PathWays PA Policy Blog

Federal Policy JOBS FOR WOMEN As you may have heard, the President is giving a speech on jobs around Labor Day. Please join national, state and community organizations across the country in urging him to address the employment issues faced by women. And share this plea with organizations in your networks and ask them to sign. Please visit the website to see the full text of the letter . Please sign your organization on to the letter by contacting Emily Wilson at ewilson@wowonline.org, SUBJECT “Jobs for Women.” Signatures must be received by Aug. 30 to be included in the first distribution to the White House. Please include the organization name exactly as it should appear and include the contact information for the person authorized to sign such letters. Sponsors: National Coalition on Women Jobs and Job Training, National Organization for Women, Older Women’s Economic Security Task Force of the National Council of Women’s Organizations and Wider Opportunities for Wom

The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau invites you to its Women’s Economic Security Forum: Promoting Equal Pay, Workplace Flexibility, and Resources for Women Owned Businesses Monday, September 12, 2011 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building at Drexel University (located at the corner of 33rd and Chestnut St.) The event is free and open to the public. REGISTER TODAY AT: http://equalpay.eventbrite.com/ Questions? Please contact Rose Holandez at holandez.rose@dol.gov Participating agencies and organizations: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract and Compliance Programs, Drexel University, PathWays PA

Use these tips from FEMA and Ready.gov to prepare.

Learning Center Group Supervisor Experience in preschool setting and knowledge of early childhood development required. Willing to adapt to the goals and philosophies of our program and provide an environment that is non-punitive and strength based. Write curriculum for each age level as well as plan and implement daily lessons/activities. Coordinate the activities of the staff and aids in the Learning Center. Supervise all classrooms. Ensure health and safety standards are met within the learning center. Help out in the Learning Center as required to Supervise and provide physical care for children in the daycare. Encourage children to actively participate in educational and structured activities. Complete developmental screenings on children. Develop and implement individualized educational goals for children. Requires a minimum Associates Degree from an Accredited College or University, including 30 credit hours in early childhood education, child development, special education, e

From our friends at 9to5 . Join PathWays PA and the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces at our event today at Wired Beans Cafe to celebrate businesses who provide sick days for workers, and show your support for paid sick days! Join 9to5’s Day of Action on August 26! Celebrate Women’s Equality Day (when women won the right to vote in 1920) by joining the movement for Paid Sick Days. Here are some possible ways to get involved, we welcome your ideas! Hand out flyers or buttons at a community event, your PTA, neighborhood gathering or women’s center Host a social gathering for friends and neighbors and collect Paid Sick Days petition signatures Submit your personal story of the benefits of having paid sick days or the impact of not having them. How to get started? Fill out the form below to receive an Action Packet of materials. Questions or suggestions? Contact Asha Leong, Day of Action Organizer, at Asha@9to5.org or call 1-818-277-4333. 9to5's Annual Day o

Crossposted from MomsRising.org as part of the # HERvotes blog carnival.      This Women’s Equality Day, we plan to start spreading this message in Philadelphia through a new campaign to honor businesses that ensure all of their workers have an opportunity to earn paid sick days. What does women’s equality have to do with paid sick days? Well, many women end up in low-paying jobs with few opportunities to advance – or to earn sick days . Yet despite the constraints these jobs place, women still act as the primary caregivers in their families, sometimes finding themselves sandwiched between caring for their children and their parents at the same time. Having no sick days is a double-whammy when women still receive 20 - 30 cents less for every dollar a man makes. Missing even one day - particularly for working mothers – can undermine a woman’s financial stability In order to honor the businesses that understand that paid sick days lead to financial stability for their worker

Crossposted from MomsRising.org as part of the # HERvotes blog carnival.  The passage of health reform brought many wonderful new protections and benefits for Americans. Unfortunately, for women, these protections and benefits came with a price tag. States now have the choice to either allow abortion coverage to be included in the state health exchange – with women having to pay for the coverage with a separate check – or states can exclude it from the exchange completely. Many states have already chosen not to include abortion coverage, forcing those who find themselves in need of an abortion also burdened with paying for the procedure out of pocket. This year, in Pennsylvania, an abortion ban in the state exchange was the Senate’s third order of business. While it moved quickly but hasn’t passed just yet, no other medical procedure was excluded from the exchanges in such a way. The Pennsylvania state legislature is also considering a bill that would add to the already strict r

From our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs The White House has scheduled a special call this Friday to talk with people from Pennsylvania about the federal budget deficit/debt deal. The White House Office of Public Engagement welcomed our forwarding to you their message below. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. We hope you'll be able to join in, and hope you will ask a question and/or make a comment. (Tip: they often give instructions on how to ask a question right at the beginning; if so, follow the instruction right away, so you can get an early spot in the line for questions.) It would be very helpful for the White House officials on the call to be urged strongly to fight for what the country really needs - creating jobs and protecting low-income people NOW and emphasizing fair revenues and savings from reducing wasteful military spending for long-term deficit reduction. They should be asked what they plan to do in these areas. Friends: Please join

Do you want to support businesses that provide earned sick days for their workers? Then come join us as we launch a new campaign! -Free Refreshments!- In Philadelphia, many businesses already give their workers an opportunity to earn paid sick days to care for themselves and their family members. On August 26, we will begin honoring those businesses by giving them the opportunity to be recognized for their actions. Please join us at Wired Beans Cafe at 12 noon on August 26, 2011 , as we launch a decal campaign giving businesses an opportunity to show how much they want healthy customers and healthy staff. Wired Beans will be the first of many businesses to place our new decal in their window showing their support for paid sick days. We will be encouraging other businesses to come to show their support for sick days, and we will continue distributing these decals throughout the city. We want to thank every business in Philadelphia who does the right thing for their workers. If

Employer Account Representative To develop employment opportunities for participants by networking and establishing relationships with the regional business community and matching customers to permanent, family-sustaining career-track jobs. Job Requirements include: Associate’s or bachelor’s degree preferred with at least 4 years of experience in human resources, job development, marketing and/or sales Strong Analytical Skills Excellent communication skills Computer literate (Word/Excel) Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred. Identify, cultivate and maintain relationships with employers that offer appropriate jobs and internship opportunities for customers. Ensure that a majority of these jobs offer living wages and benefits. Establish contact with customers in order to determine previous work history and employment interests to help customers chart an employment course. Fax resumes to: 610-328-2807, attn: LD/JP/EARN Peer Counselor Serve as a role model, mentor, ad

From our friends at FRAC A new school year means new resources for anti-hunger advocates. First, FRAC is excited to announce the return of its successful Breakfast Matters conference call series. Sign up today for the next two calls: September 15, 3 p.m. ET – Breakfast for Health Our 2011-12 school year will kick off with a call featuring a new FRAC resource that summarizes research findings on the importance of school breakfast to children’s health. October 27, 3 p.m. ET – Effective Messaging to Promote Breakfast in the Classroom This call will feature a discussion of effective communication strategies to promote breakfast in the classroom. And we’ve updated our school meals outreach materials to help you kick-off your back-to-school efforts. These materials can support advocates as they help schools expand outreach and make sure that collecting school meal applications is a top priority for the community. Back to School Strategies (pdf) outlines several approaches to en

In the last session of the General Assembly a number of bills were put forward that would limit a women's access to an abortion. These bills put women's health at risk by limiting access and her choice. View the video below of supporters telling Pennsylvania legislators that they have had enough: Check out http://www.wevehadenoughpa.org to find out how your can be involved in this important campaign.  Those ways include: following the Campaign on Twitter @WeveHadEnoughPA liking the Campaign on Facebook sending a picture of yourself holding up a sign saying " I've Had Enough " or " We've Had Enough " to wevehadenoughcamp@gmail.com . They will include them on the website. Help fight these dangerous bills and join in declaring that... WE'VE HAD ENOUGH!

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 knowledge of early childhood development. Willing to adapt to the goals and philosophies of our program and provide an environment that is non-punitive and strength based. Write curriculum for each age level as well as plan and implement daily lessons/activities. Coordinate the activities of the staff and aids in the Learning Center. Supervise all classrooms. Ensure health and safety standards are met within the learning center. Help out in the Learning Center as required to: Supervise and provide physical care for children in the daycare. Encourage children to actively participate in education

The legislature remains in recess, but has been holding several public hearings ranging from Natural Gas to Child Labor. In addition, Pennsylvania slot machines hit a monthly record this July as $218.3 million dollars were collected in revenue. This increase is largely attributed to the opening of the tenth casino in Pennsylvania this past fall. In July 2010 only 24, 903 slot machines were operating statewide. This figure increased to 26,403 in July 2011 leading to an increase in revenue and an increase in tax dollars as Pennsylvania collected 3.4 percent higher profits from the casinos in 2011 than 2010. This led to a collection of $118.8 million dollars by the state. Not all slot machines were accruing successful profits though, as the nine previously open casinos suffered losses this July. Their slot machine revenue was down 3.5 percent in July compared to 2010’s revenue. This is observed as Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs suffered a 2.4 percent decline in revenue to $20.7 mill

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 knowledge of early childhood development. Willing to adapt to the goals and philosophies of our program and provide an environment that is non-punitive and strength based. Write curriculum for each age level as well as plan and implement daily lessons/activities. Coordinate the activities of the staff and aids in the Learning Center. Supervise all classrooms. Ensure health and safety standards are met within the learning center. Help out in the Learning Center as required to: Supervise and provide physical care for children in the daycare. Encourage children to actively participate in educational and stru

From our friends at Witnesses to Hunger . New data released yesterday by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) shows that a staggering 49.6 percent of households with children in the first Congressional District served by Congressman Bob Brady reported not having enough money to buy food that they needed in 2008-2010. In the 2nd Congressional District served by Congressman Chaka Fattah, the food hardship rate among households with children was 32.2 percent . Across the state of Pennsylvania, one in five households with children experienced such hardship. See today's press coverage on the food hardship rates in Philadelphia in the Philadelphia Inquirer by Alfred Lubrano and the Daily News by Carol Towarnicky . The impact of such extreme food hardship will have permanent consequences for the health, development and future potential of the nation's children. Our research has shown that children in food insecure households are at greater risk for health problems

According to the article "No Place for these Students to Call Home" by Eric G. Stark from the Sunday News , the number of homeless students in Lancaster County has risen dramatically within the past few years. In fact, the article states that there are more than 700 suburban families who are considered homeless living within Lancaster County. Homeless students face several barriers including excessive stress and depression, and often fall behind their classmates in school because they do not have access to technology necessary to complete assignments. It is clear that homelessness is not only an urban problem.

From the BUILD Newsletter Download RFI Comments due September 16 The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) issued a Request for Information (RFI) today regarding the Child Care Information Services (CCIS) grants for Fiscal Year 12-13. This Request for Information offers the public and early childhood community an opportunity to provide comments and recommendations that will be considered when drafting the final RFP. An RFI’s purpose is to solicit feedback on ideas, not to solicit bids. There are currently 59 CCIS agencies located throughout the state. CCIS agencies are responsible for child care subsidy eligibility determination, provider payment and waiting list management and providing resource and referral services to help families choose early childhood education and care programs. OCDEL monitors the grant agreements with the CCIS agencies and works in partnership with grantees to provide services to Pennsylvania families. Current grant agreements expire

From our friends at NCTC To expand the capacity of VITA partners across the country, NCTC is working hard this year to authorize the VITA Act of 2011 , and local outreach in your Congressional district is a key part of the strategy. NCTC is asking our community partners to discuss the impact of VITA programs and the importance of refundable tax credits in promoting economic advancement for working Americans with their member of Congress during the August Congressional Recess (August 8-September 5). You can also ask the member of Congress to co-sponsor the VITA Act of 2011 (S.816 in the U.S. Senate or H.R. 2151 in the U.S. House of Representatives). As you may know, during the tax year 2009, VITA centers prepared 3.1 million tax returns across 12,326 sites and brought back approximately $1.6 billion in tax refunds to taxpayers whose average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) was $18,800. The VITA Act of 2011 would ensure: Strong compliance among underserved taxpayer populations. Sig

According to a new report by the Children's Defense Fund, The State of America's Children , the percentage of children living in poverty showed a dramatic increase between the years of 2008 and 2009. Child poverty increased by nearly 10%, amounting to the largest increase in a single year since data has been collected. Between 2000 and 2009, child poverty increased 28%, a distressing change in direction from the 27% drop in poverty levels that occurred between 1992 and 2000. In 2009, 15.5 million, or one out of every 5 children lived in poverty, defined as having an annual income of less than $22,050 for a family of four. Nearly half of these children live in extreme poverty, with an annual income of less than $11,025 for a family of four. The report highlighted the wide gaps in levels of child poverty based on race. While in 2009 17.7% of white children were poor, 35.7% of black children and 33.1% of Hispanic children lived in poverty. In addition, the report shows that chi

After taking almost two weeks of vacation to explore the mountains of New York and New England, I've come back to find some important information in my inbox.  Please check out these stories if you've missed them: Pennsylvania's Gender Gap : Men still typically earn more than women in Pennsylvania, although the gender gap has narrowed over the last 30 years. Trend of Disbelief: The number of abused women seeking shelter in Philly is skyrocketing. The number of beds for them isn't. : In Philadelphia, Women Against Abuse, the city's only overnight shelter for victims of domestic violence, has had to turn away 3,115 so far this year because of a lack of space. Rural Workers Have Less Access to Paid Sick Days : This analysis suggests that where one works matters, both geographically and by sector, and the quality of the job also matters. The rural disadvantage is particularly pronounced among rural private-sector workers and part-time workers, but even rural full-t

Today Congress passed and the President signed the Budget Control Act of 2011. The bill calls for up to $2.4 trillion in savings over the next decade, raises the debt ceiling through the end of 2012 and establishes a special Congressional Committee to recommend long-term fiscal reforms. The debt will be increased in two phases. The first phase includes cutting $917 billion in spending over 10 years and it would raise the debt ceiling by $900 billion. These cuts are to be future spending caps but it is not clear which agencies will have their funding limited. Where the cuts are made will be up to Congress. The second phase could increase the debt limit from $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion. The second phase would need to be triggered by one of three events: Congress passes a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Congress passes broad deficit reform measures that are recommended by a newly created joint committee. This committee will be made up of 12 members of Congres

FEDERAL POLICY UPDATE Debt ceiling deal likely Today, both chambers of Congress are likely vote on a debt ceiling compromise – one that will lift the ceiling through the end of 2012. According to the plan overall there will be $2.4 trillion in budget cuts over the next decade and special commission will be created to find more cost-cutting measures. There are no revenue items in the deal. It is unclear where exactly where these cuts will be made, however, for now, government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are exempt from the budget cuts. Other programs like Women Infants and Children, Head Start, and LIHEAP are not immune. For more information about this deal please click here . Also be sure to tell your legislator how you feel about this plan . HHS Announces Preventative Services Coverage through ACA Historic new guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services at no additional cost were announced today by the U.S. Department