Released: March 2, 2023
Delaware County was recently granted approximately $4.6 million dollars in Federal Community Project Funding (CPF) for three major initiatives that target Workforce Development and Healthcare in the County.
With the assistance of Senator Bob Casey, the County will receive $954,000 in funding from the Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act demonstration program to launch the Delaware County Perinatal Community Health Worker/Doula Pilot Program. This program prepares participants to work as Perinatal Community Health Care Workers (PCHW) or doulas. The program also aims to reduce racial and economic disparities in maternal care through education, targeted training, and deployment of doulas in communities that have the highest disparities in maternal and child health outcomes. This program will ensure that Delaware County women will receive the support they need to ensure healthy pregnancies and deliveries, as well as reduce disparities in maternal/childcare and birth outcomes.
With the assistance of Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, the Delaware County Health Department Health Equity Resource Improvement Initiative will receive $1.75 million dollars in funding from the Health Resources & Services Administration. To meet the challenge of establishing and providing comprehensive public health services, the Department will use this funding to invest in additional equipment and technology, allowing the County’s Health Department to enhance core services by implementing a comprehensive electronic health records system, improving the quality and diversity of diagnostic and treatment services available in its new mobile health unit, and purchasing lead screening equipment to combat high rates of lead toxicity among county residents.
Congresswoman Scanlon’s support was also critical to securing $1.9 million in funding for the Prison-to-Community Workforce Development Initiative, also from the Department of Labor. This initiative will establish two programs at George W. Hill Correctional Facility that will provide direct employment training and support services to justice-impacted people. The first program, New Leash on Life USA, is one of the most successful recidivism reduction programs in the country and pairs participants with rescue dogs to teach animal training and caretaking skills. The second program, Branching Up, provides skill certification and horticultural training in landscaping through the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and Temple University. Both programs will result in reduced recidivism, increased job placement and retention, and healthier communities.
“Thank you to Senator Casey and Congresswoman Scanlon for working to secure this funding for Delaware County and to the external supporters who submitted letters of support for the project, which was critical in the earmark process,” said Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. “Thanks to their efforts, the County is able to invest in initiatives which reflect Council’s focus on improving the criminal justice system and strengthening the healthcare system in the County.”