Category: Education & Policy

BELL Project and System Breakdowns

5/15/2022

BELL Project Addresses System Breakdowns to Support
Working Parents in Shelter and Their Children

A shelter liaison reached out to a BELL Project Early Childhood Education Specialist. The staff person was concerned. She needed assistance with a family enrollment issue that had just been shared with her. The parent had the following concerns:

She had a job but may no longer be able to keep it due to childcare issues arising from unreceived subsidy payments.
She tried to go through both the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) and her worker at the welfare office, but neither were responding.
She didn’t know what else to do.

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Everyday Learning Play Spaces Engages Families

5/15/2022

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In their Own Words: Families and Staff with Everyday Learning Play Spaces!

PEC's Everyday Learning Play Spaces team has been working hard recently engaging with the staff and families at our current sites: Darlene Morris, Jane Addams Place, Families Forward Philadelphia, and Woodstock Family Center. We have received illustrative and rich feedback regarding what the staff and families would like to see our project accomplish.

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Map Shows Child Care Works Program Use by Legislative District

5/15/2022

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Every Child Deserves Quality Childcare, But Are They Receiving It?

The PA Partnerships for Children (PPC) posted interactive child care maps created for the Start Strong PA campaign that shows childcare availability by Congressional, PA House, PA Senate, School District, and County levels.

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Action Alert: Urge Lawmakers to Invest to end PA Childcare Crisis

4/28/2022

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Pre-K advocates and legislative staff in Harrisburg.

Tell PA Lawmakers to increase salaries for childcare workers
by increasing funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

State Senators and Representatives could improve childcare availability by increasing funding for Pre-K and Head Start. There are more than 9,300 children ages birth through 5 who experience homelessness in the Commonwealth, including some 2,600 children in Philadelphia. Most need high quality early learning programs that would help promote their development and be ready for school. PEC urges you to contact your state legislators today.

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Children Cannot Wait: Discussion with Sen. Hughes

3/30/2022

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Children Cannot Wait Campaign Update:
PEC participates in Roundtable Discussion with Senator Vincent Hughes

At PEC’s request, Senator Vincent Hughes held a ‘Roundtable Discussion’ with a panel of experts about the catastrophic surge in child and youth homelessness in Pennsylvania. From 2011 through 2019, the number of school-aged children experiencing homelessness in our commonwealth jumped from 28,000 to more than 40,000. A quarter of those are younger than school age. At this rate of growth, PEC estimates that Pennsylvania could identify more than 50,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness by 2026. How can we stop this trend?

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Take Action for our Youngest Children

3/30/2022

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Tell PA State Senators and House Members to Increase
funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

PEC urges you to contact your state legislators to support increases in funding for Head Start Supplemental and Pre-K Counts! There are more than 9,300 children ages birth through five who experience homelessness in the Commonwealth, including some 2,600 children in Philadelphia. These children need high quality early learning programs that would help promote their development and help them to be ready for school.

Governor Wolf proposed a $60 million state funding increase for Pre-K Counts and a $30 million increase for Head Start Supplemental Assistance in the 2022-23 state budget, and now is the time to ask members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to support it or improve on it.

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Building Early Links for Learning in Permanent Supportive Housing

3/14/2022

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PEC Launches Parent Ambassador Program in Permanent Supportive Housing

By Todd Hopkins
PEC BELL Project Early Childhood Coordinator

Yasimine, a Parent Ambassador for PEC’s BELL Project Permanent Supportive Housing Program (BELL-PSH), describes her experience as a resident in the system as inspirational. “In the beginning, it was pretty rough as though it was a new start for me. But as time went on, I grew and learned. The experience ultimately changed my life.”

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Housing and Education for Young Children

3/14/2022

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Figure 2. Collaboration Frequency Between Head Start Staff and Their Key Partners to Identify Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness in 2017 Compared to 2020

Head Start Collaboration and Partnerships to
Support Families Experiencing Homelessness

The Pennsylvania Head Start State Collaboration Office (HSSCO) analyzed multiple data sources to examine the incidence of homelessness and the nature of grantee collaboration with key partners.

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Children's Workgroup Conference March 2022

3/11/2022

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Next Children’s Work Group Early Childhood Conference (CWGEC)
March 18, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, Via Zoom

This CWGEC Conference will feature Sarah Vrabic and FathersRead365

Sarah Vrabic, PEC Everyday Learning Play Spaces Manager, will be presenting on her newly published peer-reviewed article in the Child: Care, Health and Development journal, “Perceptions of support in shelter environments for caregivers and young children experiencing family homelessness.” The article centers around family interviews she conducted with a team of colleagues before the pandemic.

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Collaborative Forum Draws 200+ Attendees

3/11/2022

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255 Housing and Head Start Colleagues Attend Forum on Head
Start Collaborations with the Homeless Housing System

Leaders from throughout Pennsylvania (and few from other states!) joined a webinar that discussed various strategies that support young children experiencing homelessness access high quality early learning programs. The forum included:

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<<Previous

BELL Project and System Breakdowns

BELL Project Addresses System Breakdowns to Support
Working Parents in Shelter and Their Children

Everyday Learning Play Spaces Engages Families

In their Own Words: Families and Staff with Everyday Learning Play Spaces!

Map Shows Child Care Works Program Use by Legislative District

Every Child Deserves Quality Childcare, But Are They Receiving It?

Action Alert: Urge Lawmakers to Invest to end PA Childcare Crisis

Tell PA Lawmakers to increase salaries for childcare workers
by increasing funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

Children Cannot Wait: Discussion with Sen. Hughes

Children Cannot Wait Campaign Update:
PEC participates in Roundtable Discussion with Senator Vincent Hughes

Take Action for our Youngest Children

Tell PA State Senators and House Members to Increase
funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

Building Early Links for Learning in Permanent Supportive Housing

PEC Launches Parent Ambassador Program in Permanent Supportive Housing

Housing and Education for Young Children

Head Start Collaboration and Partnerships to
Support Families Experiencing Homelessness

Children's Workgroup Conference March 2022

Next Children’s Work Group Early Childhood Conference (CWGEC)
March 18, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, Via Zoom

Collaborative Forum Draws 200+ Attendees

255 Housing and Head Start Colleagues Attend Forum on Head
Start Collaborations with the Homeless Housing System

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Categories

Text PECCARES to 844-961-3547 for PEC news!

People's Emergency Center

PEC Community Development Corporation

Policy & Research

Social Media

BELL Project Addresses System Breakdowns to Support ​Working Parents in Shelter and Their Children ​

In their Own Words: Families and Staff with Everyday Learning Play Spaces! ​​

Every Child Deserves Quality Childcare, But Are They Receiving It?

Tell PA Lawmakers to increase salaries for childcare workersby increasing funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

Children Cannot Wait Campaign Update:​PEC participates in Roundtable Discussion with Senator Vincent Hughes

Tell PA State Senators and House Members to Increase​funding for Pre-K and Head Start! ​

PEC Launches Parent Ambassador Program in Permanent Supportive Housing ​

Head Start Collaboration and Partnerships toSupport Families Experiencing Homelessness

Next Children’s Work Group Early Childhood Conference (CWGEC)​March 18, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, Via Zoom

255 Housing and Head Start Colleagues Attend Forum on Head​Start Collaborations with the Homeless Housing System ​

Archives

Categories

Text PECCARES to 844-961-3547 for PEC news!

People's Emergency Center

PEC Community Development Corporation

Policy & Research

Social Media

BELL Project Addresses System Breakdowns to Support
Working Parents in Shelter and Their Children

In their Own Words: Families and Staff with Everyday Learning Play Spaces!

Tell PA Lawmakers to increase salaries for childcare workers
by increasing funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

Children Cannot Wait Campaign Update:
PEC participates in Roundtable Discussion with Senator Vincent Hughes

Tell PA State Senators and House Members to Increase
funding for Pre-K and Head Start!

PEC Launches Parent Ambassador Program in Permanent Supportive Housing

Head Start Collaboration and Partnerships to
Support Families Experiencing Homelessness

Next Children’s Work Group Early Childhood Conference (CWGEC)
March 18, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, Via Zoom

255 Housing and Head Start Colleagues Attend Forum on Head
Start Collaborations with the Homeless Housing System