Inequity is a preexisting condition in PA

Despite what you may have heard, COVID-19 is striking children. They may be spared the fatal symptoms of the virus, but they are certainly not protected from the consequences of the frayed national, state and local response to the crisis. 

We’ve called for every level of government to appoint a Child Advocate to consider the needs of children when formulating new policies and drive the systemic response to make sure appropriate resources are at-the-ready.

After this week’s developments, it’s clear that the failure to have designated Coronavirus Child Advocates has only compounded this crisis for children and their families.

Instead of trying to find ways to educate their students remotely, some school districts have explicitly instructed teachers not to use any tools they may have to teach.  Across the region we’ve watched school leaders point to the digital divide as the rationale to terminate remote instruction; this, while other districts are handing out Chrome books and teachers are being encouraged to conduct classes on the phone with students, every day.  We reject the rationale that claims inequity is the reason not to provide instruction. In the Commonwealth, inequity has been a longstanding preexisting condition. Using inequity as an excuse to offer nothing is unacceptable.  

Some are predicting that every school district will be shuttered for the rest of the school year. As the region’s child advocate, we demand that the state put the resources in place so that every school district can continue to provide instruction to their students and extend the school year into the summer to make up for lost time. No state level stimulus package should pass without a remedy for the loss of education our children are suffering.

Our youngest children have also been placed in harm’s way. 

The reasonable public health directive closing child care centers means that many children are likely to be home alone with their parents. But home-based child care programs have not yet been ordered to close. The ranks of the courageous men and women opening their homes to children who may unwittingly carry the virus are falling daily.  PCCY has urged the state to end the anguish of these providers and require that all child care centers, except those designed to halt contagion and care for children of essential workers, be closed.   To stay abreast of the critical support PCCY is providing to early childhood programs and hear the on the ground experience of early childhood providers, see our COVID-19 Toolkit for regular updates.

To be clear, as our national leaders focus on stimulus measures to buoy families and the airline industry, equally robust measures must be taken to preserve the early childhood infrastructure, a necessity for our workforce and a pillar of our economy. Next week, with our partners, we will be releasing a comprehensive plan for sustaining Pennsylvania’s early childhood system. Stay tuned–we’ll need your help to make our case.

We’ve been convening emergency calls with dozens of children’s health care providers and health-related organizations to share information so that low income families can find diapers, sign up for WIC and get the food they need.  As of next week, these informational health resources will be translated so that they can be accessed by immigrant families who are hard hit in our region. Our COVID-19 Toolkit  is our growing inventory of these resources.

In this time of crisis, as the region’s child advocate, we serve as a convener to help child-serving institutions problem solve and respond. But these are desperate times for all and we feel compelled to  expand our services.

As of today, PCCY’s Children’s Healthline is open to help any person, of any age, in need of health care, to sign up for Medicaid or access health insurance via the ACA Exchange. 

The quick spread of the coronavirus is being met with a rapid outpouring of compassion across our region. Local elected officials are using their power and bully pulpits to press for new policies, funds, and resources to care for the sick, stem the contagion and steady our families, communities and businesses. Foundations and philanthropists are stepping up to help close the gap that the sudden loss of income presents for families and critical institutions.

There is so much more that we need to do for children in these trying times.  Please consider supporting our work and volunteering to help families. 

Other ways to engage:

Philadelphia Foundation Fund

The Delaware County Foundation Fund