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Investing in a Strong CTE System in Pennsylvania 

Career and technical education (CTE) provides a combination of academic, technical, and hands-on skill-building that prepares students to either immediately enter the workforce or better define career plans to enter post-secondary education.

Our newly released report, Lessons Learned from the German Model: Investing in a Strong CTE System, looks specifically at the German model for delivering career and technical education and identifies several elements Pennsylvania can model to bolster its education-to-career pipeline.

Building a more robust CTE system in Pennsylvania means focusing earlier on career and workforce education and exploration, understanding the value of pre-apprenticeship programs and partnerships with the business community, and sustained investments in funding at the state level.

As noted in our 2022-23 state budget priorities, policymakers must support $25 million in additional funding to adequately support career and technical education to increase access to CTE for students.

Data made possible by the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT® Data Center, home to more than 130 child well-being indicators related to education, poverty, health, and youth risk factors.

Medicaid & CHIP Connect Kids to Health Care in Every PA Community 

Across Pennsylvania, from our rural communities to our urban centers, kids rely on Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for their comprehensive health insurance, including more than 1.2 million children enrolled in Medicaid and more than 151,000 children enrolled in CHIP.

See below for updated fact sheets showing enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP by Congressional District, State House District and State Senate District:

• Enrollment by Congressional District
• Enrollment by State House District
• Enrollment by State Senate District

Department of Health Releases New Report Analyzing Data on PA Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels 

The Department of Health released its annual report examining data collected on lead testing in children from birth to age six, 2020 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report: Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The report shows in 2020, approximately 7,000 Pennsylvania children had Elevated Blood Lead Levels (EBLL), with a rate of 4.65%. While there were fewer children tested in 2020 compared to 2019 – likely due to families sheltering at home during the pandemic – the rate of children with EBLLs is the same.

The report found similarities in the rate of children with EBLLs in rural and urban areas, which is notable and likely speaks to the need for additional remediation and testing given the old housing stock across the state. In both rural and urban areas, 4.5% of children tested had EBLLs. In rural areas, 16% of children were tested, and in urban areas, 18% of children were tested. 

Read on to learn more about our work on children's lead screening and abatement as part of Thriving PA.

Thriving PA Spotlight: Perinatal Health

Thriving PA's policy priorities include ensuring Pennsylvania infants and toddlers are not harmed by lead hazards.

Watch the campaign's latest video about lead exposure – childhood lead poisoning is one hundred percent preventable, and there are steps we can take to protect hundreds of thousands of babies and toddlers from serious physical and developmental issues.

Learn more at ThrivingPA.org, and follow the campaign on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  

Federal Budget Deadline Looms 

Last week, the House passed a three-week stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. The bill still needs to be passed in the Senate, where it’s likely to receive bipartisan support, and signed by President Biden. The new continuing budget resolution would keep federal agencies afloat through March 11. The current funding stream is set to expire this week on February 18.

Negotiations have failed to move forward an appropriations package for the remainder of the 2022 fiscal year. Lawmakers say this short extension will allow for more time to come to an agreement and avoid closing federal offices. PPC will continue to monitor this situation as it develops.

New! PPC's KIDS COUNT® Data Center
Indicators Webpage 

We are excited to share with you our new data webpage to help you access our updates to the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT® Data Center, home to more than 130 child well-being indicators related to education, poverty, health, and youth risk factors.

Our updates to the KIDS COUNT Data Center's indicators include research-based context that we are excited to share with you so that you, too, have the most current high-quality data surrounding the well-being of children!

In Case You Missed It...

• Last week Governor Wolf delivered his eighth and final budget address. Read our view on the proposed 2022-23 budget and what it means for kids and families. 
• A new report, Continuums of Care and Head Start Working Together to Address Housing Vulnerability of Pennsylvania's Families, shows 2,600 children participating in Head Start experienced homelessness and only 28% were able to acquire housing during the 2018-19 school year. The report makes recommendations for addressing child homelessness in Head Start in the future.
• The Office of Child Development and Early Learning released information on the competitive Request for Application (RFA) process for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) for FY 2022-23, which will be for a new five-year cycle. Should the $10 million increase included as part of Gov. Wolf’s budget proposal be secured, a total of $79 million will be distributed to eligible applicants beginning July 1, 2022. Applications are due February 25^th and programs must begin to serve children by September.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) recently submitted final form regulation #6-349 to add Chapter 713 to Title 22 of the Pennsylvania Code (relating to charter schools and cyber charter schools). The regulation will be discussed at the March 21^st meeting of the Independent Regulatory Review Commission.
• PDE also announced organizations can submit their letter of intent to apply for $20 million in grant funding for the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers grant program. This program provides opportunities for communities to establish or expand on non-school time activities in learning centers, ranging from academic tutoring to engaging parents in their child's education.
• The National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers is calling on interested individuals or organizations to sign on to an open letter that lays out a united vision for increased investments in prenatal-to-age-three issues in 2022 and beyond. Interested organizations have until Friday, February 25 to sign the letter.
• Learn more about the federal RISE Act on a webinar scheduled today, February 15th at 4 p.m. featuring Dr. Toby Tomlinson Baker, Dr. Monica McHale Small, and Cindy Cipoletti, CEO of LDA. The RISE Act is a bipartisan bill that would smooth the transition from high school to higher education for students with learning and other disabilities.