Ritter Center’s Post

All children and families deserve to live a purposeful and happy life with hope for the future. When families have what they need, when they need it, without stigma, children can thrive. When thinking about your vote in the Presidential primary and candidates for U.S. Representative, consider the positions of candidates and whether they support Prevent Child Abuse America’s Federal Policy Priorities (https://lnkd.in/e3nVz-de) Let’s vote for #PositiveChildhoodsNC! #CampaignforPositiveChildhoods #PreventionPolicy #FamilyFriendlyPolicy

In Los Angeles, traffic violence is deadly, and it is on the rise. People from all walks of life – grandparents, elementary school children, service workers, pastors, artists – are falling victim. Incredibly, most elected officials are doing almost nothing about it, but L.A. voters can change that – right now— by approving the Healthy Streets initiative – Yes on Measure HLA. Read my analysis and recommendation on Substack: https://lnkd.in/g_5B9eqA

Do you know how your County works with your State government to receive Federal investments to keep roads passable, water tested, public health resourced, law enforcement staffed and trained, first responders on the job, and public schools a place where all children learn and develop essential life skills? In this episode, Michelle Rathman talks with Mercer County, W. VA Commissioner, and National Association of Counties Rural Action Caucus Vice Chair Gregory Puckett about the organization’s rural policy priorities and the importance of following facts. We invite you to listen, subscribe, and share!

This is sickening. More people become homeless everyday. As of June 2024, the average rent in Philadelphia, PA is $1,700 per month. For comparison, the national average rent price in the US is currently $1,518/month, which means Philadelphia rent prices are 12% higher than the national average. When you rent an apartment in Philadelphia, you can expect to pay about $1,391 per month for a studio, $1,700 for a one-bedroom apartment, and around $2,133 for a two-bedroom apartment. If you opt for a three-bedroom rental, you could pay $3,033 or more. Make sure to factor in applications fees, first and last month rent, pet fees and any utilities. 307,740 or 48% of the households in Philadelphia, PA are renter-occupied while 338,868 or 52% are owner-occupied. Note- Many of the 48% have no protection if buildings are sold or rents raised. Because the average rent in Philadelphia is $1,700, you'll want to make about $5,666 per month or $67,992 per year. But be aware that if your family size is below 6 and you do make $5,666 per month, you are not eligible for any assistance paying for child care. (PA Gov) A family of five can bring in up to $5,858 per month and possibly qualify for food assistance. As of March 2024, the USDA recommends a family of four on a thrifty budget spend $976.60 monthly and $1,585.20 for a liberal budget. On average, across the four food plans, the monthly budget recommendation has risen 27% since the start of 2020.April 14, 2024 307,740 or 48% of the households in Philadelphia, PA are renter-occupied while 338,868 or 52% are owner-occupied (apartments.com) The cost of hiring infants child care in Philadelphia, PA is approximately 10% higher than Pennsylvania average starting rate of $18.41 per hour and 3% higher than the national average of $19.75. (Care com) The average cost of raising a child born in 2015 was $233,610. That assumes the child was born to a middle-income, married couple. When adjusted for inflation, the number jumps to $312,202 as of March 2024, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.May 8, 2024. I will not even attempt to add medical insurance, vehicle costs, braces, school trips to the mix. All of the budgeting tools we learned in school cannot save us when the cost of living skyrockets. Many people are struggling to keep a roof over their head. What was a decent income two years ago, no longer pays for essential needs. The homeless population will continue to grow. Everyone on the street is someone's family member. Locking people up solves nothing.

Last week, Early Childhood Ireland launched our latest Policy Proposal, a Single Agency for Early Years and School Age Care, to the Minister for Children, TDs, Senators and Party leaders. The purpose of this proposal is to highlight the importance of the establishment of a Single Agency and to call on politicians from across the political spectrum to commit to the establishment of this body. You can read a detailed breakdown in our Policy in Action post here: https://lnkd.in/eKvUn3AH #QualityForChildren #EarlyYearsIreland #EarlyYearsPolicy

🏛️ Today the ACLU and ACLU of Oregon, alongside 17 other state affiliates, submitted an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court for Grants Pass v. Johnson. The question this case brings before the Supreme Court is simple: Can cities that do not have enough shelter to meet everybody’s basic needs punish people for sleeping outside with as little as blankets or pillows? The answer should be an emphatic “no.” Punishing a person who is forced to sleep in public because they have nowhere else to go violates our Constitution’s Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Cities have all the tools they need at their disposal to maintain safe communities. We cannot arrest our way out of homelessness and evidence shows that attempting to do so only exacerbates the issue. If cities truly want to solve homelessness, they must focus on creating more affordable and accessible housing and services. 🔗 To learn more about the case and our brief, read ACLU’s press statement at https://lnkd.in/gnMqRNXF

This week marks the four year anniversary of the first Covid-19 #lockdown in the UK. We look back as Save the Children UK, alongside Just for Kids Law and Children's Rights Alliance for England joined forces as Core Participants in Module 2 of the Covid-19 public inquiry. This module delved into the core decision-making processes and political governance during the pandemic. 💔 While the pandemic impacted everyone, its effects on babies, children, and young people will be enduring and era-defining. 📢 We actively engaged in the Covid-19 public inquiry to shed light on how the UK government's decisions affected children and families. Our report, "What about the children?" outlines these impacts. 👇 #CovidInquiry #ChildrensRights #WhatAboutTheChildren #SaveTheChildren

Today QCOSS and many of our members have expressed disappointment at the dissolving of the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee - with the Chair of the Committee describing the situation as 'untenable'.   Our communities, victims, young people and families should be able to expect more from our leaders. We urgently need evidence-based action that, all at the same time, focuses on community safety, respects the rights of victims and ensures children are treated humanely. We need to deal with the root causes of problematic behaviour and remove the youngest children from the system to prevent crime in the future. The draft interim report released today contains some common sense recommendations that should be acted on – for example, we need a youth justice strategy urgently and we should deal with the funding issues that are preventing community services from achieving their potential. Join us in continuing to advocate for a better response to youth crime by signing up at https://lnkd.in/g45JMyKg

Dive into the complexities of supporting the homeless through legal lenses with insights from Tom Daniels, Penn IUR Faculty Fellow. This USA Today piece highlights the challenges and legal risks faced by churches and organizations such as Dad's Place in their mission to provide aid. Join the conversation on how to navigate zoning challenges to make a meaningful impact. Read more: https://bit.ly/49ut6i5

Later this summer, the Supreme Court will rule on City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, one of the most important cases on homelessness to come up in a long time . Here’s an excerpt from oral arguments. Let’s hope the liberal minority prevails. Evangelis: And sleeping in conduct is considered—excuse me, sleeping in public is considered conduct. This court, in Clark, discussed that—that that is conduct. Also, the federal regulations— Kagan: Well, sleeping is a biological necessity. It’s sort of like breathing. I mean, you could say breathing is conduct, too, but presumably you would not think that it’s okay to criminalize breathing in public. For more, see the Atlantic article: A Supreme Court Ruling on Homelessness That’s Both Crucial and Useless: City of Grants Pass v. Johnson skips over the real issues.