Pa. care providers call on state for increased financial support

What this episode covers

On today’s episode of The Confluence: A third of Pennsylvania disability service providers reported closing since 2020, and many are asking why the state isn’t doing more to support them. Gillian McGoldrick, who covers government for the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports that these providers get a substantial portion of their budgets from the state. Those funds support a $15 an hour wage, but providers say the wage isn’t enough to compensate for the specialized work, and people are leaving the profession. (0:00 - 6:50) Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is teaching a new generation how to care for the green spaces in the city through its Young Naturalist Program. Stephen Bucklin, a naturalist educator and Young Naturalist program leader at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, says the program let students develop plans to address issues faced in the Frick Environmental Center Campus. Michael Biyang, an 11th grade student at Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy, participated in this year’s program to learn more about various careers in nature. (7:00 - 14:30) A trial farm is taking root in Western Pennsylvania, and it’s not growing a new variety of corn or apple: it grows sunflowers. Penn State Extension is investigating if sunflower production can be practical and profitable in the state. We talk to John Miller, the Penn State Extension field and forage crops educator who is overseeing this trial. (14:32 - 22:30)