Gov. Wolf Announces Closure of PA Schools
Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that all K-12 Pennsylvania schools will be closed for 10 business days, effective Monday, March 16. The administration has been working with school districts as well as state and local officials to gather input on this decision. The Wolf Administration will continue to monitor Covid-19 in the commonwealth, and at…
Study Reveals PA Economy loses $3.47 Billion Annually due to Child Care Issues
At the Early Education Summit, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation revealed that Pennsylvania’s economy loses billions annually due to two generational workforce issues related to child care. Access to affordable, quality child care is essential for today’s working parents, and for the success of tomorrow’s workforce. Read the report.
Keystone Scholars Reaches First Major Milestone!
Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella announced that more than 10,000 babies in Pennsylvania have been registered for Keystone Scholars since the program expanded statewide on January 1, 2019. Of those 10,000 families, 20 percent have gone on to open their own PA 529 College and Career Savings Program (PA 529) accounts. Read the Press Release Here!
PA Second Lady promotes Census at Penn State
Gisele Fetterman, PA’s Second Lady, visited Penn State this week to promote participation in the 2020 Census. This is the start of a statewide tour running through March 24, that will educate Pennsylvanians on the Census throughout the Commonwealth. The tour focuses on communities that have traditionally been “hard to count,” and Fetterman’s message is…
Senate Bill 850, Act Providing for Community Engaged Schools
Senate Bill 850 establishes a new Article in the Public School Code by establishing the Community Engaged Schools for Success Pilot Program to encourage community engagement in the provision of student support services. The legislation defines “engaged student support services” as services provided to students in a school setting that remove academic and non-academic barriers…
United Way of Pennsylvania presents 2019 Keystone Spirit of United Way Award to Robert Pullo of York County
United Way of Pennsylvania presented its highest annual award, the Keystone Spirit of United Way award, to York County resident Robert W. Pullo at a celebration hosted by United Way of York County on February 6, 2020. The Keystone Spirit of United Way Award was created by the United Way of Pennsylvania to recognize exceptional…
2020 PA VITA Guide available
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is an IRS program that people who earn less than $56,000 per year can use to get their taxes prepared for free. To find a location near you and make an appointment, check out our 2020 VITA Guide. About VITA: Low to middle income workers have access to the refundable…
Press Release for First Book Grant
PA Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera joined United Way of PA and WITF, on behalf of PA Public Media, at a press event in Harrisburg this week to announce a First Book Grant of $170,000 which will help get 49,000 books into the hands of children from economically disadvantaged communities across the state. Secretary…
Jan. 31 is Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day!
January 31st is EITC Awareness Day! Spread awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit that will bring thousands in tax credits to hardworking Pennsylvanians this year. EITC is a common-sense tax break that helps low wage income earners, like our ALICE community, keep more of what they’ve earned. Last year, 865 thousand Pennsylvanians claimed EITC,…
Upcoming changes to clearances for employees that work with children
Starting January 1, 2020, all employees having contact with children as part of their job will be required to obtain criminal background checks and the PA Child Abuse History Clearance prior to beginning employment. Organizations will no longer be able to hire employees who have contact with children on a provisional basis, however, a waiver…