2024
Racial Equity in Early Childhood Education
Groundbreaking research by the Racial Equity Early Childhood Education Council illustrated how racial disparities in the child care sector hold back Black and brown children and their teachers.
Children First proudly convened the Provider Council – who are early childhood education providers in Philadelphia – to embed racial equity in all aspects of child care quality improvement.
Pa’Lante – It’s Time to Move Forward
Children First released a comprehensive look at how Hispanic children are doing in Philadelphia, identifying some advances but also some urgent needs for action. Community response to Pa’Lante compelled Children First to hire our first Hispanic Child Policy Project Director.
Better Mental Health Supports
Child suicide rates and mental health crisis hit all-time highs during COVID. Children First released two comprehensive reports detailing how children and families could access mental health supports without existing barriers like cost and availability.
Making Progress on Paid Family Leave
Children First worked with big and small businesses, family-focused non-profits, and legislators from both sides of the aisle to advance the Family Care Act to create an affordable paid family and medical leave program.
Making Career and Tech Education a Priority
We secured $30 million for career and technical education, the largest increase in career-related learning in a quarter of a century.
Reports
- Racial Equity at the Forefront: Priorities of Early Childhood Providers in Pennsylvania
- Smart Money: Covering Pennsylvania’s Uninsured Kids Will Save Health Systems and Taxpayers Millions
- Optimizing Medicaid to Improve Child and Youth Mental Health in Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia Charter School Students Not Immune to Consequences of State Underfunding
- Pa’Lante – It’s Time to Move Forward (English)
- Pa’Lante – Es Hora de Avanzar (Spanish)
Budget Wins!
For the first time ever, state lawmakers made meeting the needs of students in low-wealth school districts a state funding priority. The kids attending schools with the least resources got moved to the front to benefit from more than $1.1 billion in new state aid for their schools.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers also acknowledged that the state funding shortfall for low-wealth schools is real and significant, standing at $4 billion.
PA Youth Safety Coalition
Children First took over as the convener of the PA Youth Safety Coalition in 2024, bringing more collaboration and coordination across the state on juvenile justice and child welfare issues.