Family Advocacy: How Holistic Family Defense Helps Children Thrive
The conversation about child welfare is changing, both locally and nationally. While over 440,000 children are in foster care on any given…
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Don’t Let USDA Take Food Away from 3.1 Million Americans – Including over 100,000 Pennsylvanians.
Families Should Be Able to Take a Raise, Work More Hours, or Save for a Rainy Day Without Risking Losing their…
CLS Files Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutional General Assistance Cuts
This afternoon, Community Legal Services (CLS) and Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of almost 12,000 low-income…
CLS BLOG: Automated Sealing in Action
Mr. Amos has a criminal record. Even though the charges against him were dismissed, they still remained on his record…
Clean Slate: Changing Lives by Sealing Criminal Records
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Youth Justice Project
Philadelphia’s youth experience high rates of poverty, unemployment, and negative physical and mental health outcomes, including high rates of depression…
Youth Justice: Ensuring Vulnerable Youth Successfully Transition Into Adulthood and out of Poverty
Billie Washington was struggling to make ends meet. A former home care attendant, she was no longer able to work…
Saving Your Home and Water Service Through TAP
A recent Pew Charitable Trusts article highlighted a growing problem across the country – overdue water bills causing the loss of a…
Philadelphia Shows Steady Progress Collecting Property Taxes While Also Helping Homeowners
Philadelphia’s tax one-year non-collection rate hit a low of 3.9% in 2017, according to a report out in February from…
Get Ready, Get Set: PA Prepares for Clean Slate Implementation
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Spring is Coming: Here’s How to Keep Your Utilities On
Each year, residential Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) and PECO customers are protected from utility shut offs by the winter moratorium.…
Clean Slate Record Clearing: A Policy Tailored for the Digital Age
Clearing a criminal record can change the course of a person’s life. Every year, one thousand low-income individuals come to…
Oppose the Presidential Administration’s Proposal to Take Food Away from 755,000 People
The Presidential Administration’s proposal would take food away from 755,000 people, including 90,000 Pennsylvanians.
“Harnessing Technology” Conference Launches National Clean Slate Campaign
In 2018, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania signed the Clean Slate Act. With its signing, Pennsylvania became the first state
Getting ICE out of the Courts
Have you seen ICE at the Courthouse? Have you been intimidated by ICE at the courthouse or witnessed someone being…
Trauma Histories and the Impact on Parents Involved with DHS
We often talk about the various kinds of traumas experienced by children in the child welfare system –the traumas that…
