News

July 7, 2023

PA DHS Accepting Applications for Children’s Trust Fund Grants

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is accepting applications for the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) grants to promote primary and secondary child abuse and neglect prevention programs in community-based settings in order to address child and family well-being and prevent abuse and neglect of children in the Commonwealth. The maximum CTF grant award is $50,000 per year.

About the Children’s Trust Fund Grants

The mission of the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is to prevent child abuse and neglect in Pennsylvania. To do this, the CTF Board of Directors funds community-based primary and secondary prevention programs that support families.

The CTF was established in December 1988 by Act 1988-151. It operates under the administration of the CTF Board and is supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), a dual deputate of the Department of Human Services (DHS) the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

Funds for the CTF are generated from a $10 surcharge on all applications for marriage licenses and divorce complaints. These surcharges are paid into a special non-lapsing fund. Interest, donations and federal funds also contribute to the CTF.

The CTF is dedicated to funding community-based programs to prevent child abuse and neglect. Since its inception, the CTF has invested more than $37 million through 295 grants. See the list of current grantees.

The CTF also supports the work of the Pennsylvania Strengthening Families Leadership Team.

How to Apply

Application details and forms are available at the eMarketPlace website.

Each Applicant must submit one complete copy of the Submittal via email to ra-pwrfaquestions@pa.gov. The subject line of the email must indicate “RFA 13-23 Application”. Applications are due by 10 a.m. on July 31, 2023. Please refer to the eMarketplace listing for any changes regarding the deadline.

Organizations can view the bid online. Awarded contracts are posted to eMarketplace after they become fully executed.

Questions?

If you have a question, send an email to Robin Lease at RAPWRFAQUESTIONS@PA.GOV. All emails should include the subject line “RFA #13-23 Question” and must be submitted by July 14, 2023 at 10 a.m. Written answers will be posted on the eMarketPlace website on July 21, 2023.

News

June 13, 2023

Air Quality Tips and Training Available for Families and Educators

To better protect adults and children during air quality alerts, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and Environmental Health Capacity (EHC) Program are offering tips and training to help families and children stay healthy.

About Air Quality Dangers & Alerts

Current weather patterns are pushing smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada into communities across the Commonwealth, increasing the average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air.

Air quality can affect your health, especially people who may be at greater risk, including:

  • people with heart disease
  • people with lung disease (including asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD])
  • older adults
  • children and teenagers (because their lungs are still developing, and they breathe more air relative to their size)
  • people who are pregnant
  • people who work outdoors

If you experience symptoms like trouble breathing or dizziness, you should seek medical attention. If you know a family member or neighbor who has one of the above conditions, remember to check in on them.

Tips from DHS

During air quality alerts, all Pennsylvanians should:

  • avoid strenuous outdoor activities
  • keep outdoor activities short
  • consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them

Additionally, to help keep particle pollution lower indoors during air quality alerts:

  • don’t use candles or smoke indoors
  • keep windows and doors closed
  • use an air filter in your home, if you have one
    • clean or replace filters according to manufacturer recommendations
    • make your own portable air cleaner, if you don’t have one (the EPA offers DIY information on how to do so)

Training from the EHC Program

The EHC Program invites child care professionals to participate in a short nano learning course on air quality.

About the EHC Program

The EHC Program is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded program under the Division of Environmental Health Epidemiology (DEHE) with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. EHC seeks to provide outreach and education on topics related to children’s environmental health.

About the Learning Course on Air Quality

The nano learning course should take a few minutes minutes to complete and provides an overview of what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) is, why it is important, and how it can be included in your classroom plans and activities.

After completing the training, please complete a survey to inform future outreach efforts to childcare providers. The survey is a total of four questions. If you have comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the EHC Program at dehe@pa.gov.

Access the Learning Course on Air Quality

Interested ECE educators can access the EHC Program learning course on air quality on YouTube.

Resources to Support the Course

Resources to support the learning course include:

Learn More

Visit www.airnow.gov to find the latest air quality levels and recommendations for your location.

To learn more, visit the Pennsylvania Key Tips or Pennsylvania Key Training webpages.

News

September 12, 2022

Summer P-EBT for PA Children Approved

The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) helps families cover the cost of breakfasts and lunches their children would have been eligible to receive for free or at reduced price through the National School Lunch Program funding for meals missed while being out of school during the pandemic. The money on these cards can be used for food only.

Once believed to be a short-term program, P-EBT has now transformed into a longer-term federal response to the national public health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summer P-EBT Benefits

Eligible families will receive a Summer P-EBT payment of $391 per child for June, July, and August months.

School-Age Children

Beginning September 12 and ending on September 23, 2022, the PA Department of Human Services (PA DHS) will issue Summer P-EBT to the following school year 2021-22 Pre-k-12 students who:

  • were already enrolled in their school’s Free or Reduced-Price Meals program; or
  • attended a school where all students are automatically enrolled in the Free Meals program through the “community eligibility provision” (CEP). (CEP allows public schools with many low-income families to enroll all its students in the free meals program. This should not be confused with the recent pandemic school meals fee waiver).; or
  • were enrolled in their school’s Free or Reduced-Price Meals program or in a CEP school but did virtual instruction through that school during the past year due to concerns about COVID-19; or
  • didn’t enroll in the Free or Reduced-Price Meals program until after May 2022 but before August 21, 2022. The Summer P-EBT benefit will begin to be issued to these students on October 11.

For Children Birth through Five

From October 20-21, 2022, PA DHS will issue the Summer P-EBT payment to families who were receiving SNAP benefits for their young child at any time in June, July, or August.

Benefits

Benefits will be issued on existing EBT or P-EBT cards. If your child never received P-EBT before, the state will automatically send them a new card or will try to deposit their benefits on your EBT card if you currently receive SNAP benefits for your child and the state can match your child’s info from their school to your SNAP account.

If you no longer have your child’s previous P-EBT card, you can request a new one through the state’s P-EBT Portal. If you no longer have your SNAP EBT card, you can request a replacement by calling 1-877-395-8930.

More Information

For more details, visit the PA Department of Human Services and the Just Harvest websites.

News

May 12, 2022

DHS to Offer P-EBT Benefits for 2021-22 School Year

The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) helps families cover the cost of breakfasts and lunches their children would have been eligible to receive for free or at reduced price through the National School Lunch Program funding for meals missed while being out of school during the pandemic. The money on these cards can be used for food only.

Once believed to be a short-term program, P-EBT has now transformed into a longer-term federal response to the national public health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About P-EBT Benefits

In April 2022, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture approved Pennsylvania’s plan to provide P-EBT benefits to students for the 2021-22 school year.

Beginning in mid to late June, eligible students will receive P-EBT benefits in several 10-day periods:

  • the first stage will provide benefits for eligible students for the months of September 2021 through November 2021

  • the second stage will provide benefits for eligible students for the months of December 2021-February 2022

  • the third stage will provide benefits for eligible students for the months of March through May 2022

  • the final stage will provide benefits for eligible students for the months of June through August of 2022

The amount of benefits received for each child for each stage will vary based on the individual student’s circumstances.

Benefits will be issued on existing EBT or P-EBT cards. Anyone who has not received P-EBT previously will get a card in the mail for each eligible child. The return address on the card’s envelope will be from Texas.

Eligibility

Children qualify for P-EBT if they receive meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and missed those meals because they were absent from the classroom due to COVID-19.

Children are eligible for NSLP if they have an approved free or reduced-price status from a household application, are directly certified by receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or certain Medical Assistance benefits through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), or are enrolled in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school. The PA Department of Human Services will work with schools to get the necessary information to determine which students are eligible.

For more details, visit the PA Department of Human Services website.

News

January 24, 2022

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Available

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is available to help Pennsylvania families who have overdue water bills or at risk of losing water service for their home.

About

LIHWAP is a new, temporary program established through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Water assistance is provided as a grant paid directly to service providers and does not need to be repaid.

LIHWAP can help households that are in emergency situations maintain essential water access. Crisis situations include:

  • Past-due water bills;

  • Termination of water service; or,

  • Threat of termination of water service in the next 60 days.

Apply

Applicants can be renters or home owners and they do not need to be on public assistance; however, they do need to have an unpaid water bill to qualify.

Eligibility and income requirements are available on the PA Department of Human Services website. The application is available online on the COMPASS website.

News

December 7, 2019

PA DHS Releases 2019-2022 Strategic Plan

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) released its 2019-2022 Strategic Plan outlining methods to assist Pennsylvanians in achieving “safe, healthy, and productive lives while being an accountable steward of commonwealth resources.”

About

In an opening message from PA DHS Secretary Teresa Miller, Miller highlights the core values and mission of PA DHS, stating:

“We strive every day to make sure…that every Pennsylvanian can be secure in the knowledge that they have somewhere to turn on that nearly inevitable day when they find themselves or a friend or family member struggling, perhaps with a physical or intellectual disability, addiction, cancer, abuse, mental illness, or any number of circumstances. DHS exists to protect and advocate for some of our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and we are steadfastly committed to that work.”

With this, the plan highlights DHS’ Strategic Priorities to continue improving and streamlining its programs to fulfill its mission to “assist Pennsylvanians in achieving safe, healthy, and productive lives” and protect Pennsylvanians under the care of licensed providers.

DHS Strategic Priorities

The PA DHS Strategic Plan priorities include:

    • providing every child with a strong foundation for physical and behavioral well-being;
    • bending the health cost curve;
    • enhancing access to health care and services that help Pennsylvanians lead healthy, productive lives;
    • promoting accountable and transparent government.

More Information

For more information on DHS’ 2019-2022 Priorities, read the full Strategic Plan. To learn more about Trying Together, visit our Home page.

News

July 5, 2019

General Assistance Program Ending August 1, 2019

As required by Act 12 of 2019, which amended 62 P.S. § 403.2(a), the General Assistance program will end on August 1, 2019. No General Assistance cash assistance will be dispersed after July 31, 2019.

Additional Benefits Information

Current General Assistance recipients were notified of this change via mail. If they are currently receiving other benefits like Medical Assistance or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), those benefits will continue. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will notify clients before making changes to other benefits for any reason.

This change will likely result in an additional need for resources from charitable and social service organizations around the commonwealth. DHS is working closely with their partners to identify potential resources for people affected by this change.

Receiving Benefits

If you, someone you know, or someone you work with currently receives or thinks they qualify for General Assistance, they may qualify for other benefits. Individuals can contact their local County Assistance Office or apply online via COMPASS at www.compass.state.pa.us.

More Information

For more information, contact the DHS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462.

TDD Services are available at 1-800-451-5886.

*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services