Call Now to Ask Your Senators to Cosponsor Early Intervention Services

Lucian Perkins: A Future for homeless children from Facing Change on Vimeo.

(h/t to our friends at PEC)

Every year, over 6,000 PA infants from 0-3 years old are classified as homeless. Senator Chuck McIlhinney has recently proposed legislation that would help these children be tracked by Early Intervention Services with the goal of ensuring that these children can be screened and monitored for developmental delays, emotional and behavioral problems, and other issues that may affect them negatively throughout their lives.

If you support this issue, please call your Senators today and share your support. There is information below that can help you make your case.

I urge you to become a cosponsor of legislation being offered by Sen. Charles McIlhinney that immediately makes homeless infants and toddlers (age birth to 3) eligible for identification and tracking in Pennsylvania’s Early Intervention system. The bill will help prevent youngsters from falling through system’s cracks.

There are an estimated 6,000 children between birth and three years old who are homeless across Pennsylvania. They are found in homeless shelters, temporary housing, or moving from place to place as their mothers seek shelter.

This short video provides a sad but compelling glimpse at what these children face. Please take a few minutes to watch it.

Data on homeless infants and toddlers paints a disturbing picture of risks facing these children
• 2x higher lead blood levels
• 4x as likely to experience developmental delays.
• 75 percent of homeless children under five years old experience one major delay in development.
• 44 percent experience two delays in development.
• 34 percent exhibit emotional and/or behavioral problems.
It makes sense to ensure that these high-risk children are automatically eligible for early intervention screening and monitoring by county-run agencies.