 A new report from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) shows the increase in young children experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania.
Highlights include:
This report seeks to inform practitioners and policy makers about young children experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania. HopePHL’s series called the “Children Cannot Wait Campaign” aims to increase awareness of children and youth experiencing homelessness. We provide a summary which identifies children in various categories, using recently published data from the PDE of its the Education of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) program.
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This week a federal court judge extended a temporary restraining order against the Office of Management and Budget’s attempt to freeze funding for federal grants and programs. This restraining order expands the scope of the initial stay issued last week. The order forbids the administration “from implementing, giving effect to, or reinstating under a different name the directives in the original OMB memo.”
While this news came as a welcome relief, we remain gravely concerned about future cuts to federal funding as spending is aligned with the administration’s agenda. The programs at HopePHL most impacted by a funding freeze receive 60% or more funding from Federal sources, and include:
These programs act as a safety net for families, youth, and young children facing homelessness or housing insecurity. At HopePHL, we are proud of our nonpartisan, nondiscriminatory efforts to serve every family and youth experiencing homelessness, and West Philadelphia residents, who engage us, as our contracts allow, and funding will accommodate. HopePHL serves 4,000 children a year and our community development work impacts 20,000 households. HopePHL’s economic impact includes:
There are over 1.8 million non-profits like HopePHL in the United States, running the gamut of offerings from financial education, small business services, literacy support, education, housing, workforce training, and resources for survivors of criminal acts. Many of which will endure financial distress and face closure with reductions in federal funds. Non-profits are sustained by a workforce of 12 million employees (more than manufacturing, construction, or finance industries) that collectively contribute $1 trillion to the United States Economy (5% of the annual GDP). For these reasons, we urge you to send the letter below to elected and appointed officials at all levels of government, and email signed copies to [email protected]. Join us in supporting our local Black-Owned businesses this Black History Month! Click on each slide for more information on their websites.
 The Back to School Policy Brief was developed by HopePHL in collaboration with Philly Homes for Youth, Eddie's House, Turning Points for Children, and Valley Youth House.
With additional funding and staffing the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) was able to support 10,000 children and youth who experienced homelessness in the School Year (SY) 2022-2023. The SDP's American Rescue Plan funds (ARP) are expiring December 31, 2024, and the new capacity and supports for students will disappear. No plans have been developed to build on or continue this support; the School District informed advocates that the new state funding is not adequate for replacing supports for homeless students; the Parker Administration and City Council are talking about this, but no actions have been taken. Check out the scene from the annual Lancaster Jazz & Arts Festival! It was a beautiful day to see some unbelievable jazz performers, shop and eat from local vendors, and honor members of the community! Stay tuned for more recaps of the day to come.
Presented by HopePHL and the 16th Police District Advisory Council, the 6th Annual Men’s Wellness Day took place over Father's Day weekend. The event celebrated fathers, promoted health, and honored Juneteenth all while fostering community and creating a perfect opportunity to spend the day outside in perfect summer weather. Valuable resources were available for attendees from our partners. The DJ played danceable hits while everyone enjoyed popcorn, cotton candy, and treats from the ice cream truck to cool down. Hot dogs and snacks were generously provided by the Police District. It was a great event that showcased the importance of prioritizing men’s wellness in the community.
 Check out this month's edition of the HopePHL Perspective, our Policy newsletter to learn how you can help support getting more funds to support students facing homelessness, why collecting data on infants-toddlers experiencing homelessness is important, and upcoming events!
The term ‘equity’ has been talked about for many years, but what does it mean for Pennsylvania’s thousands of young children experiencing homelessness?
A public health institute asserts that “equity is a solution for addressing imbalanced social systems. Justice can take equity one step further by fixing the systems in a way that leads to long-term, sustainable, equitable access for generations to come.” The Merrian-Webster website defines equity as ‘refers to fairness or justice in the way people are treated.’ Many of us working in either the homeless housing and early childhood education systems have been asking "are children facing homelessness given equal access to high-quality early learning opportunities?" The answer lies in the data. Many organizations are collecting data on this population but do not report it to a single entity for analysis. In the past year we have been working with our allies to encourage state and local officials to foster inter-system cooperation to improve our understanding of the prevalence and needs of infants and toddlers experiencing homelessness. If we do not know the participation rates of these children in programs like Head Start, home visiting, childcare, and others, we will not be able to answer the question.  HopePHL was recently awarded a $150,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®. HopePHL is one of 37 non-profit organizations selected from more than 450 applicants to receive a Housing for Everyone grant as part of the TD Charitable Foundation's annual grant program that has helped support organizations providing affordable housing and affordable housing services since 2005.
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