More than 17,000 Pennsylvania children were charged in juvenile court in 2023, and 2/3 of the charges were for misdemeanors or summary offenses, like loitering and disorderly conduct. For those children and their communities, diversion is a better alternative than...
Career-related learning that better connects graduates to future employment and higher education is growing in respect and demand in Pennsylvania. Economists predict the majority of future job growth in the Commonwealth will be in fields that do not require an...
In the fall of 2021, the Racial Equity Subcommittee, a subcommittee within the newly formed Early Childhood Provider Council, was created with the task of researching inequities within Pennsylvania’s early childhood system. As a result of this mission, the Racial...
In March 2024, Children First published a policy brief entitled “Optimizing Medicaid to Improve Child and Youth Mental Health in Pennsylvania.” In that brief, five specific reforms to optimize Medicaid as a sustainable funding source to improve child and adolescent...