Advocacy protects our must vulnerable kids

We learned the hard way that by shifting our gaze away from the needs of the most vulnerable children in our region, those in residential facilities, they suffer. 

In 2017, the Inquirer exposed that over a few short years, twelve children were raped, 23 children were sexually abused, six suffered physical abuse and tragically 17 year old David Hess was killed as staff physically assaulted him for possession of an iPod. 

Startling in-depth Inquirer reporting on Glenn Mills found no incidence of homicide but they unearthed a staggering legacy abuse resulting in the facility’s closure last year.

We refocused our policy lens on these children and so too did the leadership of the Defenders Association, Education Law Center, Community Legal Services, the Support Center for Child Advocates and Juvenile Law Center causing City Council and the City agencies to rapidly examine the changes to be made to protect and heal these extremely fragile children. 

Councilwoman Helen Gym stepped up and with her the City agencies and School District came to the table determined to do a better job and producing an impressive set of recommendations and strategy for reform on behalf of these children. 

But a key player was missing–the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Key State agencies responsible for licensing detention centers and congregate care homes for foster kids seemed immune to the sometimes dangerous and casually callous treatment of children in the very places they are responsible to license, inspect, and shut down if our children are in harm’s way.

Just as we rallied our allies to press for local reforms, PCCY asked the Governor to assemble experts to guide and push for needed state level reforms. 

Fortunately we have a governor who listens and he rapidly penned an executive order in August 2019 that directed his staff and commissioners to listen, learn, and advance reforms. By November their research and recommendations were released. So too were nearly $6 million in state grants to help youth involved in the justice system get the skills they need for a good job.

A month later, the Governor ratcheted up the work by announcing a partnership with Pew Charitable Trusts specifically focused on the reforms needed to the state’s juvenile justice system with the goal of completing the review and recommendations this fall so that next year’s state budget can imbed the most urgent reforms.

And just this week, Governor Wolf announced more than $7 million to support improvements in oversight of institutions that house children, legal support for abused children and expanded prevention services to heal children. 

It’s heartening to hear the Governor’s lead on this work, and as a former Lancaster County Human Services Commissioner Dan Jurman, said, “We can do better. We can be sure that trauma doesn’t become a life sentence for our children.”

In fact, we believe that PCCY can do better too.  That’s why we are so pleased to launch the PCCY’s Stop the Harm/Start the Healing policy office, made possible by the generous support of the Otto Haas Charitable Trust, Rosemarie Greco and Anne Morrissey. 

Help us find the best possible policy and advocacy leader to fill this job.  The groundswell of support means we can make real progress advocating for the city and state level changes needed to help these especially wounded children heal and thrive.