PathWays PA Policy Blog

Residential Worker Part-time and Full-time - need caring and motivated individual to provide support and supervision for Delco group home serving women and children; HS/GED, Associates Degree and experience preferred; driver’s license required. Includes nights and weekends. Fax resumes to: LD/CFF 610-328-2807. Childcare Worker Child Learning Center at Delco Group home. Must have knowledge of early childhood development and ability to nurture and promote positive growth in pre-school age children. AA in Early Childhood Ed. Preferred. Salary $12/hour. Fax resume to LD/CFF 610-328-2807. Learning Center Group Supervisor EDUCATION /QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Minimum Associates Degree from an Accredited College or University, including 30 credit hours in early childhood education, child development, special education, elementary education, or the Human Services field and three years of experience with children. EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Experience in Preschool setting and have know...

According to 2009 Census data , women working full-time, year round in every state continued to earn less than their male counterparts. The chart below shows the wage gap state by state. Today more and more families are counting on women’s earnings, as women are half of all U.S. workers. Mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families . Unfair pay practices make things even harder for families in this tough economy. In Pennsylvania, women are earning 75.5% of what men earn. The median earning for a man that works full-time year-round is $46,747, where as a woman earns $35,301. That is a difference of $11,446. What can be done? The Paycheck Fairness Act would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and barring retaliation against workers who disclose their wages to coworkers. Take the I am Not Worth less Pledge today and pledge to help pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The rights of children and young adults in foster care were protected with the passage of two bills by the Pennsylvania legislature. The Children in Foster Care Act and Senate Bill 1360 address obstacles in current foster care and adoption legislation that can keep children and families from enjoying the full benefit of their rights. The Children in Foster Care Act was passed by unanimous vote and if signed into law by Governor Rendell as expected, will ensure that foster children, parents, and caseworkers are presented with a comprehensive and easy-to-understand document outlining the rights and freedoms afforded to foster children under state laws and regulations. The Act mandates that the document will be explained by caseworkers to foster children when they are placed with a foster family. The majority of children in foster care are not aware of their rights, and therefore do not know when their rights are violated. The hope is that this act will increase foster children’s awa...

Special Announcements Help Your Employees, Clients, and/or Constituents Meet Their Financial Goals Please join us on October 26! PathWays PA is pleased to present the First Annual Network for Strategic Asset Building Symposium to offer financial education and asset building in the workplace. This free Symposium will help you offer your workers strategies and tools to build financial knowledge and resources-at no cost to you! If any of these tools are right for you, PathWays PA will be happy to help you implement them in the workplace without charge. Featured national and state experts include: John Wancheck, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, EITC Expert Holly Chase, PA Office of Financial Education Topics will include: How to find free tax preparation during tax season How to improve credit How to save money through banks/credit unions, prepaid debit cards, U.S. Savings Bonds, and Individual Development Accounts How to access economic security programs su...

Last week, legislation putting the Industry Partnership program into statute passed out of the Senate with a vote of 40-9.  The last step for this important legislation is for it to be voted out of the House without amendment in the next few weeks.  Please take a moment to thank your Senator if he or she voted for the bill.  Below is a sample letter that you might want to use. Dear Senator, We just wanted to take a moment to thank you for voting for Senate Bill 1409, the Industry Partnership legislation. This program gives Pennsylvania the opportunity to increase productivity and competitiveness in our Commonwealth and is highly valued by employers statewide. As you know, Industry Partnerships consist of groups of businesses with similar product markets and skill needs that identify and address their common workforce education and training issues. These partnerships currently include more than 6,300 employers in Pennsylvania and have trained more than 73,000 indivi...

Raising Women’s Voices of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a coalition formed to ensure women’s concerns were address during the health care debate, has just released recommendations for the next Governor of Pennsylvania. The recommendations highlight the reproductive health areas in which women, girls, and families in our Commonwealth need leadership and support on in order to lead healthy lives. For more information about Raising Women's Voices of Southeastern Pennsylvania visit their Facebook page .

RSVP for our Philadelphia event at http://philansab.eventbrite.com/ RSVP for our Delaware County event at http://delconsab.eventbrite.com/ Please join us on October 26! PathWays PA, a nonprofit organization serving the Greater Philadelphia region, is pleased to present the First Annual Network for Strategic Asset Building Symposium, to offer financial education and asset building in the workplace. This free Symposium will help you offer your workers strategies and tools to build financial knowledge and resources-at no cost to you! If any of these tools are right for you, PathWays PA will be happy to help you implement them in the workplace without charge. Featured national and state experts include: John Wancheck,Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, EITC Expert Holly Chase, PA Office of Financial Education Topics will include: How to find free tax preparation during tax season How to improve credit How to save money through banks/credit unions, prepaid debit cards,...

On Monday October 18, Senator Bob Casey and other dignitaries spoke with students at Philadelphia’s Horace Furness High School to congratulate them on high enrollment in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) . After a few words from Principal Timothy McKenna on Furness’ increasing achievement and attendance levels and an enthusiastic welcome from Furness High’s cheerleaders, Senator Casey issued a challenge to everyone in the room to promote CHIP among family and friends so that soon every child will have affordable health care. According to Casey, with health care, children can participate fully in activities and sports, be more attentive in school, and get better more quickly when illness or injury arises. US Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius , a member of President Obama’s Cabinet and former governor of Kansas, echoed Senator Casey’s call to connect 100% of kids with health care coverage, and expressed a commitment to keep children healthy to enco...

PathWays PA Special Announcements PathWays PA presents the First Annual Network for Strategic Asset Building (NSAB) Symposium on Financial Education and Asset Building in the Workplace How can you help your employees build assets to boost their financial stability during these challenging times? PathWays PA presents the First Annual Network for Strategic Asset Building (NSAB) Symposium on Financial Education & Asset Building in the Workplace on Tuesday, October 26th, 2010. This free symposium will be held in two locations. Attend the symposium at the location/time that is most convenient for you! Please click on the location below to register for the event: 8:30-11:00am at the United Way of Southeastern PA at 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103 or 2:00-4:30pm at the Drexelbrook Corporate Events Center at 4700 Drexelbrook Ave, Drexel Hill, PA 19026 . This unique Symposium will offer free or low-cost strategies employers can implement to boost the ...

ARRA OLDER YOUTH WORK READINESS PathWays PA offers an eight week Work Readiness program for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are out of school and looking for an opportunity to earn a salary while receiving on the job training. Once a week each applicant is responsible for attending a skills building class at 310 Amosland Road Holmes Pa, where the applicant will receive educational support in the areas of reading, writing, math and computer skills. Each applicant will have the opportunity to build a professional resume. Class time will also consist of soft skills building and Key Train lessons in preparation for a certificate in Work Keys at the end of the program. PathWays PA will provide counseling and resources for reaching career goals. The cost of transportation is covered by the program. Eligibility criteria for participation: Young Adult – ages 18 to 24 years of age Out of school Delaware County resident Proof of income for meeting program entry r...

On Tuesday, October 12, PathWays PA and the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces held a press conference to draw attention to a new report from the Drum Major Institute showing the effect earned sick days will likely have on Pennsylvania.  Below is a quote from an article in The Huffington Post : Yet Philly may be moving faster to address a problem that's pressing in both cities. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that a hearing on paid sick time is expected in Philadelphia this fall. Meanwhile, in New York, the City Council has held multiple hearings, but it's unclear when the bill will come to the floor for a vote. Councilman William Greenlee , co-sponsor of the Philadelphia bill, offered a sports analogy, insisting that Philadelphia would prove its policy leadership on paid sick time just as the Phillies would surely trounce the Yankees. To read the full article, visit The Huffington Post. Please also take a moment to read some of the other news from the DMI ...

For more information contact: Marianne Bellesorte, Director of Policy, PathWays PA                                                            610-543-5022 - mbellesorte@pathwayspa.org Rebecca Foley, Directors of Education and Advocacy, WOMEN'S WAY 215-985-3322 - rfoley@womensway.org Daniel Morris, Director of Communications, Drum Major Institute for Public Policy  917-596-0780 - dmorris@drummajorinstitute.org Two in Five Working Philadelphians Have No Ability to Earn Paid Sick Days New Report Shows Need for Sick Days in Philadelphia and Positive Results from Paid Sick Day Legislation in San Francisco National Think Tank, Local Coalition Holding Press Conference and Lobby Day to Call Attention to the Public Health Needs of Philadelphia WHAT/WHO: PathWays PA, WOMEN'S WAY, Drum Major Institute for Public Pol...

Special Announcements Still Time to Register - Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces: Press Conference and Lobby Day Over 40% of workers in Philadelphia have no earned sick time, while 78% of restaurant and accommodation workers are forced to choose between going to work sick (or sending a child to school sick) and losing a day's pay or possibly their job. The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces is holding a Press Conference and Lobby Day, complete with Lobby Training, to provide information for Philadelphia's City Council about the importance of earned sick time and to urge them to continue work on the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill No. 080474). WHEN: Tuesday, October 12th There will be a Lobby Training held at 123 S. Broad Street, 8th Floor, Room 8B at 11:00 AM. Food will be provided. The Press Conference will take place at 1:00 PM, in the Mayor's Reception Room in City Hall, with visits to City Council Members throughout...

(From our friends at The Pennsylvania Association of Regional Food Banks) The Pennsylvania Association of Regional Food Banks is working with other concerned organizations throughout Pennsylvania to ask Governor Rendell and his successor to recommend adequate funding for the State Food Purchase Program in the next state budget. We ask that your organization join us in this important effort. Here is how you can help: Please visit: http://www.pafoodbanks.org/ . Then: Read the letters to the Governor and the Governor-elect. If you agree with the letters and that more resources should be provided to help Pennsylvanians struggling with hunger, please click the “Sign-On” box and you will be taken to an email message form. Please include your organization's name, location [municipality], your name, and your title.  Please - only one person per organization . You and your organization will be added to the list of signers on both of these letters. DEADLINE FOR SIGNATURE: F...

For Immediate Release For Further Information Contact: Allen Reese or Carol Wellings PathWays PA 610 543 5022 cwellings@pathwayspa.org areese@pathwayspa.org Holmes, PA, October 6, 2010 – Five local community leaders have been chosen by PathWays PA to receive its 2010 Trailblazer Award for community service. Receiving the 2010 Trailblazer Award will be Pamela Godwin, leadership consultant and founder of Change Partners, Inc.; Mellanie Lassiter, Corporate Contributions Manager, PECO and Urban League of Phila board member; Linda McAleer, founder of the Melior Group; Joan Meyers Brown, founder of PhilaDanco and the Rt. Rev. Rodney R. Michel, Assisting Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pa. The PathWays PA Trailblazer Awards are presented annually to individuals or groups whose work with families and organizations in our communities has resulted in positive, measurable change. The 32nd anniversary celebration will take place on Tuesday, November 9 from 6:30 – 9 PM at the Radi...

Can you see yourself luxuriating at a sold-out 2011 Phillies Game in outrageous seats donated by Lincoln Financial with a dozen or so of your closest friends? Perhaps you’d like to kick back with sixteen of your crew in the Boeing Box at the Wells Fargo Center and watch the Flyers defeat the New Jersey Devils? How about a lazy week in the summer of 2011 at Myrtle Beach, SC? All of this can be yours and you can benefit the outstanding work of PathWays PA to reduce poverty in the Greater Philadelphia Region by accessing our website at http://www.pathwayspa.org and bidding on dozens of outstanding auction items by November 8, 2011.