New Report: 4.5 Million Seniors Lack Access to Bank Branches

Posted on by lad3

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reveals that millions of older Americans lack access to the physical bank branches they may depend on.

Key findings include:

  • Currently, 4.5 million Americans aged 65 and older live in banking deserts — areas with no bank branches nearby — or are at risk of losing their last remaining branch.
  • Since 2019, the number of seniors in banking deserts has increased 26 percent, with over 800,000 affected seniors lacking home broadband access and nearly 1 million living in low- to moderate-income areas.
  • Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and California have the highest numbers of affected seniors, while New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska experienced the fastest growth rates.

Accessible banking services are essential for financial health, particularly for the nearly one-third of seniors aged 65 and older who continue to rely primarily on in-person teller services. As the number of older Americans continues to grow, addressing banking deserts will be critical to ensuring consumers aren’t left behind.

Read more.

Census Bureau Updates Available

Posted on by lad3

City and Town Population Estimates and National, State and County Housing Unit Estimates [Link]

The Vintage 2025 population estimates for local governmental units, including incorporated places, minor civil divisions and consolidated cities, and national, state and county housing unit estimates will be released on May 14, 2026.

Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (ASPEP) Released [Link]

New summary data are available from the ASPEP, providing an overview of state and local government employment and payroll nationwide. The survey includes full‑ and part‑time employment, full‑time equivalent staffing, and payroll data by governmental function for March 2025. These statistics are widely used by government agencies, researchers, and educators to support comparative analysis and inform measures such as the government component of GDP.

Most Common First Names and Last Names in the 2020 Census [Link]

New data tables showing the most common first and last names reported in the 2020 Census are available. The release includes national counts of last and first names by race and Hispanic origin, first names by sex, and a historical comparison of common names from 1790 through 2020. While surname data has been published since 1990, this is the first census to include first‑name data.

Boosting Oral Health in Rural Communities

Posted on by lad3

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently published a brief, “Boosting Oral Health in Rural Communities” that demonstrates that rural residents are less likely to visit a dentist and often have to travel long distances to receive care. The resource reviews the variety of ways states are addressing access to oral health care in rural communities.

Click here to read the brief.

New Research: Rising Homeowners Insurance Costs in the DE, NY, and PA

Posted on by lad3

The rising cost of homeowners insurance has emerged as a critical — yet often overlooked — challenge to housing affordability and household financial stability in the Third District.

A Philadelphia Fed report examines homeowners insurance trends across Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania from 2021 to 2025, revealing significant cost increases impacting millions of homeowners, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Among the key findings:

  • Premiums have increased between 25 and 29 percent in less than four years — substantially outpacing home price appreciation in two of the three states during the same period.
  • Low-income neighborhoods face steeper rate increases, yet already pay 24 percent more per dollar of coverage.
  • Rising premiums correlate to increased mortgage delinquency, potentially impacting both household financial stability and housing market stability.

As severe weather events, construction costs, and reinsurance market volatility continue to drive premiums higher, insurance affordability has become as critical as mortgage rates in determining homeownership sustainability. This research provides valuable analysis for policymakers, financial institutions, housing counselors, and community development professionals working to address equitable access to stable homeownership.

Read more.

ReadyNation Child Care Economic Impact Report Highlights Strain on Pennsylvania Economy

Posted on by lad3

A new report from ReadyNation shows the cost of gaps in Pennsylvania’s child care system has grown by almost $1 billion annually, costing the state’s economy well over $6 billion every year. The analysis finds that inadequate child care is driving major losses for working parents, employers, and taxpayers alike, underscoring how deeply child care challenges affect Pennsylvania’s workforce and economic strength.

At a time when employers need a reliable workforce and families need dependable care, this report makes clear that child care is not just a family issue, but an economic one. The findings highlight the urgent need for solutions to help parents find and afford child care so they can work, as well as for a stable, robust child care system that supports the economy and strengthens Pennsylvania’s long-term prosperity.

New Career and Technical Education Fact Sheet Available on Investing in Pennsylvania’s Future

Posted on by lad3

Career and Technical Education (CTE) plays a vital role in preparing students for today’s rapidly evolving workforce. By integrating rigorous academics with technical training and hands-on, real-world experience, CTE equips students with the skills and credentials needed to succeed, whether they choose to enter the workforce directly after high school or pursue postsecondary education along a defined career pathway. Student interest in CTE continues to grow; however, access to these programs has not kept pace with this rising demand.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children’s (PPC) newest CTE fact sheet, Career and Technical Education: Investing in Pennsylvania’s Future, outlines strategies to close the gap and ensure equitable access to high-quality CTE opportunities. Policymakers must prioritize sustained, increased investments in the state budget. A key step to attain this goal is to fully fund Governor Shapiro’s proposed $14.3 million increase to the Career and Technical Education Subsidy line in the 2026–27 budget. This investment would ease financial pressure on local school districts, enabling them to expand or develop programs in high-demand industry sectors. It would also address significant disparities in access across the state, ensuring that all students, regardless of location, can benefit from meaningful, career-connected learning opportunities.

2026 Pre-K for Pennsylvania Maps and Fact Sheets Now Available

Posted on by lad3

Each year, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) creates interactive maps for the Pre-K for PA campaign, and our 2026 maps and corresponding fact sheets are now available. Data on pre-k is available at the statewide, county, school district, and legislative district levels. The maps highlight the unmet need for high-quality, publicly funded pre-k at each geographic level, including data points such as the eligible child populations, high-quality, publicly funded enrollment, and the number of high-quality pre-k locations.

Statewide, of the 138,613 eligible children ages 3 and 4 living in Pennsylvania, only 48% have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten. With workforce challenges in the sector, an additional 7,152 pre-k educators are needed to serve the remaining eligible children.

For meaningful progress toward building an affordable, high-quality pre-k system that benefits children and families, the Pre-K for PA is asking the General Assembly for the following investments in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget:

  • $2 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
  • $7.5 million increase for Pre-K Counts.

Rural Health Report: Proven Strategies to Address Leading Causes of Death in Rural America

Posted on by lad3

A recent article in Public Health Reports provides evidence-based strategies to prevent deaths from heart disease, stroke, cancer, and substance use in rural communities.

State and local governments, health systems, schools, community-based organizations, and others working in rural areas can use Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommendations to address the leading causes of death and related risk factors in their community. CDC’s Community Guide Program provides the scientific foundation for CPSTF by coordinating systematic reviews, publishing findings and recommendations, and working with partners to understand and implement evidence-based strategies.

Key interventions include:

Read the full article: http://bit.ly/4qYqstm

Access Community Guide resources: www.thecommunityguide.org

New Brief! Value-based Payment Strategies Used by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

Posted on by lad3

The Rural Health Value (RHV) team is pleased to announce the release of a new brief  “Value-based payment strategies used by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.” This brief presents findings from a review of state Medicaid program websites that include descriptions of value-based payment (VBP) strategies deployed by Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and implications for rural healthcare organizations. An accompanying Appendix provides an overview of how individual states are incorporating value-based payment (VBP) in their Medicaid MCO arrangements.

Related resources on the Rural Health Value website:

Rural Health Value facilitates the transition of rural healthcare organizations, payers, and communities from volume-based to value-based health care and payment models. Visit www.ruralhealthvalue.org.  Contact Clint MacKinney, MD, MS, Co-Principal Investigator, clint-mackinney@uiowa.edu

HRSA Publishes New Strategy for the Home Visiting Workforce

Posted on by ejt140

Developed by the Health Resources and Service Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau in partnership with the Institute for Home Visiting Workforce Development, this strategy reflects more than 15 years of experience through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program and was shaped by the voices of home visitors, supervisors, and program leaders across the country.