PathWays PA Policy Blog

On July 11, members of the House added the Aderholt Amendment to a Labor-HHS Appropriations bill. If the bill goes into law with this amendment, it could harm children in the child welfare and foster care system and turn away qualified adoptive and foster parents. Under the Aderholt Amendment, states that refuse to give money to discriminatory providers could see their child welfare budget cut by up to 15%. This amendment would allow child welfare providers to receive taxpayer dollars even when they refuse to serve qualified potential parents based on their marital status, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity. Providers who discriminate against the children themselves would also be able to receive money under this amendment, even if they: deny service to LGBT youth,  force youth to hide their gender identity,  allow youth to be subjected to medically debunked practices like conversion therapy Take Action: Senator Wyden has been circulating a letter op...

Philadelphia youth advocates (including PathWays PA's Brenda Dawson) with Senator Casey's SE PA Regional Director Ebony Staton Weidman. Courtesy PEC From our friends at PEC : Senator Robert Casey sponsored the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (S.2571), and he signed onto the "Dear Colleague" letter urging greater support for programs serving children and youth who experience homelessness. The next action is to urge Senators Casey and Toomey to sponsor the Homeless Children and Youth Act (HYCA), S. 611. HCYA is bi-partisan legislation that reforms HUD Homeless Assistance to meet the needs of homeless children, youth, and families. It allows some of the most vulnerable homeless families and youth - those staying with others because they have nowhere else to go, and those staying in motels - to be eligible for HUD homeless assistance by aligning eligibility criteria with those of other federal programs. Good news is that Lisa Murkow...

Adapted from our friends at NN4Y: Two key pieces of legislation were introduced in Congress to support higher education access and completion for youth and young adults who have experienced homelessness or been involved with foster care. Youth experiencing homelessness and youth from foster care face unique barriers to accessing and completing higher education. Lack of family and supports, coupled with histories of neglect, abuse, trauma, mobility, and deep poverty, create roadblocks to their path to and through post-secondary education. Yet higher education is their best opportunity for economic independence and healthier lives. The Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act (HEASHFY) was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rob Portman (R-OH), and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Katherine Clark (D-5th/MA) and Don Young (R-AK). Streamlines the application and verification process for financial ai...

The Assets & Opportunity Scorecard enables states to compare their performance to other states and the District of Columbia on measures of financial security and household wealth. When it comes to many measures, Pennsylvania ranks right in the middle - some states are better than us, some states are worse. So what's wrong with status quo? Well, here is the impact if Pennsylvania performed as well as the best state (with thanks to the Assets & Opportunity Initiative  for putting this together):

From @PAHomelessYouth :  #couchesdontcount with @SenBobCasey and Youth employees at @PECCaresPhilly bringing awareness to #youthhomelessness Several key legislative proposals that affect Pennsylvania's 20,000+ youth who experience homelessness are stalled in Congress. Will any of these bills become law? What happens if they do not? Find the answers to these and other questions at the inaugural " Legislative Briefing about Youth Who Experience Homelessness." The forum will discuss with Senator Robert Casey's Legislative Director the current federal legislative status of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Act, and two other bills. On July 16, the U.S. Senate passed the Every Child Achieves Act, S. 1177, by 81-17. This legislation reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act. The House passed its ESEA reauthorization bill, the ...

If passed,  HB 1380 , a bill to drug test benefits recipients who are deemed to have a "high likelihood" of substance abuse, would amend the Public Welfare Code so that benefits applicants would be required to complete a written questionnaire as a condition of eligibility. Applicants who are deemed to have a "high likelihood" of substance abuse would then have to be drug tested. A person testing positive once would be assessed for treatment options, while anyone who is tested positive twice would have their access to benefits suspended for 12 months. Please urge  your legislator to support your community and oppose HB 1380.  Interested in PathWays PA blog posts on similar topics? 6/9/15 - House Bill 222: Good Intentions but Negative Consequences 9/3/14 - Good and Cheap: Free SNAP Cookbook Available for Download 4/24/15 - Great News From Governor Wolf

Pennsylvania's House of Representatives may consider a bill that would amend the Public Welfare Code and reinstate a lifetime ban against accessing public assistance for most people with felony drug convictions. This legislation casts too wide of a net and has unintended consequences. While House Bill 222 is intended to target large-scale drug traffickers, survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who have been convicted of drug charges as a result of their abuser's control over them, or those charged with possession with intent to deliver small amounts of drugs, would also be affected. The benefits that these survivors (and their children) would need in order to break free from the control of their abusers would be denied - including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and food stamps. People currently experiencing domestic abuse most often cite financial instability as the reason for their decision to stay with or return to their abuser. Therefore, ...

November is National Runaway Prevention Month, which means it is the perfect time to remind everyone of PathWays PA's Basic Center Program (BCP). The BCP is a community-based residential facility located in West Philadelphia that provides runaway prevention and intervention services for teen girls who have runaway, are homeless or are at risk of being a runaway and/or homeless youth. Five clients, aged 13-17 years, may reside at the Basic Center Program at any given time. The BCP is also now offering an after-school drop-in program for residents and non-residents. The teen lounge will be available for girls ages 13-17 in Philadelphia on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Teen girls can get homework help, a snack, sign up for support and life skills groups or just hang out. To learn more about the Basic Center Program, please contact the Basic Center at 215-397-4287. As the winter sets in and the temperatures turn cold, remember that America’s youth need saf...

From our friends at The National Network for Youth The needs of runaway and homeless youth continue to be an issue across the country and right here in our community. As the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) works to meet President Obama’s “Opening Doors” mandate to end youth homelessness by 2020, HUD released some youth specific documents in the past month. These documents include " Children and Youth and HUD’s Homeless Definition ." In this document, readers can find outlines and summaries of the four categories of HUD Homelessness assistance program eligibility. A letter regarding HUD's work with youth homelessness has also been issued. HUD also recently released their 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report . According to the National Network for Youth and others, this report includes "misleading data" - you can read a press release from national organizations  here. The National Network for Youth is offering organizations and ...

Right now in the United States , homeless youth are at high risk of being victimized, exploited, or coerced into human trafficking. Many also find themselves involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare system. To stem the tide of abuse and victimization, The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act would help create appropriate, accessible trauma-informed services that can provide health, healing, and a safe haven for homeless children and teens. Here in the Philadelphia region, runaway and homeless girls can get help right now through a number of organizations, including PathWays PA. Our Basic Center program provides residential facilities for five runaway/homeless girls between ages 13-17 and an after-school drop-in program for residents and non-residents. To learn more about the Basic Center Program, please contact the Basic Center at 215-397-4287. From our friends at the National Network for Youth: S. 2646, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Traf...

From our friends at the National Network for Youth The House and Senate are setting funding levels for federal spending levels for FY 2015 and your help is needed! The House has a bipartisan Dear Colleague Letter circulating that is asking members of the U.S. House of Representatives to sign a letter to the House Appropriations Committee. The letter asks the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies allocate sufficient funding to support to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program. You can reach your Members' offices using the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask that your Representative sign on to the Dear Colleague that is asking for sufficient funding for the Run way and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) and the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. Here is a fact sheet you can view before calling.