PA Partnerships for Children discuss their mission and child welfare issues in the state

• Asia Tabb
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  Asia Tabb is the Host and Producer for WITF’s The Spark.
  
  She began her start in radio when she joined legendary radio/ host producer, Doc Christian. She worked closely with Doc for her role on “The Gospel Express, on WHOV 88.1 FM and was a host for “Unrestricted Praise” at Praise FM.
  
  Previously she was an anchor in Shreveport, Louisiana at KTAL/KMSS. Asia also worked as a Multi-Media Journalist at WHP-TV here in Harrisburg, PA.
  
  Asia got her break into news at KTVO in Ottumwa, Ia. While the 2020 caucuses were gearing up. Asia followed many candidates through their campaign trail from Senator Cory Booker, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and 46th President of the United States Joe Biden.
  
  Asia was born and raised in Norfolk, Va. She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2018 with a major in Communications.
  
  Asia is extremely friendly so don’t be afraid to say hi if you see her out and about.

Inside the Harrisburg Capitol rotunda on Sept. 5, 2024. (Jeremy Long - WITF)

Aired; March 24th, 2025.

In a recent episode of The Spark, host Asia Tabb sat down with Kari King, Kati Brillhart and Becky Ludwick  from the PA Partnerships for Children (PPC) to discuss their advocacy efforts for better education, healthcare, child welfare, and policies that support children and families in Pennsylvania.

PA Partnerships for Children was founded in the 90’s and is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Harrisburg, dedicated to educating policymakers on child welfare issues. The organization was established around the same time Pennsylvania passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which later became the model for the federal CHIP program.

Kari King emphasizes the importance of collaboration: “We partner with organizations that provide direct services to children and families. Their insights help us advocate for policies that address the workforce needs in early childcare, education, and healthcare sectors.”

Their biggest priority is ensuring that essential programs for children and families remain fully funded and accessible. With ongoing discussions at the federal level about potential budget cuts, the organization is particularly concerned about threats to Medicaid.

Kati Brillhart, Vice President of Government & External Affairs, underscores the urgency of protecting these programs. “The uncertainty surrounding federal funding poses a significant risk to Pennsylvania’s budget and the programs children rely on.”

Listen to the podcast to hear the entire conversation.