Pennsylvania is seeing fewer older youth in foster care — but experts say too many are still entering the system because of behavioral issues compared to the rest of the country.
Pennsylvania Moves to Find Families for Teens in Foster Care
Recent changes in a Pennsylvania law expand efforts to find supportive families and caregivers for teens in foster care. The new provision improves recruitment practices for families and helps prepare young people to thrive as they age out of foster care and into adulthood. The changes took effect on January 2, 2023. “This is a huge win for more […]
Anxiety, depression diagnoses spiked for Pa. kids during pandemic | Thursday Morning Coffee
It’s already well-established that the massive societal disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic took a huge toll on the mental health of America’s young people. New research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (h/t Axios Philadelphia) shows that the Keystone State’s children were diagnosed with anxiety and depression at a rate that slightly outpaced the national average. Thirteen percent of Pennsylvania’s […]
One in 12 Pa. high-schoolers attempted suicide last year; advocates seek counselors, social workers
While slightly fewer Pennsylvania children are in poverty or have a parent without secure employment compared to last year, mental health needs continue to increase across the state. That’s according to new data from the Annie E Casey Foundation’s annual report on child wellbeing. Across the country, children are in the midst of what the […]
Report: Pennsylvania Ranks 21st in Nation for Child Well-Being
Pennsylvania ranks in the middle among states for the well-being of its children. The latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation lists Pennsylvania as 21st overall, and 24th for the number of uninsured children. The report showed the pandemic has brought no shortage of challenges. Carolyn Myers, director of communications for the Pennsylvania […]
