Investing in Families: Building a Stronger PA Through Economic Security

On March 20th, we convened 100+ attendees for Investing in Families: Building a Stronger PA Through Economic Security, as part of Maternity Care Coalition’s project with PolicyLab at Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP), Children First, and PA Partnerships for Children to advance economic security policy and improve maternal and child health outcomes. 

The program included a keynote speech and fireside chat with Dr. Cynthia Osborne from Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, policy spotlight sessions on Child Tax Credits, Medicaid, and Cash Transfer programs led by Dr. Aditi Vasan from CHOP, Elisabeth Wright Burak from Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, and Dr. Yuan He from CHOP, and a panel discussion on moving these strategies forward with Shafeka Hashash from Economic Security Project, Dr. Julie Sweetland from FrameWorks Institute, Lonnese Bodison from Maternity Care Coalition, and Josh McCabe from Niskanen Center. 

Dr. Osborne explained how parents are more inclined to being better or worse off solely based on where they live. State policy decisions like offering a paid family and medical leave program, state child tax credit, their minimum wage amount, and more, all influence the resources families have and thus their economic security. 

Because of this, Pennsylvania ranks 38th in providing resources to full-time working families with young children. Just by moving to New Jersey, these parents could utilize expanded resources like the ones mentioned above, which equates to having access to $19,000 more than what’s offered in Pennsylvania. 

There’s a growing focus on economic security for prenatal to three policy initiatives in Pennsylvania because it’s essential to have in order to birth with dignity, parent with autonomy, and raise children who are healthy, growing, and thriving. 

As Dr. Aditi Vasan explained, “Child Tax Credits don’t just improve birth outcomes. They set kids up for a lifetime of success.” MCC has been speaking with national experts to design the most equitable version of a state refundable Child Tax Credit, and we’re thrilled Representative Tina Davis is championing this work by introducing a co-sponsorship memo just last week. Our convening was just a starting point of bringing together stakeholders to help make these policies a reality for Pennsylvania’s families. 

MCC offers home visiting, doula services, and other programs to promote maternal and child health, but like Lonnese Bodison stated during our panel, “If families had the money, it would create more efficacy in program interventions because we could focus on the curriculum and not in helping them navigate eviction notices.” We know that families' needs range from access to quality care to time for bonding with their children. The biggest barrier continues to be economic security. 

We can make Pennsylvania the best place to have and raise a baby, but to do so, we first must ensure all families have economic security. Learn more by reading this report by PolicyLab at CHOP.