December 2021

PA HSSCO NEWS

News, Resources and Upcoming Events for Head Start, Early Head Start, and State-wide Partners in the early learning community

Good morning all and Happy Monday 😊 I would like to extend a huge heartfelt thank you to all the HS/EHS grantee staff and partners for the work that you have been doing for the past two years. You are an amazing group of inspiring, hard-working, compassionate leaders who have taken on the extremely difficult task of ensuring the health and safety of PA’s most vulnerable children and families during a deadly pandemic. YES – READ THAT AGAIN! You all have done that, and you’ve done it with composure, professionalism and grace. I could not be more proud to be associated with all of you and I’m so grateful to be able to work with each and every one of you.  I also want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very safe and wonderful holiday. I hope you are all able to take a well-deserved break from work and do some things that bring you JOY. I may see some of you on Tuesday for the HSSCO VRT but if not – please enjoy your time off! Below, I’ve compiled all the resources that I am aware of on the Interim Final Rule from the OHS and NHSA. I hope that having them all in one place and at your fingertips will be helpful. At the bottom, I’ve added some staff wellness resources with a strong focus on MINDFULNESS.

Happy Holidays from me and my sweet Quincy (right). 😊 Tracy

From the Office of Head Start Interim Final Rule – Masking and Vaccination Mandate Resources I understand that there are still several questions and need for clarification from the OHS. Below are all the resources currently available (they can all be found on ECLKC).  I will continue to share additional information as soon as it is made available. In the meantime, I encourage you to continue to reach out to your Program Specialists with questions and be sure to share your comments on the final rule.  You can comment individually here and/or below you will find a link to share your comments with NHSA. Interim Final Rule with Comment Period Revised Head Start Program Performance Standards to Incorporate Universal Masking and Staff Vaccination Mandate Preamble to the Final Rule on Vaccine and Mask Requirements Dec. 10, 2021: Webinar: FAQs on the IFC Vaccine and Masking Requirements The slides can be found here Nov. 29, 2021: Webinar: New Standards for Vaccination and Masking to Reduce Transmission of COVID-19 The slides can be found here Nov. 29, 2021: Dr. Futrell Blog Post: New Standards for Vaccination and Masking to Reduce Transmission of COVID-19 Nov. 29, 2021: Universal Masking and COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement FAQs Nov. 29, 2021: Summary of Vaccine and Mask Requirements to Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 in Head Start Programs ** Please note that the transcripts of the webinars are also available on the same page as the webinar recordings. You may find these helpful as you continue to go back to the webinars looking for information.

From the National Head Start Association On Dec. 16, 2021, NHSA released findings from their recent vaccine/mask interim rule survey and sent a letter to the Secretary of HHS and numerous other Administration staff and Congressional leadership. The survey findings can be found here and the letter to Secretary Becerra can be found here. Deputy Director of NHSA Tommy Sheridan was recently interviewed about the challenges of the Final Rule for HS/EHS, find the story here. NHSA is collecting comments from recipients and stakeholders. You can share your thoughts with NHSA here. On Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, NHSA held a virtual conversation on the Interim Final Rule on Vaccine and Masking Requirements in Head Start programs. You can find a recording here and a copy of the presentation here.

Staff Wellness / Mindfulness I understand that staff wellness continues to be an ongoing concern. Below are some resources that you may find helpful.  Have you seen the NHSA Nurturing Staff Wellness Toolkit? It is an excellent resource and guides you through the steps for creating a staff wellness program in your organization. ECLKC has a number of staff wellness resources that you are likely already aware of. They can be found here The Healthy Minds Innovation app is free and I LOVE THIS APP! It does a great job of explaining the science behind the practice of mindfulness. You can find more information about it here. You can access the CALM app for free. This is also a great app and I encourage you to try it if you haven’t. ZERO TO THREE has a great mindfulness resource specifically for Early Childhood Educators: Getting Started with Mindfulness: A Toolkit for Early Childhood Organizations From NAEYC - Rocking and Rolling. Being Present: Mindfulness in Infant and Toddler Settings Article – Why Early Childhood Educators should turn to mindfulness, now and always NYT Article –How to Meditate   Interested in more mindfulness resources? I’d love to start a book study or brainstorm other ways that we could come together as a group to grow our mindfulness skills. If you’re interested, email me at tradua@pakeys.org and we will get something started after the new year.

For questions or more information about PA HSSCO, contact Tracy Duarte, Director, at tradua@pakeys.org. The Pennsylvania Head Start State Collaboration Office (PA HSSCO) is federally funded by the Office of Head Start in a grant to the PA Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). Get more information about PA HSSCO. Did you receive this from a friend? Sign up to get this delivered to your inbox!