Marriage and Family

Checking Back in With Amy Wilt of Dauphin County Doulas

Time for an update on doulas, a topic we addressed last year in our 9-month long series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. Today we talk again with our doula expert Amy Wilt and check on legislation that has been proposed in Harrisburg to have insurance cover doula services. pi
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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Morning Star Helps With Relationships

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look the work being done by Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg to help kids build a foundation for strong relationships and avoid problems down the road. https://fb.watch/bECfSEse06/ We’ve all had ou
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Maternal & Early Childhood Series: Adoption Challenges in PA

The 4th installment of our series on Maternal and Early Childhood Issues looks at the role the Wolf Administration has played in curtailing Catholic adoption efforts in Pennsylvania. https://fb.watch/bBXX1F6m97/ A woman we’ll call Kelly talked with me about her adoption a number of ye
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PCC Press Release on PA House Passage of Marriage at 18 Bill

PA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF MARRIAGE ACT HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference applauds today’s passage of House Bill 360, which, in addition to addressing some covid-19 related concerns, establishes 18 as the minimum age for marriage in Penn
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Rep. Dave Zimmerman Still Seeking Religious Exemption to Save Catholic Adoptions

Catholic adoption agencies across the state have been curtailing or stopping their work altogether as a result of a policy by the Wolf Administration that would take away a lot of their power to decide who would be the best parents for adoption. PA Rep. Dave Zimmerman (R-Lancaster) sa
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Judge to hear foster families targeted by City of Philadelphia City’s harmful new policy

According to the religious liberty advocacy group Becket, Philadelphia-based foster families will be in court Monday fighting to end a new City of Philadelphia policy that is currently leaving numerous foster homes empty. In Sharonell Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, the City i
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When adoption agencies can turn away gay prospective parents, what happens to the kids?

Religious News Service reporter Bobby Ross, Jr. recently asked this question, “When adoption agencies can turn away gay prospective parents, what happens to the kids?” With conflicts between religious based adoption and foster care agencies and government non-discrimination regulation
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Executive Changes at the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference

There will be a shift at the helm of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference beginning June 1, 2018. Eric A. Failing, PCC’s current social concerns director, will assume the role upon the retirement of Robert J. O’Hara, Jr. after his 21 years as executive director. Prior to joining the P
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Mid-Session Legislative Wrap Up

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is taking a mid-session break and will resume session late in January 2018. 2017 was a very busy year and more issues are on the horizon for 2018. Here is the status of the several high priority bills that are on the legislative agenda of the Pennsylv
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