Pennsylvania
State Government
Governor
Josh Shapiro (D)
State Senate
22
Democrats,
28
Republicans
State House
102
Democrats,
101
Republicans
Economic well-being - Pennsylvania
Extreme poverty rate
0.07
Food insecurity
0.132
Minimum wage
7.25
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.273
Poverty rate
11.6%
Unemployment rate
4
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
5.8
Poverty by demographic - Pennsylvania
Child poverty rate
0.15
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
29000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
191000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
215000
Senior poverty rate
10.4 %
Women in poverty
6,429,348
Eastern Express Times, November 13, 2012: Efforts to prepare Pennsylvania children for school slowing, stagnant, study shows
"Compared to 2011 figures, there are only slightly fewer Pennsylvania children living in low-income households and access to child care subsidies is flat, the report shows. Also, the number of kids enrolled in publicly funded early childhood education programs, such as Pre-K Counts and Head Start, is down. Only 16.5 percent of Pennsylvania's 3- and 4-year-olds are benefiting from such programs, the lowest number since 2007, according to the report."
The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 11, 2012: Ground broken for LGBT-friendly senior housing in Philly
"For Donald Carter, the groundbreaking of an LGBT-friendly senior housing facility meant more than just the creation of a facility. It was the culmination of more than 40 years of activism."
The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 03, 2012: Schools found lagging in breakfast service
"Seven South Jersey charter schools or districts were among 64 high-poverty districts statewide where less than 31 percent of eligible students receive subsidized school breakfasts, according a report being released today in Newark."
Philadelphia Business Journal, October 02, 2012: (Op-Ed) College readiness is essential for students and businesses to succeed
"Here in Philadelphia, Ernst & Young LLP and the nonprofit College For Every Student (CFES) have collaborated with Frankford High School to help young people from low-income communities become college-ready. We call this collaboration College MAP (Mentoring for Access and Persistence), and it is part of a national program in 13 US cities that brings teams of Ernst & Young mentors to high schools in underserved communities to mentor and guide students on their journey to college."
Patriot News, September 14, 2012: (Op-Ed) Choice doesn't exist for all Pennsylvania seniors
"Today, more families are turning to home and community-based services to ensure their loved ones remain independent for as long as possible, allowing them to stay in their home or apartment or a homelike setting and around their families. However, our government fails to provide proper support for low-income persons who need these crucial senior services. That's unfortunate because home and community-based services provides a wide variety of opportunities to protect the quality of life seniors expect to enjoy."
The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 04, 2012: (Blog) Amid plenty, the plight of children going hungry
"The No Kid Hungry campaign will work with schools and communities to increase participation in school breakfast programs. Some parents are unaware of the programs, and some students are embarrassed to sign up for them. One way around that is Philadelphia's universal feeding program, which makes free meals available to all students, thus reducing paperwork and eliminating the stigma associated with poverty."