Helping hands: Nurse-Family Partnership helps first-time mothers, their babies thrive

Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based model that serves lower-income, first-time mothers starting before the 29th week of pregnancy and ending when the child is 2 years of age. Backed by 40 years of research, Nurse-Family Partnership provides education, assessment, support and resources to help first-time parents and their children succeed. Regular home visits in pregnancy, […]

This New Group Is on a Mission to Better Support and Connect Philly-Area Moms

Parenthood comes with its own challenges: lack of sleep, a disrupted routine, physical and emotional changes you might need support for, trying to find new-parent friends, impractical advice from people who know nothing about your child, and more. That’s why Kutest Kids’ Parents as Teachers — a Philly-based program that runs free home visits and community programming — has just launched a […]

Early Care and Education in Governor Shapiro’s 2023-24 State Budget Proposal

HARRISBURG, PA (March 7, 2023) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, issued the following statements regarding Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2023-24 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Start Strong PA, Pre-K for PA, Childhood […]

Home visiting programs allow nurses to ‘meet families where they’re at.’ Advocates want Congress to extend its funding.

In Pennsylvania, MIECHV supported nearly 30,000 home visits in over 2,800 households in fiscal year 2020. About 70% of those households were low income, and 12% had a child with developmental delays or disabilities. Not all home visitors are nurses. MIECHV allows states to use the funding to support different interventions that promote maternal and […]

Here’s how Pa.’s advocacy community reacted to the 2022-23 state budget

Here’s how advocacy groups and their leaders reacted to the budget news. Childhood Begins at Home: “Childhood Begins at Home is pleased with the historic increase of $15 million for evidence-based home visiting in the Department of Human Services budget to serve an additional 3,800 pregnant women, children and families. In addition, $1 million is […]

Early Learning PA: 2022-23 State Budget Grows Home Visiting, Child Care, and Pre-k

HARRISBURG, PA (July 8, 2022) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, issued the following statements regarding the final 2022-23 Pennsylvania state budget. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins […]

Early Care and Education in Governor Wolf’s 2022-23 State Budget Proposal

HARRISBURG, PA (February 9, 2022) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, issued the following statements regarding Governor Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood […]

2021-22 State Budget: Growth for Pre-k; Ignores Recommendations Prioritizing Child Care and Fails to Expand Evidence-based Home Visiting Services

HARRISBURG, PA (June 25, 2021) – The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, believes the commonwealth’s economic recovery hinges on helping working families by prioritizing greater state investments in high-quality pre-k, child care and evidence-based home visiting. ELPA operates […]

Clarion County Officials Discuss Benefits of Voluntary Home Visit Programs

Pam Johnson, Executive Director of Jefferson-Clarion Head Start, Inc. provided an overview of the program, which serves 79 families living in challenging circumstances each year in the Early Head Start Program. Visiting parent educators help nurture healthy attachments for low-income families parenting infants and toddlers and for pregnant women and their families through intensive comprehensive […]

Danville Childhood Development Center

The coalition is working to build successful families in Montour and Columbia Counties,  joining leaders for an event at the Danville Childhood Development Center.

Those in attendance were: Angela Mattis, Montour County District Attorney; Ashley Mensch, director, Columbia County Family Center; Allison Shay, parent educator, Parents as Teachers; a mother benefiting from voluntary home visits and Kari King, president and CEO, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.

Montgomery County Home Visiting

Childhood Begins at Home held an event in March to highlight the need for more evidence-based home visiting in Montgomery County.

Those who participated included:

  • Nadine Miller, deputy administrator, Resource Division, Office of Children and Youth, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services;
  • Kevin Steele, Montgomery County District Attorney;
  • Rosemarie Halt, senior director of policy, Maternity Care Coalition;
  • A mother benefiting from voluntary home visits; and
  • Kari King, president and CEO, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
Kingsley Center

Family support advocates joined together at the Kingsley Center to discuss the need for evidence-based home visiting in Allegheny County.

The event included:

  • Marc Cherna, director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services;
  • Dr. Karen Hacker, director of the Allegheny County Health Department;
  • Cara Ciminillo, executive director of Trying Together;
  • Local families benefiting from voluntary home visits; and
  • Kari King, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport Press Conference

Lycoming County First Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade, joined with the Nurse-Family Partnership and other statewide and regional partners for a press conference at UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport, to discuss evidence-based home visiting and the Childhood Begins at Home campaign’s efforts to ensure more state funding for the programs in Lycoming County.

Women with Child
Event Discussion
People Having a Discussion