1979 –
A Citizens’ Committee publishes a study of services to children and youth in Philadelphia. The study – the first of its kind to be conducted in 16 years – documents that “while large sums of taxpayer’s money are spent…the needs of children are not being met effectively,” that available services are “fragmented and disjointed,” and that “these unmet needs threaten the quality of life for all Philadelphia citizens.” The study further found that public and political response these problems “has been weak.”
1980 –
In response to the emerging need for a “watchdog” committee to monitor public services to children and after raising funds from local foundations and the United Way and drafting organizational by-laws, the Citizens Committee created a new agency – Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth. PCCY was envisioned as a group of interested volunteers and professionals working to “speak on behalf of children’s interests and needs, and to increase the effectiveness of all service systems affecting the lives of children in Philadelphia.” Civic leader and child advocate Lucy Sayre became PCCY’s first President.
1981 –
Beth McDaid joins PCCY as executive director bringing broad public sector social service experience at the Dept. of Health and Human Services and its predecessor, the Dept of Health Education and Welfare. Beth replaces PCCY’s first Executive Director Jeff Ball, who departs for a new career as a Suburban Homesteader and consultant on backyard food production, energy conservation and resource recycling. PCCY’s newsletter the “Children and Youth Docket” tracks the impact of federal budget cuts to human services by the Reagan Administration, warning that ‘Well over 40,000 children and youth in Philadelphia will lose service or have services drastically reduced…” The cuts include reductions in the food Stamp program, the school lunch program and others. “Philadelphia will lose $8.4 to $11.8 million in Medicaid funds,” the Docket stated. “Approximately 30 percent of those funds go for services to children and youth.” Subsequent newsletters analyzed the “trickle down” impact of federal cuts on programs and services for children at the state and city level.
1982 –
PCCY creates a Task Force on Public Issues, as a first step to developing a broad-based citizen coalition to work to strengthen publicly mandated services to children. A month later – the Task Force on Public Issues has prepared testimony on the Philadelphia County Children and Youth Agency budget to be presented to city Council… By the end of the year, PCCY also creates an Education Task Force, chaired by Richard H. de Lone, and charged with “examining the effectiveness and degree of cooperation between the School District and other public agencies that serve children and youth.” The Education Task Force makes a commitment to work in coalition with existing citizen organizations concerned with education, including the Philadelphia Home and School Council, Parents Union for Public Schools, the Citizens Committee on Public Education in Philadelphia and Council for Education Priorities, a coalition of 17 member organizations.
1983 –
PCCY publishes its first research report, “The Status of Children and Youth: 1980 Census Data and Related Data.” The report contains basic facts and characteristics relating to children youth and families in Philadelphia and purposely draws no conclusions from the data. Rather, citizens are encouraged to raise questions and take action to address the needs of the city’s children… Christie “Cricket” Hastings, becomes PCCY’s Second President… PCCY creates a Network for Children, to build a broad-based citizen group which can take action individually or collectively, to positively affect services for children and youth in the city. Membership in the Network is $12.00 per year, and members will receive the Docket newsletter and other special alerts from PCCY... PCCY also joined a city-wide Child Abuse Prevention Campaign, and took on the task of coordinating dozens of community education sessions on child abuse prevention around the city. Community education was understood as “the principal means of prevention [of child abuse] by stimulating people to improve their parenting techniques” … At PCCY’s annual conference, Nancy Amidei of the Food Research and Action Center in Washington (a conference co-sponsor) spoke about the consequences of two years’ worth of federal budget cuts on children and families. A study by her organization showed that “3.2 million fewer children were participating in the school lunch and breakfast program, and that some 2,700 schools no loner serve lunch at all…” Amidei offered startling observations based on her travels across the U.S., among them: “increased evidence of malnourished children - more children being offered for temporary placement in foster care by their parents - children who are sick because their infant formula has been diluted to make it last longer - death rates for minority babies that are two to three times those of white babies…”
1984 –
PCCY Education Task Force issues report and recommendations to better serve “at risk” children with multiple physical, mental health or family difficulties so that they can succeed in school. The report found that 40 percent of children in Philadelphia public schools are poor, and are likely to be affected by gaps in service or duplication of programs, resulting from lack of coordination and inefficiency of various systems that are supposed to help. The report found a “serious failure of policy and management that seems to result not from malfeasance, but from a complex and fragmented structure of responsibilities for children, a structure that no one has deliberately created - but one with limited accountability that does not serve children well.” The report concludes that coordinating services and funding streams could in a short time better serve Philadelphia’s children – without greater cost… PCCY and the Junior League of Philadelphia publish a Child Watch survey, to identify the effect of federal cutbacks on children’s services, and to try to identify unmet needs. They document that the number of individuals receiving AFDC has declined since October 1980, although the number of people living in poverty has increased; that preventive and protective services for children have been reduced and eliminated; that lack of prenatal and care and malnutrition are contributing to the city’s high infant mortality rate… Meanwhile, the City’s child welfare budget is cut AGAIN.
1985 –
PCCY’s newsletter “The Docket” reports on plans to replace the Youth Study Center with a large 126-bed facility. Though the city plans to build a 126-bed facility for $30 million by 1988 – PCCY urges a more deliberative approach, and calls for consideration of a community-based placements and intensive probation for delinquent youth, and a smaller, secure facility for serious juvenile offenders… PCCY issues a report, “The Delivery and Coordination of Child Sexual Abuse services in the City of Philadelphia.” Recommendations call for a system of coordination, under the authority of the Philadelphia County Children and Youth Agency, “to prevent overlap duplication and oversimplification.”… An initiative to improve educational and social services to Hispanic children is launched through PCCY’s Committee on the Unmet Needs of Hispanic Children.
1986 –
Shelly Yanoff joins PCCY as Executive Director, and John Riggan begins his first term as President. Noting statistics that indicate that some 41,000 children in Philadelphia are in fair to poor health and 17,000 have no regular source of health care, PCCY announces plans to expand its work and advocacy on child health issues, with a focus on ages 0 to 5.
1987 –
PCCY launches a public campaign to encourage utilization of a preventive health program by children eligible for Medicaid. Responding to a lack of outreach efforts to enroll kids in the Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program, PCCY led an effort to place volunteers in selected schools to help parents register their children…PCCY testified before City Council and urges Mayor Goode to establish teen clinics to provide comprehensive care for adolescents, to combat teen pregnancy and infant mortality. The August, 1987 Docket announced: “The Mayor and City Council have provided funds to develop two teen health clinics!! We have been told that were the only outside group to advocate for teen clinics. We are glad that we were heard…”
1988 –
PCCY hosts a Conference on Homeless Children, one of the first-ever such meetings in the nation. Featured speaker is Jonathan Kozol, author of “Rachel and her Children: Homeless Families in America.”… More than 400 individuals gathered to discuss the needs of these children; as a follow-up, volunteers were organized to read and direct creative play for young children living in shelters… PCCY and the School District of Philadelphia co-sponsor a conference on lead poisoning, sparking efforts to reduce lead exposure in the public schools.
1989 –
Mellon Bank honors PCCY founder Lucy Sayre, by presenting her with the Good Neighbor Award – and PCCY with $10,000 to being a foster care study… Meanwhile – an alarming trend emerges: an explosion in cocaine use in the city and nation, with a devastating effect on women and children. More than 16 percent of babies born in Philadelphia are to women who used crack cocaine during pregnancy. PCCY creates a Cocaine Babies Committee, to disseminate information to those who work and are concerned about cocaine-exposed mothers and infants.
1990 –
PCCY celebrates its 10th birthday, on May 20th, with a gala celebration at the Future Center of the Franklin Institute… PCCY and the Philadelphia Daily News launch Childwatch - a feature containing a fact about children and youth in the city, state or nation, published weekly on the paper’s editorial page. The one time newspaper article becomes the new title of PCCY’s newsletter replacing “The Docket.” PCCY’s Courtwatch Newsletter list grows to over 3,000 concerned individuals, citizen groups, businesses and foundations… Reacting to the inability of counties to adequately fund child welfare services, PCCY organized a march on Harrisburg, initiated a lawsuit and testified at lots of hearings. The result: a new state formula for child welfare funding so that more money would come from the Commonwealth, taking pressure off of local counties.
1991 –
PCCY launched a Community Health Watch, joining with community groups in the Germantown and Belfield neighborhoods to help families get insurance for their children. PCCY trained the organizations to conduct outreach to their neighbors and provide assistance in finding health coverage for kids. When they encountered problems – PCCY backed them up… PCCY issues a report “Too Many of Our Children are Targeted for Violence” focusing on the prevalence of violence and its impact on children in Philadelphia. Recommendations include parenting skills programs to reduce aggressive behavior among families and decrease child abuse; therapy for children who have witnessed or experiences violence; a ban on automatic weapons and strict licensing on all other weapons…Don Schwarz becomes President of PCCY.
1992 –
PCCY becomes a United Way Member agency… “Our Village, Our Children” report is issued that examines the status of our children and describes some of the services available to help them and their families… PCCY works with community groups across the city to get the 79 public swimming pools open on time – a petition drive was organized, volunteers recruited and publicity about part-time summer jobs at the pools was all part of the program… PCCY attends it’s first March on Washington with the Children’s Defense Fund in support of a “Healthy Start” for kids… PCCY conducts its first Teddy Bear Clinic where children – and their teddy bears – got a free checkup from the Doctors of Children’s Hospital and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.
1993 –
PCCY launches the Children and Youth Program Development Project to provide recreational and cultural, after-school and summer activities for Philadelphia kids… The effort grows out of documented gaps in recreational, educational and care programs for children. At the time, child care is available to fewer than 28,000 children of 262,000 under age 12 in the city and each day 50,000 children return to empty homes after school. Twelve percent of five-year-olds in the city are wait-listed for kindergarten.
1994 –
PCCY releases it’s “Wall of Shame” a list of legislators that voted against children, against cities, against home rule and against life… PCCY releases three reports in one year on: “How to Adopt a Child,” “Report Card on City Schools,” and “Children with Special Needs.” PCCY becomes a co-sponsor of the National Observance of Children’s Sabbaths. Jose Rivera-Urrutia, becomes President of PCCY.
1995 –
PCCY launches a new initiative called, “The Campaign for Kids” in response to the climbing number of children left home alone after school. The Campaign “is about confronting the critical gap of after school programming and activating lots of people to make a different for kids in their neighborhoods.” The Campaign seeks to create new and expanding existing after-school programs across the city. The initiative is overwhelmingly successful with new or expanded after school programs taking place in community centers, church basements, private buildings and in some schools… PCCY published the first edition of “The Bottom Line is Children” a report on the state of children in Philadelphia and the services they receive.
1996 –
PCCY is a regional leader in the Children’s Defense Fund’s national “Stand for Children” campaign. Eight months of planning results in PCCY organizing 120 community groups, along with the School District of Philadelphia, to take over 20,000 people to Washington DC – the 4th largest contingent of people in attendance that day.
1997 –
PCCY and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (its counter part in Harrisburg) issue a joint report on how the State budget will affect children and families and the services they receive… PCCY develops the “I Can Do That” palm card – thousands of copies are made and distributed across the city letting people know what they can do for kids in one minute or five minutes… PCCY begins a partnership with the United Way of Southeastern PA on a program called “Child Care Matters” to make sure that children have high quality, affordable child care programs available to everyone. M. Pat West becomes President of PCCY.
1998 –
PCCY is a major partner in the Pennsylvania Campaign for Public Education, demanding that “Governor Ridge and the PA General Assembly provide sufficient state funding for our schools so that every school district can provide high quality education for all PA students regardless of where they live in the state… PCCY teams up with the Philadelphia Recreation Department on their “Summer Play Streets” program – PCCY arranges for free lunches in various neighborhoods across the city and distributes books and non-violent games to children on the Play Streets.
1999 –
PCCY holds a major conference called “Building an Agenda for Children” with child advocates from San Francisco and New York City joining former Mayor of Philadelphia Wilson Goode and DHS Commissioner Joan Reeves on the panel to discuss new strategies for child advocates... PCCY receives the “Great Friend to Kids Award” from the Please Touch Museum for our grassroots efforts to enroll more children in Medicaid and CHIP.
2000 –
PCCY announces the “Give Back the Give Back” campaign in which we asked people to donate their one time federal tax rebate checks to Public Schools and education for children – like the lawmakers should have done... PCCY starts the Millennium Club for donors of $1000 or more... PCCY joins the digital age and creates its first website and allowing staff to have their own email addresses… Allener (Sissy) Rogers becomes President of PCCY.
2001 –
PCCY holds its first of several community forums. The Kids Affairs Council of Greater Philadelphia was designed to be “a series of important forums and conversations about children and families.” The first forum would be on School Readiness… Our work on public education issues continued with PCCY asking members of the National Association of Child Advocates to create a “Give Back the Give Back” campaign in their own states.
2002 –
PCCY announces one of its most ambitious plans to date. With the number of schools without art and music programs increasing by the year, PCCY hoped to stem the tide by creating “The Picasso Project” and bring the arts back to Philadelphia’s Public Schools. Schools would submit proposals to PCCY for special project ideas and PCCY would issue them a “grant” for the expenses from funds we raised through individuals, corporations and foundations... Two more community forums are held – one on Juvenile Justice and one on City and State Budgets… M. Pat West takes over once again as PCCY President.
2003 –
PCCY launches the “1% More for Kids” campaign – where we asked all of the mayoral candidates to commit to an additional 1% of the City’s budget ($35 million dollars) to programming for children and families. PCCY got endorsements from over 6,000 citizens and nearly 100 organizations from across the city. A secondary part of the campaign was finding out where kids wanted the money spent. By using a ballot designed by PCCY, children would choose from a whole list of options including repairing/improving playgrounds or have a SEPTA youth Pass or create new recreational opportunities. The campaign was an over whelming success with both candidates agreeing to the 1% proposal... PCCY would celebrate its 21st Anniversary with a reception at the Moore College of Art that included art work being auctioned off from children in local area elementary and middle schools... PCCY’s “Kids Affairs Council” morphs into the “Forging The Future Forum Series” under the direction of our first Communications Officer – PCCY will hold 2 to 4 forums a year on issues relating to children and youth… Allener Rogers takes over once again as PCCY President.
2004 –
PCCY begins its monthly television discussion on PSTV (Public School Television). The “Education Roundtable” features PCCY Executive Director Shelly Yanoff with several panelists in an unscripted discussion of education issues with journalists and other informed observers… PCCY leads the “Snoweflake Campaign” in support of the Snowe Amendment (Olympia Snow, D-Pa) for increases in Child Care Funding. Thousands of snowflakes made by children in child care centers are sent to legislators… PCCY holds four forums – one on “Violence” on one “Zero Tolerance Policy in Schools,” one on the “Struggle of Working Families” and one via satellite from California with MoveOn.Org on “Citizens for Civic Action”… Shelly Yanoff is tapped by Governor Ed Rendell to chair the statewide Governors Cabinet on Children and Families… PCCY receives the Voices For America’s Children – Florette Angel Award – for outstanding advocacy on behalf of children and families… The Picasso Project grants 14 school a total of $40,000 for special art and music programs… Fasaha Traylor becomes President of PCCY.
2005 –
PCCY redesigns itself. A major makeover of PCCY’s logo and branding took place with a new logo, new newsletter design and letterhead and new look to the website… PCCY helps to create one of the first “peace” schools in the country. The Parkway Northwest High School for Peace and Social Justice has the standard curriculum of the School District but includes new programs like problem solving, conflict resolution and peer mediation and seminars on globals issues in the context of peace… Citizens and community groups are encouraged to tell us “What Every School Should Have” by visiting their local schools with a survey that PCCY developed to determine the school environment (building conditions, learning conditions etc). The survey became the basis of a report called “What Every School Should Have” that included a list of our recommendations for improvements… PCCY also releases a report called “Preschool in School” on the early education system in Philadelphia…
2006 –
PCCY kicks off its 25th Anniversary Year with a picnic at Smith Memorial Playground in Fairmount Park... PCCY starts to expand its work to include the surround counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery)… PCCY holds a forum with the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities on how the federal budget will affect children and families… PCCY publishes a report on “Out of School Youth” explaining that thousands of children leave school each year without graduating. PCCY was investigated the problem and was charged with developing potential solution. As a follow-up, PCCY participates in a collaborative project called Project U-Turn, “Guiding Dropouts Back to School”… PCCY is honored at a Conference on Lead in Savannah Georgia for its efforts to reduce the number of children poisoned by lead in their own homes (Philadelphia showed a dramatic decrease in the number of children with elevated levels of lead in their blood)… PCCY organizes the “Give Kids A Smile Day” with dentists across the city opening their doors for free dental screenings for un/under insured children. PCCY received over 1,000 phone calls in a two day period from parents wanting to participate in the program… PCCY draws attention to Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Kids” program of making Pennsylvania one of the only states to guarantee basic health coverage for children under 18… Two forums are held – one on “Preparing Children for College, Work and Life” and the other on “Solutions to Violence”… PCCY begins work on creating a Youth Commission that would advise the mayor on issues and policies that affect kids… PCCY does a book drive to supply books to the Youth Study Center and the Juvenile Detention Facility in the Northeast.
2007 –
PCCY concludes its 25th Anniversary Celebration with a Gala evening in the Crystal Tearoom of the Wanamaker Building. The nearly 300 people in attendance were treated to dinner and entertainment provided by local school groups from across the city… Another major change took place for PCCY as they change the name of the organization to “Public Citizens for Children and Youth” to better reflect our more regional focus and our work in the surrounding counties... PCCY holds a “Candidates and Kids Mayoral Forum” where kids got to ask the questions during a moderated discussion… PCCY continues its watch on the Federal, State and City budgets and how they will affect children and families… The Picasso Project grants six schools a total of $20,000 for special art and music projects… The Peace School continues its third year of operations… The Youth Commission is officially adopted by the voters of the city and will begin its work in January, 2008... Following up on our successful “Give Kids a Smile” days, PCCY publishes an Oral Health Resource Guide with a directory of dentists across the city – listing the insurances they accept. PCCY begins to focus more efforts on Child Care (and the long waiting lists for subsidized care) and Pre-K and Early Education… PCCY begins work on the 2008 version of “The Bottom Line is Children” which will include information about Philadelphia and the four surrounding counties… James Martin becomes PCCY President.
2008 –
PCCY began the year by working on the expansion of the SCHIP program throughout the state and seeing one of our former Presidents become Health Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia… With much anticipation, PCCY released our Bottom Line is Children report on the status of children and the services they receive in our region… The 2008 Super Party was a great success honoring Sara Nerken and Judy Borie who stepped down as co-chairs of the event after 10 years… Give Kids a Smile day was a huge success with 725 children receiving free dental care… PCCY published behavioral health guides for Delaware and Bucks Counties so that children and teens know where to go for help and published reports on Lead, Vision Care, Behavioral Health Care, Child Care issues of Teen Parents and the third edition of a Getting Healthcare for Children and Teens manual for school nurses and counselors in Southeastern Pennsylvania… After more than two years of work, PCCY saw Philadelphia’s first Youth Commission sworn in to advise the Mayor on issues affecting the lives of young people in the city… PCCY began work on bringing Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) into the Philadelphia Public Schools and continued our work on high school dropout prevention… PCCY was honored by the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners and by GlaxoSmithKline for our Child Healthwatch Helpline work… Our Picasso Project continued with nine schools receiving grants totaling $45,000 to bring art and or music programs to their school… PCCY and our allies remained in the forefront of efforts to inform elected officials about the quality early care needs of young children and the need to decrease the growing child care subsidies waiting list.
