Category: Government Actions

PDE Launches New FAFSA Helpline (August 8, 2024)

The PA Department of Education (PDE) is partnering with non-profit financial aid advisors, uAspire, to launch a FREE on-call FAFSA helpline for PA students and families this summer. A flyer is attached for your use to promote the 313- PA FAFSA helpline.

By texting 313-PA-FAFSA, (313-732 -2372) students and/or their families will get connected to a live FAFSA advisor who will help complete all parts of the financial aid application. Students and families can text ANYTIME–as many times as needed– to complete their FAFSA. If texting over a weekend, students and families will hear back from a FAFSA advisor within 24 business hours.

As a reminder, PHEAA’s FAFSA help page offers a variety of resources and instructional videos for FAFSA completion that students and families can access 24/7.

Additional uAspire and FAFSA resources for practitioners can be found at PA FAFSA GO.

Please help to ensure that this information is communicated to your Class of 2024 and is available on your website and/or socials.

Questions may be directed to Karen Rubican, School Counselor Advisor, in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at [email protected].

PDH Sees Spike in Birth Certificate Requests for the New School Year (August 8, 2024)

During the late summer and early spring, the PA Department of Health’s (PDH) vital records office often sees spikes in birth certificate orders due to sports registration and the new school year. Ordering your child’s certificate now can help you to avoid the rush later.  Birth certificates can be ordered through the mail with an Application for a Birth Certificate with a printable/fillable PDF or online through the PA Vital Records’ official storefront. In person requests are not required, certificates can be mailed to you, and most orders are processed within two weeks. 

If your child was born in another state, you will need to request their birth certificate from that state. See the National Center for Health Statistics’ website for contact information.

The PDH Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries is the official custodian of the Commonwealth’s vital records. Third-party vendors may offer vital records services for an extra fee and claim they can get you a copy of your vital record much quicker. However, they generally use the information you provide to submit an order on paper or online back to PDH. To avoid those extra fees and processing steps, it is recommended you apply directly through PDH.

For additional information, including information on how to modify or amend a child’s birth certificate, please visit the Department of Health’s Records webpage. If you would like to share this information with your educational communities, PDH has created a graphic to share on your social media profiles. 

Click here to Vital Records Information.

2024-25 School-Based ACCESS Program Statewide Training Sessions (August 5, 2024)

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) are announcing the schedule for annual statewide training sessions offered to all participating School-Based ACCESS Program (SBAP) teams. Local educational agencies (LEAs) that are interested in beginning to participate in the SBAP are also welcome to participate in annual training.

Live trainings are scheduled across two dates, which will be recorded and made available through the SBAP Website. You may register to attend the sessions based on your location and availability. Registration is required; (instructions below).

Participation is strongly encouraged. LEAs are encouraged to assign at least one representative to attend each training session in order to receive important SBAP information.

LEAs are encouraged to submit questions in advance to DHS at [email protected] with “Fall Training Question” included in the subject of your email. Presenters will address as many of these as possible during relevant sessions, and they will be used in compiling a list of Frequently Asked Questions to be issued after the annual trainings are complete.

Itinerary
DAY ONE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 – PROGRAM BASICS
General Participation Requirements and Compliance (8:30 AM – 10 AM)
Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) and Reimbursement (10:15 AM – 11:45 AM)
LUNCH BREAK 11:45 – 12:45
SBAP Systems (12:45 PM – 2:15 PM)
SBAP Handbook Updates (2:30 PM – 4 PM)

DAY TWO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 – PROGRAM DEEP DIVES
Direct Services (8:30 AM – 10 AM)
SBAP Reports and How to Use Them (10:15 AM – 11:45 AM)
LUNCH BREAK 11:45 – 12:45
SBAP Reimbursement and Business Management (12:45 PM – 2:15 PM)
Behavioral Health and Mental Health Services in Schools (2:30 PM – 4 PM)

Registration is required. Registration is available for each live session online via the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) at https://www.pattan.net/events/. Recorded trainings will be made available on the SBAP Website for any who are not able to attend at the time of the live training.

Please contact Sharon Kennedy at [email protected] with any registration questions. For content questions, please contact DHS at [email protected]or the SBAP vendor at [email protected].

Lt. Gov Davis Holds Gun Violence Roundtable (August 2, 2024)

On July 31, 2024, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis heard from state and local leaders, as well as local law enforcement officials and victim service providers, at a roundtable discussion in Lackawanna County about how the newly signed, bipartisan state budget will help keep Pennsylvania communities safe and address the epidemic of gun violence.
“Firearms are the number one cause of death for young people in America, and we need to be doing more to keep our young people safe and help them make better choices,” said Lt. Gov. Davis, who chairs the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). “That’s why I’m proud of the bipartisan state budget, which includes more resources for community-based programs that reduce violence and a new statewide program to fund afterschool programs that can provide kids with learning and enrichment opportunities in a safe, supportive environment. We’re taking a comprehensive approach, that addresses the root causes of violence, to make Pennsylvania communities safer.”

For more, click here.

Bill Signed to Support ID/A Community While Special Olympians Visit the Governor’s Residence (July 30, 2024)

Governor Josh Shapiro joined Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A), caregivers and advocates, and legislative leaders for a ceremonial bill signing to highlight the 2024-25 budget he recently signed into law. Before the signing, the the governor hosted Special Olympics Pennsylvania for a bocce tournament and brunch at the Governor’s Residence.

The budget stands up for Pennsylvanians with ID/A and the direct support professionals (DSPs) who care for them by securing $354.8 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers, which includes $280 million to help raise wages for the direct support professionals who care for Pennsylvanians and $74.8 million to begin the process of clearing the emergency waiting list – ensuring more Pennsylvanians receive the care they need and deserve.

The bipartisan 2024-25 budget investments build on the $17.49 million secured in the 2023-24 budget to help an additional 850 Pennsylvanians with ID/A get off the home and community-based services waiting list.

For more information, click here.