Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition

ACTION NEEDED: As of 9/30/23, states started facing a steep drop-off in federal child care investment that is key to our infrastructure for people with young children to work. The Century Foundation projects that "[m]ore than three million children are projected to lose access to child care nationwide. Seventy thousand million child care programs are likely to close. This will have ripple effects for parents forced out of work or to cut their work hours, for businesses who will lose valuable employees or experience the impact of their employees' child care disruptions, and state economies that will lose tax revenue and jobs in the child care sector as a result." Contact your member of Congress and US Senators urging them to "act quickly to protect children, families, and communities from the higher costs, reduced earnings, and productivity loss that will come with going over the child care cliff." Let us know when you have and if you get any response. Below is a link to a factsheet.

tcf-ccs-map.netlify.app

The Violence Against Women's Act turns 29.

The Violence Against Women Act Turns 29. There’s More Work to Do. - Ms. Magazine In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), to stop domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

The Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition joins with NCJW, LWVBC, AAUW and other Coalition Partners in mourning the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein, a true trailblazer and tireless advocate for justice for women, children, and families. Her unwavering commitment to reducing gun violence, exemplified by the historic assault weapons ban, has saved countless lives. From her days as Mayor of San Francisco to her influential role in the Senate, she shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for women in positions of power. Her dedication to fair and independent judges, championing the Violence Against Women Act, and advocating for religious minorities showcased her profound dedication to equality and human rights. Senator Feinstein was a remarkable leader who made our world a better place. Rest in Peace.

Mifepristone: Where Things Stand in the Legal Battle Over Medication Abortion | League of Women Voters Mifepristone, a drug commonly used for medication abortion, is under attack in the federal courts. At stake are the rights of women and people who can become pregnant to access one of the most common, effective, and safest forms of abortion. Read on to learn where the case challenging FDA approval o...

"Su***de is the second leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24 in the United States, and su***de rates for 15- to 19-year olds have jumped by 29 percent in the past 10 years." As a society and as parents, we must do better to protect our children. We can begin by passing red-flag laws and safe storage laws.

Teenage boys' su***de rate is skyrocketing because of fi****ms access Experts point to a mix of guns and stigma around masculinity and mental health.

BCWAC had been arguing this for a long time and now there is more data.

New research shows that statewide paid leave programs not only benefit employees, but they also give a leg up to employers in the states with existing laws.

On September 29, join Children First PA, key state legislators and business leaders to hear how stakeholders can work together to create a statewide paid leave program that would address workforce challenges and make Pennsylvania more economically competitive. Register now at bit.ly/3RsQxT7.

Now is the time to apply for your mail in ballot and research candidates for the Nov municipal election. The nonpartisan VOTE411.org can help with the process and the Pennsylvania link below. Please share.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration just announced that registering to Vote will be integrated within the DMV process! Starting today you can now easily register at your local PennDot Using their new secure format! Read more below.

https://www.palwv.org/news/pa-announces-automatic-voter-registration

Important voting information....

If you have a disability that prevents you from delivering your mail ballot, you may designate an agent to return it for you to your county election office, a drop box location, or any other officially designated drop-off location. Learn more: vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Accessible-Voting.aspx

"Worldwide, 27% of all women experience physical or sexual intimate partner violence over their lifetimes. In the United States the figure may be as high as 41%. And even those statistics are surely underestimates—perhaps substantially so—given how dramatically underreported domestic violence is around the world.
With a problem so pervasive and damaging, we need to do everything we can to aid domestic violence survivors, and our new research shows that we are missing key opportunities."

Making the invisible epidemic visible | Brookings A recent Chicago study identifies domestic violence under-reporting and missed opportunities to connect domestic violence survivors to services.

Paid family leave is important for parents, but it also impacts their children. Without for new parents, a newborn or newly-adopted child loses out on the valuable initial bonding period with their new parents.

Learn more and join us at FamilyCareAct.com.

Knowing history helps to understand the present better....

A history of the federal minimum wage: 85 years later, the minimum wage is far from equitable The minimum wage is a New Deal era policy established initially through the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). The original bill set a wage floor, instituted a 44-hour work week, and protected children from prematurely entering the workforce. Since its inception, the FLSA has been amended mult...

Another part of Bidononomics helps people struggling with student loans. What is the SAVE Plan? "If you have a federal loan and are concerned about affording your payments, find out whether you qualify for the SAVE plan. And do it now.
You can sign up at studentaid.gov/SAVE. The Education Department is hosting a free webinar on Sept. 14 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Go to Eventbrite.com and search for “Repayment 101: Get Help with Your Federal Student Loans.”
SAVE replaces the Revised Pay As You Earn, or REPAYE income driven plan. Borrowers who were on the REPAYE plan will be automatically enrolled in SAVE.
Interest capitalization on student loans has haunted borrowers for decades. SAVE can spare them of this one grief."

Advice | Why Biden’s new SAVE student loan income-driven plan is a game changer Interest capitalization has haunted student loan borrowers for decades, causing balances to balloon. That could change with a new income-driven repayment plan.

An excellent factual summary of the many years of advocacy it took to finally address the out of control rise in prescription drug prices and against this argument we ran up against time and time again: "Republicans sided with the drug company executives who insisted that high prices were necessary to create an incentive for drug companies to innovate, as their investment in research and development depends on the revenue they expect from new drugs. But the committee’s report said their investigation concluded that “sky-high drug prices are not justified by the need to innovate. The largest drug companies spend more on payouts for investors and executives than on research and development. And many blockbuster drugs rely on scientific discoveries from research funded by taxpayers, while drug companies’ R&D spending often focuses on minor changes to extend patent protection and block lower-priced competitors.” Bidenomics is working!

Pay attention to the candidates for the PA Supreme Court race this election. This is really important and has a wider impact than PA.

The next big abortion battleground: Pennsylvania Once-sleepy state Supreme Court races hit a new nerve in a post-Roe world.

AWP's BRAVING and Becoming U programs, psychoeducational groups for those post-crisis and healing from trauma, are coming back this Fall. These groups are focused on trauma recovery, emotional wellness, self-care, and healthy relationships. Anyone interested should speak to their AWP counselor or advocate for more information.
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Pass this information on….

Free Pre-K education - spread the word! Enrollment now open for Pre-K slots in Bucks County Friends, We have exciting news about early education opportunities in Bucks County – and we need your help sharing it! Have you heard of our Pre-K C

Hymn For The Hurting by Amanda Gorman
Everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed and strange,
Minds made muddied and mute.
We carry tragedy, terrifying and true.
And yet none of it is new;
We knew it as home,
As horror,
As heritage.
Even our children
Cannot be children,
Cannot be.
Everything hurts.
It’s a hard time to be alive,
And even harder to stay that way.
We’re burdened to live out these days,
While at the same time, blessed to outlive them.
This alarm is how we know
We must be altered —
That we must differ or die,
That we must triumph or try.
Thus while hate cannot be terminated,
It can be transformed
Into a love that lets us live.
May we not just grieve, but give:
May we not just ache, but act;
May our signed right to bear arms
Never blind our sight from shared harm;
May we choose our children over chaos.
May another innocent never be lost.
Maybe everything hurts,
Our hearts shadowed & strange.
But only when everything hurts
May everything change.
Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History https://amzn.to/3NS4LK1

The 19th Amendment….use it

"A new report sheds light on a dramatic increase in serious complications for moms giving birth and how the risks of complications are significantly greater for poor women and Black women. The study by the Pennsylvania Health Cost Containment Council found that from 2016 to 2022, the number of women who had maternal morbidities increased 40%. Severe maternal morbidity includes unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term consequences to a woman's health. The rate of maternal morbidities among new moms increased from 75.2 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations in 2016 to 105.2 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations in 2022. The rate actually peaked in 2021 when it hit 110 before dropping last year. The increase in severe maternal morbidity rate during this time was largest for Black, non-Hispanic patients: jumping 51% from 127.1 in 2016 to 191.5 in 2022. And the rate of severe maternal morbidities in poor ZIP codes was double the rate in wealthy ZIP codes. The disparities based on the comparative poverty and wealth of the new moms' communities of residence widened -from a 37.9 point gap (the rate was 101.9 per 10,000 in poor ZIP codes and 64 per 10,000 in wealthy ZIP codes) in 2016 to a 73.9 point gap (the rate was 163.6 per 10,000 in poor ZIP codes and 89.7 per 10,000 in wealthy ZIP codes) in 2022."

www.phc4.org

Passing the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 would be a huge boost for our 1st Congressional District. Let Congressman Fitzpatrick know. It hasn't been raised in 14 yrs and it is time.

The impact of the Raise the Wage Act of 2023, by congressional district What does the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 do? The federal minimum hourly wage is just $7.25 and has not increased in 14 years, the longest period of congressional inaction in the history of the minimum wage. As a result, the real, cost-of-living-adjusted value of the minimum wage has fallen by 30%. T...

From generation to generation, women are the embodiment of leadership, courage, and change! 💪🏾

This Saturday is , a day set aside to remember when the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote in this country.

The struggle for women's rights and equality has advanced significantly throughout history, but more has to be done. In the fight for voting rights and many other causes, women continue to take the lead.

Important fights over voting rights, reproductive rights, affordable housing, and other issues will take place during the 2024 elections. 🗳️

Your vote is your voice. Voting is a fundamental right. Prepare yourself to vote in 2024!

Artwork by Tina Duryea

An important reminder....

Autumn 2023 approaching and time to think about health prevention shots. A new one added this year for some age groups...

Three Shots for Fall: What You Need to Know Here’s what we know about who should get the flu, Covid and R.S.V. vaccines, and when.

"While the value of connecting domestic violence survivors to services will only be as useful as the services are available and effective, we highlight system failures at an earlier step—determining who needs help in the first place. This is why the city of Chicago, in its new strategic plan to address gender-based violence, has joined institutions like the World Health Organization in pushing to strengthen data collection across sectors and expand where we can connect survivors to services, including in the health care system." Contact A Woman's Place in Bucks County for victims of domestic violence to get help.

Making the invisible epidemic visible | Brookings A recent Chicago study identifies domestic violence under-reporting and missed opportunities to connect domestic violence survivors to services.