programs or school buildings. We need your support to get services and resources for programs and families. Please click on the Advocacy and Civil Engagement tab for ways to take action!
First Up Virtual Institutes
We are thrilled to announce the first three dates and topics for our new virtual institutes this year:
- Saturday, September 26, 9:00am-1:30pm – Family Childcare Conference
- Saturday, October 3, 9:00am-1:30pm – Personal Empowerment for the ECE Professional, featuring Dr. Veirdre Jackson
- Tuesday, November 3, 12:00-4:30pm – Male Engagement in Early Childhood Education
Registration is now open for the first two conferences with a special deal for Home-based Providers!
Be sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get all of the latest details.
Contact Rebecca Tyrrell with any questions.
As we continue to move forward in these uncertain times, we will continue to listen to YOU, the early education professional, and plan to continue exploring more online conference possibilities and topics to ensure your comfort and continued professional development.
First Up Webinars
Earn PD hours from Pennsylvania Key and get great trainings from First Up by logging into the PD Registry and searching for First Up in the “Sponsor Name” field. We have many offerings available, including the following free titles:
- Introduction to Are You a Bucket Filler?
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Block Center
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Library Center
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Science Center
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Writing Center
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Art Center
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Math Center
- Introduction to Out of the Box Ideas for the Music Center
- Introduction to Stress Management for the ECE Practitioner
- Mindful Families
Archived Webinars & Sign-ups for Live Offerings
- Early Childhood Investigation Webinars
- 2020 Leadership and Learning Catalog: free recorded and live trainings from the Council for Professional Recognition
- Teachstone
- ECLKC/Office of Head Start
- Teaching Strategies
- Devereux Center for Resilient Children
- National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
- Teaching Tolerance
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
The State of ECE
- The True Cost of Providing Safe Child Care During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- “America’s child care problem is an economic problem” – Vox
- Maternal and Child Health Inequities Emerge Even Before Birth
- Child and Family Demographic Information for PA with Access to Other State Information
- The Impact of the Pandemic on ECE Higher Education Programs, from NAEYC
- A Case for Child Support Payment Reform
- Supporting the Child Care is Essential Act
- “Should the Child Care Industry Get a Bailout?” – The New York Times
- “Coronavirus child care crisis tops concerns as nation pushes to reopen. Parents ask: Who will watch our children?” – USA Today
- Childcare on the Brink Town Hall
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Presents a Model for Re-opening the Country Safely for Children
Southeast Pennsylvania Advocacy
- Contact Your Legislator to Prevent School Budget Cuts
- Share Your COVID-19 Child Care Story
Most parents don’t have access to child care due to COVID-19 mandated closures and we need to hear from you! Are you working from home with children present? Are you working essential jobs without childcare? Have you come to a new appreciation of your child care program? Are your children missing their teachers or friends? To help policy makers understand the importance of childcare, we need to hear from you! Click here to share your story. - Recording of 8/18/20 SEPECC Meeting
- Slides from 8/18/20 SEPECC Meeting
Statewide Advocacy
You did it, we did it, 125 million dollars allocated to save early learning!
- Help End PA Lead Poisoning for Children
- Ways to Take Action to Support Babies in PA
- Early Childhood Workforce Qualifications Calculator
- Thank Your State Legislators for Their Support in Funding Childcare
- Leadership in Action
Help the Early Learning Community and receive incentives to support your program. - Start Strong PA Policy Recommendations
- Contact Your Legislator Today!
Tell your State Legislator about the impact the COVID-19 closures have had on you. - TAKE ACTION! COVID-19 Child Care Crisis
Pennsylvania’s economy depends on working families and working families depend on child care. Tell the Governor and General Assembly to include child care in PA stimulus package! Child care programs will not survive if stimulus funds are not available to them. Take action today to help ensure the sustainability of the child care sector and protect the health and well-being of children.
National Advocacy
- Tuesday, September 15th: National Prenatal-to-3 Research to Policy Summit
12:00pm - Federal Recommendations on Policies to Support Home-based Child Care
- 2020 National Women of Color Agenda Survey
- Urge Congress to Prioritize SEL
- Head Start Providers: Reaching Out to Press on CARES Act Funding
- Support Funding for Healthy Foods for Children in Childcare Programs
- Signs that Your State Is Equitably Serving Students with Disabilities during the Pandemic
- Urge the US Senate for Further Funding for Child Care
- Support the Babies of Our Nation by Taking Action
Companion source that outlines why babies’ development deserves our attention
Additional ways to ask the government to #Thinkbabiesandact - High School Students Speak Out Against Racism
- Call Your Legislator to Speak Out for Child Care
- ECE Leadership in the COVID-19 Crisis PowerPoint
- Ways to Support Family Providers during COVID-19
- Proposal of Essential Elements for Families to Return to Work
- COVID-19: Keep the Pressure on Congress to Act for Babies
- Quick Signature: Urge The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to Collect Racial Data to Prevent Inequities during COVID-19!
- Updated Legislative Recommendations for Infants and Toddlers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 2020 Census is now open!
This is all the more important right now as government resources will be allocated based on the census. Complete this online from home! - Child Care Aware of America – State by State Resource Map
For more information and resources, please see the other tabs.
PLEASE NOTE: We have streamlined these COVID-19 resource offerings in order to improve navigation and highlight re-opening information. If you are looking for a link found in our previous postings, please visit this archive page. We will not continue to update the archive page, so please be aware that some information on the archive page may be outdated or contradicted by current policy and recommendations.
