Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children

09/12/2026

💙 September is Hunger Action Month!

This month, we’re raising awareness about hunger and the importance of making sure children and families have consistent access to nutritious food.

SNAP matters for children. For families who qualify, SNAP helps stretch the grocery budget and put healthy food on the table.

When children have enough nutritious food, they’re better able to grow, learn and thrive. Food security is an important part of child well-being, and supporting programs like SNAP helps families build a stronger foundation for their children.

This Hunger Action Month, let’s take action to make sure Pennsylvania’s children have the food they need to thrive. 💙

09/10/2026

💙 September is Kinship Care Month in Pennsylvania!

We’re grateful to Governor Josh Shapiro for recognizing the grandparents, relatives, close family friends and other caregivers who step up to care for children when their parents cannot.

Kinship caregivers provide more than a safe place to stay. They help children maintain important family connections, preserve a sense of stability and remain connected to their communities.

These caregivers deserve support, too. Pennsylvania must continue investing in the resources kinship families need to navigate the financial, legal, emotional and practical challenges of caring for a child.

Today and throughout Kinship Care Month, we’re celebrating the caregivers who step up for Pennsylvania’s children. 💙

It’s National Kinship Month, PA! Kinship caregivers are grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, adult siblings, and even family friends who make the selfless choice to take on parenting responsibilities when biological parents can't.

If you are a kinship caregiver in Pennsylvania, we are here to help: kinconnector.org

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day!

Today, we’re celebrating Pennsylvania’s workers and families and recognizing the hard work that keeps our communities strong.

Families do best when parents can access the child care, early learning, health care and other supports they need to work, provide for their families and give their children a strong start.

At Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, we’ll keep advocating for policies that support working families and help every Pennsylvania child succeed. 💙

09/05/2026

🍎 What happens when a child loses SNAP? The impact can reach beyond the grocery store.

New changes to SNAP eligibility could mean some children also lose access to free school breakfast and lunch, according to a recent Pennsylvania Capital-Star report.

For families already working hard to put food on the table, losing SNAP and potentially school meals could create an even bigger challenge.

Every child deserves consistent access to nutritious food, both at home and at school. 💙

Protecting SNAP means protecting Pennsylvania children and families.

Read more: https://penncapital-star.com/2026/09/01/repub/snap-cuts-could-lead-to-kids-losing-free-school-breakfast-and-lunch/

Cuts to the nation’s largest food assistance program will likely spill over into schools, causing students to lose access to free breakfast and lunch. More than 1 million American children have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, following a recent federal law.

09/02/2026

Back-to-school season is a good time to make sure your child's immunizations are up to date.

With measles cases at their highest levels in more than three decades, Pennsylvania families are facing a renewed reminder of the importance of routine childhood immunizations.

PPC President and CEO Kari King told Public News Service that Pennsylvania's kindergarten MMR vaccination rate is 93.2%, below the 95% community protection goal.

“Typically in the medical community, we look to 95% for what we refer to as the community protection goal,” King said.

PPC is committed to making sure families have access to clear, evidence-based information about children's health. Our new Childhood Immunizations Fact Sheet offers guidance for families on recommended vaccinations.

Read more from Public News Service and access our fact sheet:
https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/measles-concerns-amplified-in-pa-following-two-deaths/3b66fcfc-c82f-476a-81a7-6a56f5874097

With measles on the rise, Pennsylvania children’s advocates are reminding parents of the importance of vaccine checkups for kids, in hopes of keeping them healthy in and out of the

09/01/2026

💙 When family steps up, children stay connected.

September is Kinship Care Month, a time to recognize the grandparents, relatives, and close family friends who open their homes to children when they cannot safely remain with their parents.

Kinship care can help children maintain important family connections, preserve a sense of stability, and remain connected to their communities.

But kinship caregivers need support, too. Families stepping into these roles may face financial, legal, emotional, and practical challenges as they work to provide children with safe, stable homes.

At PPC, we believe Pennsylvania must ensure kinship caregivers have the resources and support they need to help children and families thrive.

This month, we're recognizing the kinship caregivers who step up for Pennsylvania's children. 💙

08/31/2026

🥕 Happy 62nd anniversary to SNAP!

Today marks 62 years since the Food Stamp Act of 1964 established the modern federal food assistance program that eventually became SNAP.

For 62 years, this program has helped families put food on the table, including families with children. 💙

Nutritious food is more than a meal. It supports children's health, development, learning, and ability to thrive.

As SNAP faces changes that could make it harder for families to access this critical support, protecting food security remains more important than ever.

At PPC, we'll continue working to ensure Pennsylvania's children and families have the resources they need to thrive.

08/26/2026

📚✨ “A child’s imagination is the most powerful thing in the world.” — Dolly Parton

We couldn't agree more.

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, explore, dream big, and reach their full potential. That starts with access to the resources and supports children need from their earliest years, including high-quality early learning and access to books.

Through her Imagination Library, Dolly Parton put millions of books into children's hands. At Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, we advocate for policies and investments that give each Pennsylvania child the strong start they deserve.

Because investing in children today helps build a stronger Pennsylvania tomorrow. 💙

08/22/2026

📚🥕 Kids can't learn on an empty stomach.

Reliable access to nutritious food is an important part of helping children stay healthy, focus in school, and reach their full potential.

For eligible Pennsylvania families, SNAP helps make it possible to put food on the table, even when household budgets are stretched.

This , we're highlighting why protecting SNAP matters for Pennsylvania's children and families. 💙

08/20/2026

💉 Pennsylvania's children deserve access to the preventive care that helps keep them healthy.

This National Immunization Awareness Month, we're highlighting an important development for Pennsylvania families: the Commonwealth plans to retain its current childhood vaccine schedule despite recent federal changes.

Routine childhood immunizations help protect children from serious diseases and are an important part of keeping kids healthy and ready to learn.

At PPC, we'll continue advocating for policies that put the health and well-being of Pennsylvania's children first. 💙

Read more from PennLive.com:
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2026/08/we-will-follow-the-facts-pa-to-retain-childhood-vaccine-schedule-despite-latest-trump-order.html

Trump's order has little power to force states to change their vaccine rules.