Families Will Protest Corbett's Proposed Cuts

Concerned families and citizens will gather at the Lincoln Park Community Gymnasium tomorrow evening to protest the state-wide funding cuts for community-based family centers.

According to Sarah McCluan, a spokeswoman for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Governor Tom Corbett’s budget proposal cut a line item of $6.3 million in funding to these family services.

She says the funding cuts were unexpected and will surely hurt family services.

“When we first read the Governor’s budget we were pretty much in shock we couldn’t believe that we were actually getting a $6.3 million cut. The entire line item for family centers and also the parent-child home visiting program has been completely eliminated.”

McCluan says the cuts will deal a significant blow to a number of local groups.

“There are 33 family centers in Allegheny county, 27 of which will be impacted. The Allegheny Intermediate Unit has 12 family centers,” she says.

McCluan says the majority of family-centers help families become more self-sufficient in the current economic instability. She says the AIU helps families get back on their feet, serving some of the most vulnerable populations in the county.

Organizers expect around 200 people to attend the event that begins Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Community Center in Penn Hills