Category: State Government Actions

Wolf Administration Highlights Resources For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren During Family Caregivers Month (November 18, 2022)

On November 16, 2022, the Pennsylvania departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Human Services (DHS), and Aging (PDA) highlighted available resources for grandparents who are raising grandchildren and discussed the need for additional supports for these grandparents because of the overdose crisis.

“We know that the overdose epidemic and substance use disorder has impacted Pennsylvanians of all ages, races, and demographics, touching nearly every family. For some, it has resulted in grandparents assuming the role of parents once again due to their child participating in a substance use treatment program, incarceration, or worst-case scenario, loss of life to an overdose,” said DDAP Secretary Jen Smith. “Having the right resources available to help both grandparents and grandchildren alike who are in this situation is vitally important.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, there were more than seven million grandparents living with their grandchildren, and over two million were responsible for their grandchildren’s basic needs. In Pennsylvania, it is estimated that nearly 260,000 children live in households headed by grandparents or other relatives.

November is National Family Caregiver Month. Around the country, it is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers. The month offers an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities, and increase support for caregivers.

“While older relative caregivers often find the care that they provide to be a meaningful and rewarding experience, the demands of being a primary caregiver can be stressful physically, emotionally, and financially. If an older adult becomes a caregiver for their grandchildren due to either the loss or incarceration of their own child due to substance use disorder, those stressors may be magnified,” said PDA Secretary Robert Torres. “We want older caregivers to know that the Department of Aging has resources and supports that focus on their well-being by helping to alleviate those stresses.”

PDA’s Caregiver Support Program (CSP) provides resources and assistance to individuals who assume primary responsibility as a caregiver of their loved ones. The program, administered by the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, provides access to respite care, addresses the need for formal and informal supports, and offers financial reimbursement of eligible out-of-pocket costs associated with caregiving-related services and supplies.

DHS coordinates work across Pennsylvania to support the nearly 83,000 grandparents in the commonwealth who are caring for their grandchildren. PA KinConnector is a resource that provides information, referrals, and education programs for kinship caregivers in Pennsylvania. Kinship caregivers – such as grandparents, aunts or uncles, adult siblings, or a close family friend – are blood and non-blood relatives who care for children when their biological parents are not able to for various reasons. Kinship care arrangements help maintain family bonds and reduce trauma experienced when children cannot be cared for by their own parents.

“Caring for a child, especially in a kinship care situation, is both rewarding and challenging,” said Deputy Secretary for the Office of Children, Youth, and Families Jonathan Rubin. “DHS strives to provide grandparents and other kindship families with the information and resources they need to take care of themselves and children in their care, including links to physical and mental health care, financial assistance, legal referrals, and much more. Kinship caregivers can be an invaluable line of support and stability for children, and we are committed to helping people who step up to fill this role for children in their lives.”

KinConnector also runs a helpline that can be reached by calling 1-866-KIN-2111 (1-866-546-2111). The KinConnector helpline is staffed by knowledgeable, compassionate social service professionals prepared to help kinship care families understand and access resources that may be able to help them and children in their care. The helpline is available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The KinConnector helpline can support callers needing assisting in English and Spanish.

State Police Invites High School Teens To Take Advantage Of Law Enforcement Education Opportunity (November 17, 2022)

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Bureau of Training and Education has announced expanded opportunities in law enforcement education for children between the ages of 15 and 18. Applications are now being accepted for The Hill Impact Program, which has expanded to three locations in Pennsylvania. The 14-week program will run simultaneously at the PSP Academy in Hershey, the Army National Guard Armory in Pittsburgh, and the Kingston Armory in Kingston.

The program is free of charge and introduces teens considering a career in law enforcement to many different elements of training and education, including physical fitness and paramilitary disciplines. Participants gain an understanding of what it takes to be a state trooper while learning various elements of police work, such as the Pennsylvania crimes code, vehicle code, and rules of criminal procedure.

The program will begin at all three locations in January. Participants meet once a week for two-and-a-half hours in the evening and on four Saturdays to be determined for four hours. The deadline to register is Dec. 31, 2022, but interested teens should sign up quickly as class sizes are limited.

Teens with a serious interest in attending courses in Hershey should contact Trooper Clint Long at 717-497-4577 or [email protected]. To sign up for the program in Greensburg, contact Trooper Abby Blazavich at 717-614-7971 or [email protected]. To sign up for the program in Kingston, contact Master Trooper David Peters at 570-459-3900 ext. 269 or [email protected].

The Hill Impact Program launched in 2021 at the PSP Academy, commonly known as The Hill, which has served as the training grounds for thousands of PSP troopers since 1960.

Electronic Results Now Available for Pennsylvanians Registering for FBI Criminal History Clearance (November 11, 2022)

The PA Departments of Human Services (DHS) and General Services (DGS) and the Pennsylvania State Police have announced that Pennsylvanians obtaining a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal History Clearance, a necessary clearance to work and volunteer with children in Pennsylvania, will be able to receive their results electronically if cleared. Applicants who use IDEMIA, the commonwealth’s vendor for fingerprinting necessary to complete an FBI Criminal History Clearance, will be able to receive their results electronically via email if they are found to have no record, helping applicants get this clearance more efficiently. 

Under Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law, certain professions and volunteers as well as prospective foster or adoptive parents are required to obtain clearances in order to work or volunteer with children. Three clearances are required under state law: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, Pennsylvania State Policy Criminal History Clearance, and the FBI Criminal History Clearance. 

Fingerprints are required to complete the FBI clearance and typically are delivered via mail. Now, when applicants apply to get fingerprinted through IDEMIA (also known as IdentoGo or MorphoTrust), they will be able to register a secure account to receive their clearance via email if no record is identified. When results are delivered via email, applicants should immediately download, save, and print – they will not be able to access the digital clearance multiple times and their account cannot be reset to prevent unauthorized release of clearance information. All applicants will still receive a copy of their clearances by mail, which usually arrives in 7-10 business days. 

Questions regarding child abuse clearances should be directed to DHS’ Clearance Verification Unit at 1-877-371-5422.

For more information on child abuse clearances in Pennsylvania, visit www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov.

November PA State Board of Education Meeting Held (November 10, 2022)

On November 10, 2022 the PA State Board of Education held its 371st meeting both in-person and via Zoom. At that meeting, it was announced that the Special Education and Gifted Education Committee is conducting a review of information collected during roundtable meetings across the state to consider revisions to PA School Code Chapter 16.

It was also announced that a decision was made by the Council of Higher Education to table the Higher Education Master Plan pending further consideration.

In addition, Acting Secretary of Education  Eric Hagarty announced that the Erie School District has become the first school district ever to exit financial recovery when in September its “Financial Watch” label was removed by the state. Sec. Hagarty also commended the General Assembly for providing $21M for all students in K-12 public and private schools to get free breakfast during the 2022-23 school year. He also informed the Board that the first of three recommended competencies regarding standard literacy have been completed, as has the first standard for professional competency.

In a final piece of business, Board Chair Karen Farmer White announced that revisions to Chapters 11 and 12 regarding compulsory school age  regulations  have been completed,  have been approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC), and have recently been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

OSEP Reminds LEAs of New High School Transcript Requirement (November 10, 2022)

On November 9, 2022, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Deputy Secretary  Dr. Jeffrey Fuller, Deputy Secretary released a PennLink message to all LEAs titled New School Code Requirement: Industry-Recognized Credentials on High School Transcripts.  According to the message,  “[N]o later than the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, an industry-recognized credential attained by a student must be included on the student’s transcript. This requirement was added to Section 121 of the Public School Code by Act 55 of 2022. Section 121 defines an industry-recognized credential as any credential identified in the industry credential resource book or in the industry-based learning guidelines compiled by the Department of Education.”

As such, transcripts must include credentials identified in the Industry-Recognized Credentials for Career and Technical Education Programs Resource Guide and those that meet the minimum non-technical requirements for an industry-recognized credential as found in the Guidance for Identifying and Reporting Industry Credentials for Non-CTE Students. These criteria apply to any student who earns an industry-recognized credential, regardless of whether the student is enrolled in a career and technical education program. 

The student transcript must include the name of the industry-recognized credential, the credential provider and the date earned (e.g., Certified Dental Assistant, Dental Assisting National Board, May 15, 2022.)

Questions about the Industry-Recognized Credentials for Career and Technical Education Programs Resource Guide should be directed to Beth Marshall at [email protected].

Questions about the Guidance for Identifying and Reporting Industry Credentials for Non-CTE Students should be directed to Laura Fridirici at [email protected].

Questions about industry-recognized credentials and Act 158 statewide graduation requirements should be directed to [email protected].