PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s new Parent and Guardian Engagement Task Force met for the first time at City Hall Tuesday night to brainstorm how the city can help parents get more involved in their children’s lives in order to keep them safe and out of trouble.
Ninth District Councilmember Anthony Phillips sponsored a resolution in the spring establishing the task force, which consists of lawmakers, educators, advocates, parents and guardians, and students.
“To address an age-old question in the city of Philadelphia: Where are the parents?” Phillips said after the meeting. “We’re going to come up with recommendations on initiatives and policies that the city can take on to address this crisis when it comes to parents being involved with young people.”
The task force was established in the aftermath of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s public safety emergency declaration at the beginning of the year. In his City Council resolution, Phillips noted that 17% of the 3,000 shootings that occurred in 2023 involved young people under the age of 21.
“I feel like a lot of these teenagers these days are raising themselves,” Charisma Tucker, a senior at Revolution School, told reporters after the meeting.
She said some parents don’t have the “mental capacity” or financial resources to be as involved in their children’s lives as they should be.
Walette Carter, president of the Philadelphia Home and School Council, said generational poverty is another major issue that must be addressed. And when it comes to the people raising kids, she said grandparents, aunts, uncles and others who share that role should not be ignored.
“We want to make sure that all families — no matter who they are or what they are — that they are educated on what to do and how to help their children,” Carter added.
The task force plans to meet again. The group’s findings and recommendations will ultimately be compiled and a final report will be shared with City Council and the Parker administration.