  It’s hard to decide what’s cuter, a kitten or a kid. Kittens account for the most looked at content on the Internet. They leave dogs in the dust. The average BuzzFeed feline story gets almost 9,000 viral views compared with 5,000 for canines.
More stunning – there are about 3.8 million feline photos and clips shared everyday compared to only 1.4 million selfies.
 In Philadelphia, the feline Internet sensation is improving the life chances of kittens!
According to a Philadelphia Animal Rescue organization, the percent of kittens adopted jumped by 42% the last three years.
The good news is that kittens’ and cats’ lives are improving but the lives of our children and youth are not faring quite as well.
 More than 60,000 children in our region live in families that squeeze by with just $10,000 or less a year while the cost of rent, food, heating and electricity, and transportation continue to rise.
Most children can’t get access to affordable Pre-K because state and federal funds cover only one-in-six children in spite of the legions of research that show early education programs pave the way for a lifetime of success for most children.
Schools across the region lost more than $300 million in state funding and as a result student performance has plummeted.
These staggering facts tell us that we need to do more to improve the life chances of kids.
Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) is the only organization in the Greater Philadelphia region that gets the attention of elected officials and decision makers in ways that cause them to respond to the needs of children from health care to nutrition, from early care to high school graduation. When we speak, we get results. Here’s what some of the most respected state and local leaders say about PCCY:
“PCCY was everywhere. They were in meetings with legislators. They filled the halls with advocates and they were integral to leading a very smart grassroots push to get the state and city to fund schools statewide and particularly pushing for creative solutions to Philadelphia’s school funding crisis.” Who said it: Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee Minority Chair, Senator Vincent Hughes.
“Pennsylvania citizens are fortunate to have groups like PCCY fighting for their children because there is no such thing as an accident-proof child.” Who said it: PA Lt. Governor-Elect Mike Stack.
Just as the wonderful organizations that do so much to help kitties and puppies, let’s pledge this year to make even more progress for children.
Your support to PCCY will help make that happen.
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