PathWays PA Policy Blog

For as many years as economists have tracked it, there has been a gap in the earnings of male workers versus female workers (for an early PSA on equal pay, check out this YouTube video : yes, that is Adam West and Burt Ward). In this recession, women are catching up on the gender gap, but not in the way they would like. Instead of women’s wages catching up with men, the past month’s unemployment data shows that women’s unemployment rate is catching up with men’s. Women are losing jobs at a faster rate than men, and women who are heads of household have an unemployment rate increasing even more. ARRA needs to ensure that women have fair access to jobs created under the Act. However, government also needs to look at programs that help women gain and sustain employment, such as the Child Care Works program , which subsidizes the cost of child care. According to the Self-Sufficiency Standard of Pennsylvania , child care is often the largest basic expense faced by a household. It ...

"Delaware County Children, Families & Advocates to Urge Legislators to 'Be Strong' During Budget Negotiations" Large and diverse groups of families are experiencing economic distress and are routinely overlooked and undercounted. PathWays PA has recently released a new study showing the income inadequacy in Pennsylvania, in which we learned that in Pennsylvania, 21%, or 1 in 5 households, lack sufficient income to meet their basic needs: food, housing, transportation, and, especially, childcare and healthcare. In Delaware County, the number of households lacking sufficient income rises to 21.9%. I note childcare and healthcare particularly because they are expensive but necessary items that allow parents to work while keeping their children safe and healthy. For many parents who are working hard but still unable to make decent wages, the cost of child care may surpass the amount they bring home in a paycheck. Without affordable child care, these parents must ...

The House Insurance Committee passed a bill to modernize and expand adultBasic health insurance for working-age adults. Currently, an estimated 44,000 individuals have private coverage through adultBasic and 235,000 are on the waiting list. House Bill 1 would increase enrollment by next June to 130,000 and then hold it at that level for the following three years and most of the increase would be funded by federal dollars. This plan would almost triple the enrollment in adultBasic at a cost that is only 25% higher than the current spending. House Bill 1 will also, over time, reduce what the state currently pays when uninsured individuals receive care in hospitals and move us toward health care for all in a manner that is cost effective. Please contact your local representatives to let them know you support this bill!

Many of our policy publications are available online at our website (www.pathwayspa.org) , and we have also created links to them on the sidebar of our blog. Check back often for new publications expected this summer and fall! Overlooked and Undercounted (2009) Self-Sufficiency Standard (2008) Elder Economic Security Initiative (2008) Elder Policy Brief (2008) Financial Resource Guide (2008) Investing in PA's Families (2007) PA at a Glance - Update to Investing in Families (2009) Paths to Banking (2008) Ready to Compete? Pennsylvania’s Community Colleges – Part 1: Affordability (2009) Work Supports: Helping Families Reach Self-Sufficiency (2008)

The Universal Feeding Program, which is unique to Philadelphia, allows more than 120,000 students in 200 Philadelphia schools (where at least 72% of children are impoverished) to get free meals without having to fill out applications. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it wants Philadelphia to switch to a new program known as Provision 2 that would cost Philadelphia $1 million more annually in paperwork and likely deprive meals from thousands of students. Officials in both New York City and Pittsburgh, where Provision 2 is in place, have faced significant problems. In both cities, it was difficult to get parents to fill out the paperwork (even though they must fill it out only once every 4 years), and when they did complete the papers, districts lacked the resources to verify its accuracy. The program became so confusing in New York that 300 schools were dropped from it in the fourth year, not because student need decreased but because parents either did not...

Tax and Public Benefits Outreach Manager This position is based in Delaware County (Holmes). Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, fluency with data management and reporting required. Need strong written and oral communication skills, staff management experience and familiarity and commitment to helping low income/TANF recipients. Requires management of an established and growing EITC/VITA Program. Masters Degree required. Fax resumes to: 610-543-6483, attn: LK/SS Financial Paths Case Manager Innovative program that promotes economic well-being of low-income families seeks a BS/BA level Financial Paths Case Manager. Must be comfortable with people, computers and TANF system and able to work some evenings and Saturdays. Ability to discuss basic financial planning and budgeting. Independent transportation required; bilingual a plus. 4 year degree required – no exceptions – prefer BSW, background in education, or related field. Counseling experience also pre...

Erie County, Pennsylvania, has been looking into the issue of creating a community college in the county for several years, and on May 28 they held a public meeting to discuss whether or not they could afford the cost of a college . Right now, the closest community college branch campus to Erie is in Mercer County, which is two counties away. However, as we pointed out in our recent study on community college affordability , students must often pay higher tuition to attend community college (even on branch campuses) if they do not live in certain districts covered by the college. Even if Erie establishes a branch campus in the county, students may still be subject to higher costs, which is unfortunate when community college is already out of reach for so many Pennsylvanians. The situation in Erie is not unique to Pennsylvania. Throughout the state, five Pennsylvania regions (encompassing two-thirds of adults age 25-45) have no access to community college . The lack of access comes at...