Children First is releasing five reports on the children in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, titled, “A Decade of Stalled Progress.“ Click the images below to download a copy of the report.

Bucks County	Chester County	Delaware County	Montgomery County	Philadelphia
Release date: February 28, 2025		Release date: February 21, 2025		Release date: February 25, 2025

A Decade of Stalled Progress

Looking back over the past decade, it’s clear that lawmakers have not done enough to move the needle forward for children and teens in southeastern PA. Pre-COVID, families were starting to gain more financial security, but inflation and the repeal of pandemic-related government assistance have actually caused families to loose economic ground.

Families continue to struggle to afford child care, with regional rates 25% – 35% higher than the state averages. Even families who can afford it or who qualify for subsidies can’t find openings because the child care workforce is dwindling thanks to poverty-level wages.

Because of generations of underfunding our public schools, students are still attending schools that aren’t able to deliver the best education. Students’ reading and math proficiency continue to fall while lawmakers drag their feet on fully funding our schools, so another generation of PA children are deprived the quality education that would set them up for career and life.

Around 147,000 PA children and teens don’t have health insurance and young children continue to be poisoned by lingering lead paint hazards; both present immediate and long-term health risks. On average, 30% of southeastern PA children and teens report feeling depressed or sad most days of their lives and there are not enough mental health supports in place to help them.

Bright Spots

While the reports show the negative impact of poor public policy on health and education, proactive public policy reforms in the child welfare and juvenile justice areas have delivered notable improvements. Instead of a knee-jerk response to remove children at risk from their homes, the county child welfare systems are giving many families tools and resources to resolve problems. Being able to keep children safely with their families is long proven to be beneficial for everyone.

The county juvenile justice systems are locking up fewer children, instead diverting them to other programs that can keep them out of the court system. Community-based and diversion programs give many kids tanglible ways to make amends to the people they hurt, learn how to navigate problems and their emotions, and ultimately make communities safer while saving tax-payer dollars.

Recommendations

Each report offers recommendations for state and county goverment, and school districts to support PA children and teens being healthy, well-educated, productive, and happy.  We invite you to read them and then reach out to your elected leaders and urge them to act.