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Smart Talk: State of children in Pa.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children release reports on child welfare and healthcare

  • Scott LaMar/WITF
FILE PHOTO: Eight-year-old Abigail Gabriel, center, hugs her mother, Erin, from her wheelchair as Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Teresa Miller, Thursday, Dec. talks about the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, during a news conference, Dec. 7, 2017, in Pittsburgh.

 Keith Srakocic/The Associated Press

FILE PHOTO: Eight-year-old Abigail Gabriel, center, hugs her mother, Erin, from her wheelchair as Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Teresa Miller, Thursday, Dec. talks about the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, during a news conference, Dec. 7, 2017, in Pittsburgh.

In Pennsylvania, investigations show there are more cases of child neglect than of abuse; almost 25,000 kids are in foster care and about a third are hard-to-place older teenagers; 128,000 children aren’t covered by health insurance, and most of them live in rural areas.

African-American, Hispanic and mixed-race children face even tougher challenges.

Those are all findings of the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children 2020 State of Child Welfare and State of Child Healthcare reports.

Tuesday’s Smart Talk digs deeper into the issues facing many Pennsylvania children and families.

Our guests include Kari King, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, Pennsylvania Secretary of Human Services Teresa Miller and Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman.

For Pennsylvanians looking for insurance options, refer to Pennie.com to discern the details among programs and find one that works for you.

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