The 2017-18 state budget passed by the Senate this morning and headed to the House demonstrates a bi-partisan compromise that prioritizes children. Following the governor’s lead set in his budget request, Democrats and Republicans came together and prioritized the state’s 2.8 million children by increasing state investments in child welfare, early learning and K-12 education.
Pre-K puts kids in better place
Lawmakers often say they are working to make the world a better place for our children. If that’s the case, members of the state Legislature should take a close look at a proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf to boost pre-kindergarten funding by $75 million in the next state budget.
Pre-K Should be a Top Budget Priority
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) released a report today in its role as a principal partner of the Pre-K for PA Campaign that commends Pennsylvania for making increased state investments in publicly funded, high-quality pre-k but highlighting that the commonwealth is lagging behind many other states, including economic competitors, in its per capita investment. PPC President and CEO Joan L. Benso was joined at a state capitol press conference by Governor Tom Wolf, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, York County business leader Michael Smeltzer and other partners in the campaign.
Pre-K in PA: A Path Forward Report
Driven by bi-partisan support, publicly funded, high-quality pre-k was placed as a top state funding priority of the past two state budget cycles…and rightfully so. Access to this vital service is a fundamental building block of our state’s education system and helps ensure children have the strong foundation necessary to enter kindergarten ready to learn. Furthermore, research has shown that it can reduce grade repetition, special education placements, and dropout rates. Unfortunately, even with recent increases in state funding, there are over 112,900 eligible children who qualify for high-quality, publicly funded pre-k but remain unserved.
New Report Details How Pennsylvania Can Step Up Investment in High-Quality Pre-k
Pre-k advocates and United Way officials around the commonwealth are calling on Pennsylvania to increase its commitment to making high-quality pre-k more accessible to young learners, particularly those at greatest risk of academic failure due to economic disadvantages.
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Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is dedicated to improving the well-being of PA's 2.6 million kids. We're independent, non-partisan and non-profit.
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💙 Today is National Child Health Day!
Every child deserves a healthy start and the opportunity to thrive. That means access to quality health care, perinatal health services, health coverage, immunizations, early intervention, behavioral health supports and the resources
October is National Children’s Health Month! 💙
Every child deserves a healthy start and the opportunity to thrive. That means access to perinatal health care, health coverage, vaccinations, early intervention and the resources families need from the very beginning.
💙 As Kinship Care Month comes to a close, we’re highlighting why kinship care matters.
📊 Research is clear: when children can’t stay with their parents, they do best with kin.
Kinship families can provide stability, cultural identity, resilient mental health & behavioral