Cephas visits Philadelphia re-entry homes with First Lady Wolf
Rep. Morgan B. Cephas March 14, 2022 | 4:25 PM
PHILADELPHIA, March 14 – State Rep. Morgan Cephas on Friday visited women’s re-entry homes Ardella’s House and Why Not Prosper with Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf.
The visits highlighted programs designed to meet the unique maternal and family needs of women reentrants.
“I believe we must be providing exclusive avenues of support where person-centered care and focus work best, and the fact is women face unique challenges while incarcerated and when re-entering society,” said Cephas, who is Co-Chair of the Women’s Health Caucus and a member of the PA Commission for Women.
There are approximately 30 to 50 pregnancies a year within Pennsylvania’s state correctional facilities, while over half?of all women in U.S. prisons and 80 percent of women in jails are mothers. Most of them are also the?primary caretakers?of their children and incarceration leaves their children with a lapse in support. Knowing a parent’s absence can threaten the family structure makes the need for maternal and family support vital to incarcerated women and reentrants.
Wolf also visited The Wardrobe in Philadelphia, a program that provides clothing for reentrants.
“Coupled with housing and health care access, improving the attention people receive while struggling is one of the best ways we can improve outcomes for ourselves,” Cephas said. “Many thanks to First Lady Wolf for taking the time to tour these facilities with us and see this important work up close.”