PathWays PA Policy Blog

(reprinted from the PWDC Newsletter) by Roxanna Green, Case Manager EYPtE PathWays PA EARN Center, December 23, 2010 The PathWays PA Empowering Young Parents through Education Program (EYPtE) and EARN Center hosted their annual Adopt-a-Family project during the holiday season. This past December, the event was truly a season of giving and caring. In addition to the Adopt-a-Family project, customers received a visit from Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, Ellis Hobbs . For years, PathWays PA has sponsored their Adopt-a-Family project during the Christmas holiday season to match participants and their families with generous donors. This year, over 300 families were adopted within PathWays EARN system, including all active and some transitioned EYPtE students. It took over five days to distribute thousands of beautifully wrapped presents to participants. Each EYPtE student averaged three large bags of individualized gifts from their list. The gifts ranged from microwaves and Bed

State Policy Update UPCOMING BUDGET EVENTS Pennsylvania's state budget fight is shaping up in Harrisburg. The state Senate has introduced a TABOR spending caps bill as one of its top priorities (Senate Bill 7), and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai has indicated the House will pass a budget at $26 million, which is $2 billion less than the budget this year. The Better Choices for Pennsylvania coalition is already at work, making plans for a coordinated, proactive campaign to highlight the impact of proposed cuts and to push for a balanced approach to the budget. Mark your calendar for these two upcoming events STATEWIDE BUDGET CALL - Thursday, February 10, 2011, at 10 a.m. Call-in Number: (760) 569-7676 Access Code: 453547 PBPC'S ANNUAL BUDGET SUMMIT - Monday, March 14, 2011, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Hilton Harrisburg, 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg. Registration is free and lunch is included. Register today! SUPPORT WOMEN’S ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEA

At 12:30 today, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee will hold a vote on SB3, a bill which will ban abortion coverage in the exchanges set up as part of healthcare reform. Please call members of the Banking and Insurance Committee this morning and ask them to vote no on SB 3. Without abortion coverage, more women will lose access to safe, legal abortions. Under the Affordable Care Act, states have the ability to decide whether to offer abortion coverage through their state health insurance exchanges , a marketplace for people to buy individual and small business insurance coverage at competitive rates. SB 3 would ban abortion coverage in the exchanges except in cases of rape or incest (in which case the woman must report the crime to the police and identify the assailant, if known) or when the life of a woman is in danger. There is no exception for situations such as paralysis, organ failure or infertility. If a state chooses to allow abortion coverage, women must purcha

Special Event ANNUAL TAX SEASON KICK OFF AND EITC AWARENESS DAY A consortium of agencies, educational, and financial institutions dedicated to promoting financial literacy in Delaware County, including PathWays PA, are hosting an event to kick off their work this tax season. WHEN: Friday January 28 at 1:30 WHERE: Chester Housing Authority Booker T. Washington Community Center, 611 Central Ave, Chester PA This tax season volunteers will file federal and state income tax returns helping low wage workers access the Earned Income Tax Credit of up to $5,666, making it one of the largest anti-poverty tools in the United States. Please RSVP by Tuesday, January 25th at www.delcoadkickoff.eventbrite.com or calling Georgia Julius at 610-543-5022. Federal Policy Update CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY TO SUPPORT HEALTH CARE REFORM Last week the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act despite the many benefits people are and will see as a result of the bill.

“What You Need to Know About Summer Food” Thursday, January 27, 2011 1 – 2 p.m. EST In this webinar, speakers will discuss the improvements that have been made to Summer Food through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Speakers also will explore how the changes can be used to help increase the number of children served and the number of programs participating. The webinar is being co-sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance, the National Recreation and Park Association, National Summer Learning Association, and the YMCA of the USA. About "CNR: Putting the Act into Action" FRAC is hosting a series of Webinars that will examine the provisions of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act that the President recently signed and steps to make the provisions of the Act a success. Click here to see and hear the previous Webinars in our series .

Last week Harrisburg saw a flurry of activities, with Inaugural events kicking off on Monday, January 17. Harrisburg Inaugural festivities for Governor Tom Corbett and Lt. Governor Jim Cawley began with a Family Program at Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, showcasing the Commonwealth’s performing arts. The festivities wrapped up with the Inaugural Ball held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center on Tuesday, January 18. Members of both the House and the Senate resumed their duties in the Legislature on Wednesday, January 19. The Swearing-In Ceremony was held at 11:30 am on the steps of the East Wing of the Capitol Complex, and hundreds were present to witness Tom Corbett’s Inauguration as Pennsylvania’s 46th governor. Also present were three former Republican governors, Dick Thornburgh, Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker, and Democrat Ed Rendell. Governor Corbett’s 15-minute speech was general in nature and didn’t touch much on his priorities as gov

Delaware County, PA – At a time when many working families and individuals are struggling to pay their bills, there is a strong need for effective strategies to help these families meet their financial goals. While many working families are eligible for tax refunds through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax credits, many are unaware they are eligible for refunds or receive a reduced refund through filing with commercial preparers. Today, Delaware County Asset Development Group, a member of the National Community Tax Coalition, is proud to announce the launch of free tax preparation services as a celebration of the national EITC Awareness Day on Friday, January 28th 1:30pm at their premiere site, Chester Housing Authority’s Booker T. Washington Community Center, 611 Central Avenue in Chester . DelCoAD, sponsored by Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, is a coalition of agencies

“ Map Your Community ” is a mapping interface developed by PolicyMap and provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia that allows users to easily create custom maps for user-defined locations. These custom maps provide a snapshot of current and historical economic and demographic conditions and can be used to conduct data analysis for community development activities. Information is available for many socioeconomic variables, including, but not limited to, poverty levels, census tract income levels, post office vacancies, and educational attainment.

Federal Policy Update HELP STOP THE REPEAL OF HEALTH CARE REFORM Congress has rescheduled the vote to repeal health care reform. It is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 19. Join PHAN and sign the petition against repeal. Have a story about how the Affordable Care Act has helped you, your business or family member? Share it today! Email Athena at aford@pahealthaccess.org . As always, PHAN is continuing education efforts around the benefits of the Affordable Care Act. Do you know of a local organization that would like someone to explain what's in the new law and it's impact? PHAN can send staff anywhere in the state for presentations ranging from 20 minutes - 3 hours. Contact Athena for more info. On Facebook? Sign up for the Cause: Say NO to Repeal! Protect the Affordable Care Act! URGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO ENSURE CHILD CARE FUNDS ARE NOT CUT The battles over funding for FY 2011 are still not settled. In December, the omnibus bill

Information provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Kaiser Health News .  This year a number of policies from the new health care reform law will be implemented. Below is a description of just some of health changes that will go into effect in 2011. Insurance Rebates and Limitations on Premium Increases: Starting this year, health insurers must spend at least 80 percent of their premiums on medical care, or face the possibility of giving rebates to consumers. Rebates will not be sent to everyone as this new rule does not apply to all plans. The goal is to pressure insurers to restrain profits and administrative costs, such as overhead, marketing and executive salaries. Another check on insurance companies is that regulators have proposed that beginning July 1 premium increases of 10 percent or more be subject to additional review by states and the federal government. The review would determine if the increase is considered unreasonable. The proposed rule would affect poli

A new study released today finds that California's Paid Family Leave program - the first of only two state programs in the country that offer paid leave to workers when they take time off to care for a new child or sick family member - has received high marks from employers and employees alike since its implementation six years ago. The study, by researchers from UCLA/CUNY and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, is the first to examine the California program and finds that initial business concerns over the costs or potential abuse of the program were unfounded, and that the economic, social and health benefits of paid family leave have been extensive. As a national model for how states can adopt work-family policies that meet the needs of 21st century families, the California study offers valuable insights as policymakers in Pennsylvania consider similar proposals. "California's experience shows that paid family leave is a win-win for employers and employees,&

Join concerned members in our community for a day of learning, networking and exploration of issues related to hunger. Widener University University Center, Webb Room One University Place Chester, PA 19013 8:30 am - 4:15 pm Objectives Learn how food insecurity contributes to health disparities across the lifespan Explore how cultural and ethnic differences may affect food security Network with others addressing hunger to find solutions to your clients' greatest needs Learn how to tailor your message to address the needs of your clients To learn more and to register, please download the brochure for the event . For more information, you can also visit http://delaware.extension.psu.edu or call 610-690-2655.

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. Cook Experience in bulk food preparation. The cook/kitchen coordinator shall possess the skills necessary to prepare meals for large groups of people (40-50) and shall have knowledge of nutrition and nutritional meal planning. She/he shall have the ability to understand and follow the USDA mandated guidelines. The cook/kitchen coordinator shall possess the ability to manage food and kitchen

Federal Policy Update SPECIAL NOTE  Our thoughts and condolences go out to all who were injured and to the families of those that were killed in Tucson at an event held by Representative Gabrielle Giffords. It was an unspeakable tragedy. We look forward to the recovery of Representative Giffords and all those injured on Saturday. Due to this tragedy, scheduled votes at the federal level have been postponed. We will keep you updated on any federal events or action alerts on our Policy Blog . State Policy Update GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS BACK IN SESSION Pennsylvania’s legislators returned to Harrisburg on Tuesday, January 4 for swearing-in day and to kick off day one of the 2011-2012 legislative session. In the Senate, 25 members elected this fall, including three new Democrats, were sworn in. Senator Joe Scarnati (R – Jefferson) was voted in for a third term as president pro tempore. In the House, 21 Republican and eight Democratic freshmen took office while Republican Sam