PathWays PA Policy Blog

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.

From our friends at PCCY Give Kids A Smile Day (GKAS) is a national effort of the American Dental Association (ADA) to connect kids to free oral health care and to establish dental homes for them. FREE dental care will be available for children in the Upper Darby, Havertown and West Philadelphia areas on Wednesday, April 16 and Friday, April 18. This special event is especially for children who have not had a dental exam in the last six months or who do not have health insurance. Participating dentists will provide free screenings and cleanings. The ultimate goal of Smile Day is for families to find a dental home for their children. Please call PCCY for participating dentists and Appointments at : (215) 563-5848 x32

From our friends at PCCY  On Saturday, April, 12 beginning at 8:30AM, free eye exams and glasses for children, ages 0-18, will be available at Wills Eye for Children . Wills is located on the Jefferson Medical College Campus, Hamilton Building, 10th & Locust Streets in Philadelphia. No appointment is necessary and children will be seen on a first come, first serve basis. No insurance is needed, but children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

From our Friends at the National Skills Coalition Congress is making decisions on federal spending levels for fiscal year (FY) 2015. Ask your Representative to restore funding for key workforce, education and training programs to provide workers the skills they need for the good-paying jobs employers need to fill. Under current law, spending caps and cuts will reduce the federal deficit by $3.3 trillion over the next ten years. But these cuts are creating new deficits in core government functions such as education, research, infrastructure and job training. With more than 10 million U.S. workers unemployed, now is not the time to reduce federal workforce development investments. Ask Congress to restore funding for employment, adult basic education, and occupational training programs so that workers and employers have the skills they need to compete.

Community members throughout Pennsylvania will be joining together on Tuesday, April 1st to call on State Representatives to pass Senate Bill 75 (SB 75) - critical anti-human trafficking legislation that will help Pennsylvania better protect victims, prosecute offenders, and prevent human trafficking from happening in the first place. The Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition and the Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy Work Group will take care of all of the details - scheduling meetings with elected officials, identifying group leaders to guide conversations with Representatives, provide you with talking points, and more.  Register to attend or as a "pledge to call" participant . You'll receive information on SB 75, talking points, a sample script, and step-by-step instructions to help you make the call.

From our friends at PCCY  Learn about how you can help feed children this summer through USDA's summer feeding programs on Wednesday, March 26 from 1:00pm - 3:30pm at Chester City Hall located at 1 Fourth Street in Chester. Presenters Include:  Joyce Rouba-Program Specialist, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service  Mary Ringenberg-Education Administration Specialist, PDE  Anne Ayella-Assistant Director for Community Relations  Erinn Hill-Assistant Director for School and Summer Programs, Nutritional Development Services, Archdiocese of Philadelphia  Andrea Garrett-Chester City Department of Parks and Recreations  Local providers will also share tips from their experience. Please RSVP to Becca Stern at: rebeccas@pccy.org , or 215-563-5848 x14, with your name, organization, and contact information, including email and phone number

From our friends at People's Emergency Center  More than 19,000 homeless students is unacceptable. That's how many students experienced homelessness in Pennsylvania last year. Register today for your seat at the Growing Up Homeless Forum, on Friday, April 4, 10 AM to 12 Noon, at the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia . This important event will feature two nationally recognized leaders in homeless education: Dr. Peter Miller -One of the nation's most important and influential researchers working on understanding the needs of students who are experiencing homelessness.  Dr. John McLaughlin -Federal Coordinator of the "Education for Homeless Children and Youth Grants for State and Local Activities" for the United States Department of Education. Dr. McLaughlin works with every state in the nation, helping each one to improve their capacity to identify students and coordinate servic...