Joe Willard
@jwillard18.bsky.social
I work on child, youth, and family homelessness in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
3,289 children under the age of 5 were identified as homeless in Philadelphia, an historic high. bit.ly/4oLbjLF
3,289 Young Children Identified as Homeless in Philadelphia!!
Full report coming next week
bit.ly
November 12, 2025 at 12:45 PM
3,289 children under the age of 5 were identified as homeless in Philadelphia, an historic high. bit.ly/4oLbjLF
Posting again in case you missed it. More than 10,000 young children were identified as homeless in Pennsylvania, the highest total ever! Read at open.substack.com/pub/joewilla...
October 31, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Posting again in case you missed it. More than 10,000 young children were identified as homeless in Pennsylvania, the highest total ever! Read at open.substack.com/pub/joewilla...
We just published a summary of education data showing that there were more than 10,000 young children (ages birth to 5) who were identified as homeless in Pennsylvania. Read our latest on Substack here bit.ly/3Ws1uWy
October 30, 2025 at 2:59 PM
We just published a summary of education data showing that there were more than 10,000 young children (ages birth to 5) who were identified as homeless in Pennsylvania. Read our latest on Substack here bit.ly/3Ws1uWy
New Policy Brief on Young Children Identified As Homeless in PA. Read at bit.ly/3Lba89w
October 29, 2025 at 12:52 PM
New Policy Brief on Young Children Identified As Homeless in PA. Read at bit.ly/3Lba89w
Reposted by Joe Willard
Trump admin fired its homeless education staff. Sign our petition to urge the PA Congressional Delegation to voice opposition. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Petition To the PA Congressional Delegation In Support of Pennsylvania's 50,000+ Children and Youth Homeless in 2024
Please sign our petition to Pennsylvania's Congressional Delegation to reinstate the recently terminated staff of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
According to SchoolHouse Connectio...
docs.google.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Trump admin fired its homeless education staff. Sign our petition to urge the PA Congressional Delegation to voice opposition. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Trump admin fired its homeless education staff. Sign our petition to urge the PA Congressional Delegation to voice opposition. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Petition To the PA Congressional Delegation In Support of Pennsylvania's 50,000+ Children and Youth Homeless in 2024
Please sign our petition to Pennsylvania's Congressional Delegation to reinstate the recently terminated staff of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
According to SchoolHouse Connectio...
docs.google.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Trump admin fired its homeless education staff. Sign our petition to urge the PA Congressional Delegation to voice opposition. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
86% increase in child homeless in Philadelphia. Why do think this happened? bit.ly/4haveAz
Philadelphia's Homeless Children & Youth
86% Increase Since 2015 - WHY?????
bit.ly
October 14, 2025 at 1:26 PM
86% increase in child homeless in Philadelphia. Why do think this happened? bit.ly/4haveAz
50,030 children and youth identified as experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania! Too many to be seated at Citizens Bank Ball Park!!! Read our latest Substack summary of new data. Read at bit.ly/484mc5T
50,030 children and youth were identified as homeless in Pennsylvania
50,030 children and youth were identified as homeless throughout the Commonwealth in School Year (SY) 2023-24, according to reports from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
bit.ly
September 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
50,030 children and youth identified as experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania! Too many to be seated at Citizens Bank Ball Park!!! Read our latest Substack summary of new data. Read at bit.ly/484mc5T
Today's Substack post is a sneak preview of a report on young children experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania. bit.ly/4nmwWkM
Sneak Preview of Report on Pennsylvania's Young Children Identified as Homeless
13% Increase in the number of children since School Year (SY) 2020
open.substack.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Today's Substack post is a sneak preview of a report on young children experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania. bit.ly/4nmwWkM
Our latest Substack article highlights the numbers of children and youth identified as homeless in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The numbers increased 47% since 2019, and more than 18,000 children were identified in 2024. Read at bit.ly/3I3WCmL
September 3, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Our latest Substack article highlights the numbers of children and youth identified as homeless in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The numbers increased 47% since 2019, and more than 18,000 children were identified in 2024. Read at bit.ly/3I3WCmL
Eleanor Bader interviewed me for an article on education. Read the article at bit.ly/4ltVyWX
Looming Federal Cuts to Public Education Threaten Communities in Every State
Educators say the cuts will hit already vulnerable low-income, unhoused, disabled, migrant and refugee students hardest.
bit.ly
August 18, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Eleanor Bader interviewed me for an article on education. Read the article at bit.ly/4ltVyWX
Supporting students exp homelessness succeeds at increasing graduation rates, lowering chronic truancy, and more. Read our policy brief bit.ly/47x4VSr
August 14, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Supporting students exp homelessness succeeds at increasing graduation rates, lowering chronic truancy, and more. Read our policy brief bit.ly/47x4VSr
We are planning to release an update of our January 2025 report on the prevalence of young children identified as homeless in September. Here is one chart as a sneak preview:
August 11, 2025 at 5:52 PM
We are planning to release an update of our January 2025 report on the prevalence of young children identified as homeless in September. Here is one chart as a sneak preview:
US Senate Appropriations 'blocks' the block-granting of US Dept of Ed. It approved providing $129 million for Education for Homeless Children & Youth, $146.3 million for Runaway & Homeless Youth, and funds Head Start and child care. Read SchoolHouse Connection summary. bit.ly/3UcKFxG
Senate Committee Advances EHCY Funding, Rejects Block Grant
The Senate Committee rejects EHCY elimination, preserving $129M in funding. Learn what’s next and what else is included in the FY2026 education bill.
bit.ly
August 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
US Senate Appropriations 'blocks' the block-granting of US Dept of Ed. It approved providing $129 million for Education for Homeless Children & Youth, $146.3 million for Runaway & Homeless Youth, and funds Head Start and child care. Read SchoolHouse Connection summary. bit.ly/3UcKFxG
Reposted by Joe Willard
“Without enough staff and resources, students will face more barriers to educational opportunity and have fewer places to turn to when their rights are violated,”
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
How Trump plans to dismantle the Education Department after Supreme Court ruling
Education Secretary Linda McMahon is expected to move quickly now that the Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue unwinding her department.
apnews.com
July 14, 2025 at 11:03 PM
“Without enough staff and resources, students will face more barriers to educational opportunity and have fewer places to turn to when their rights are violated,”
apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com/article/trum...
Pennsylvania is included in new study on children's access to food. Read at open.substack.com/pub/joewilla...
Connecting Families to Food Resources amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Early Care and Education Providers in Two U.S. States
Pennsylvania is one of the states.
open.substack.com
August 4, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Pennsylvania is included in new study on children's access to food. Read at open.substack.com/pub/joewilla...
My prediction is that if they do this, the emergency shelters will be flooded once again. So much progress has been made but the Trump proposal will take us back to before the 1990s.
Under the Trump administration, proposed changes to HUD rent subsidies target families to lose their homes and become homeless. Instead, should try new things, but thoughtfully, carefully, and while rigorously using data.
apnews.com/article/hud-...
apnews.com/article/hud-...
1.4M of the nation's poorest renters risk losing their homes with Trump's proposed HUD time limit
A Trump administration proposal could put more than a million low-income households at risk of losing their government-subsidized housing.
apnews.com
July 31, 2025 at 2:17 PM
My prediction is that if they do this, the emergency shelters will be flooded once again. So much progress has been made but the Trump proposal will take us back to before the 1990s.
The federal government needs to improve its data collection on babies experiencing homelessness, DOGE or no DOGE. See our latest Yay Babies edition bit.ly/4lWAn0U
Taking Care With Data ... for the Babies!
Responding to a recent posting on SchoolHouse Connection's Infant-Toddler Report
bit.ly
July 31, 2025 at 2:16 PM
The federal government needs to improve its data collection on babies experiencing homelessness, DOGE or no DOGE. See our latest Yay Babies edition bit.ly/4lWAn0U
Looks like US House Appropriations Com rejected Trump proposal to block grant HUD programs. It also:
• added $100M+ to Homeless Assistance Grants;
• rejected Trump’s elimination of Project-Based and Tenant-Based rental assistance, & CDBG;
• keeps Trump elimination of HOME;
See bit.ly/4kMI7kv
• added $100M+ to Homeless Assistance Grants;
• rejected Trump’s elimination of Project-Based and Tenant-Based rental assistance, & CDBG;
• keeps Trump elimination of HOME;
See bit.ly/4kMI7kv
July 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Looks like US House Appropriations Com rejected Trump proposal to block grant HUD programs. It also:
• added $100M+ to Homeless Assistance Grants;
• rejected Trump’s elimination of Project-Based and Tenant-Based rental assistance, & CDBG;
• keeps Trump elimination of HOME;
See bit.ly/4kMI7kv
• added $100M+ to Homeless Assistance Grants;
• rejected Trump’s elimination of Project-Based and Tenant-Based rental assistance, & CDBG;
• keeps Trump elimination of HOME;
See bit.ly/4kMI7kv
Read new Yay Babies contribution "A Family-Centered Approach to Considering Access to Housing," by Dr. Sara Shaw & Dana Thomson bit.ly/3H1OWRy
A Family-Centered Approach to Considering Access to Housing
Access to affordable housing remains a top priority in addressing families’ health, well-being, and overall economic stability.
bit.ly
July 24, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Read new Yay Babies contribution "A Family-Centered Approach to Considering Access to Housing," by Dr. Sara Shaw & Dana Thomson bit.ly/3H1OWRy
Congrats to Illinois homeless advocates for passing legislation creating transparency of how school districts spend Title 1 dollars on students experiencing homelessness. Read at
bit.ly/3IwH0bc
bit.ly/3IwH0bc
Press Release: New State Law to Increase Transparency in Funding for Homeless Students - Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness
bit.ly
July 8, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Congrats to Illinois homeless advocates for passing legislation creating transparency of how school districts spend Title 1 dollars on students experiencing homelessness. Read at
bit.ly/3IwH0bc
bit.ly/3IwH0bc
Children's Hospital is asking to help advocate to protect Medicaid. Check out nwmd.social/s/email/4AmO...
New/Mode | Make your voice impossible to ignore
nwmd.social
June 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Children's Hospital is asking to help advocate to protect Medicaid. Check out nwmd.social/s/email/4AmO...
Read Barbara Duffield of #schoolhouseconnection testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations re: Trump plan to eliminate homeless education supports. Read at bit.ly/4l3mEoJ
FY26 Senate LHHS Testimony
Barbara Duffield, Executive Director SchoolHouse Connection United States Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies United St...
bit.ly
June 17, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Read Barbara Duffield of #schoolhouseconnection testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations re: Trump plan to eliminate homeless education supports. Read at bit.ly/4l3mEoJ
PA State Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El from Lancaster County is a partner with our homeless education advocacy efforts. Read his latest press release at bit.ly/4l8GC0K
Federal government is abandoning its commitment to homeless students : The Commonwealth of PA Must Step Up Now!
Child and youth homelessness in Pennsylvania has grown to crisis proportions over the past few years, with 46,714 children and youth identified as homeless in 2023. Despite this unprecedented increase...
bit.ly
June 16, 2025 at 9:31 PM
PA State Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El from Lancaster County is a partner with our homeless education advocacy efforts. Read his latest press release at bit.ly/4l8GC0K
Dr. Janette Herbers of Villanova & Dr. JJ Cutuli of Nemours just published on our Yay Babies newsletter "What is the latest research on children experiencing family homelessness?" Read at bit.ly/4mZC8eJ
June 16, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Dr. Janette Herbers of Villanova & Dr. JJ Cutuli of Nemours just published on our Yay Babies newsletter "What is the latest research on children experiencing family homelessness?" Read at bit.ly/4mZC8eJ