Home & Family Archives

In a year where loss, grief, technology and identity have been at the forefront of the national conversation, the budding trend of email opt-outs are for many both a welcome change and a sign of what may lie ahead. (Jordan Kirchner)

NPR

In a grief-filled year, brands from Etsy to Pandora let you skip Mother’s Day emails

The small but growing trend is seen as a welcome acknowledgment of people who are grieving, as well as a sign that email marketing is becoming increasingly personalized.

1 day ago

This historical marker at Market and Juniper tells of Mother's Day's history here in Philly.

Community

Billy Penn

The Philly woman behind Mother’s Day hated what it became

Anna Jarvis, who created the holiday to honor her own mom, petitioned FDR to remove it from the country’s official calendar.

1 day ago

When Jade Rone, left, was first taken into Stacia Parker's care, she kept her feelings to herself. At their StoryCorps interview in Philadelphia in June 2019, Parker told her,

NPR

Community

‘Searching for a mom’: A foster daughter finds one – and a voice of her own

When Jade Rone was placed in Stacia Parker's care, she kept her feelings to herself: "I just felt like I didn't matter." But Parker had different expectations for her.

2 days ago

Omar James Brown has autism. He does his laps in the pool but gets excited most when talking about playing basketball. (Cris Barrish/WHYY)

Education

Exercising with members at Delaware YMCA a ‘slam dunkeroo’ for people with disabilities

Endless Possibilities in the Community (EPIC) breaks down walls that surround people with physical and intellectual challenges.

2 weeks ago

Listen 5:42

Adrienne Hamilton and her son, Bowie, at their home in Philadelphia. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Education

A year without play: Parents and experts worry about loss of social skills during pandemic

In-person school provided kids with regular, organic social exposure. What happens after a year when that disappeared?

3 weeks ago

Listen 4:50

Politics & Policy

N.J. increases food aid by $95 a month for 231K households

The change comes with about a $17 million price tag, according to the state Human Services Department. The program is financed by the federal government but run by the state.

4 weeks ago

Rebecca Bryan of Rutgers School of Nursing sits with 86-year-old Turner Pittman

Community

J&J ‘pause’ is also halting efforts to vaccinate homebound New Jerseyans

The federal recommendation to pause use of the J&J vaccine came as efforts were ramping up to inoculate N.J.’s more than 11,000 homebound people.

4 weeks ago

Listen 4:12

Left: Plants are pictured at Urban Jungle Philly; Right: Silver the cat is pictured in a foster home

Community

Houseplant Cat Club: PSPCA helps shy cats flourish with time, patience, and plenty of sun

The Pennsylvania SPCA hopes to show that — with time, patience, and plenty of sun — under-socialized cats can blossom into forever companions.

4 weeks ago

Dawn Harrington helps families stay connected when a relative is incarcerated through classes and support groups. “It’s somewhat kind of like a grieving lost, like somebody dies,” she says. “Because it is, in some ways, that level of separation.” (Courtesy of Dawn Harrington)

The Pulse

Health

Incarceration touches millions with loved ones behind bars. And it’s making many of them sick

The stress of supporting a family member in prison can cause lasting health issues for those on the outside. Consequences can stretch far beyond the person doing the time.

1 month ago

Listen 6:50

Health

‘They were dying after they went home’: Black women in Philly represent 73% of pregnancy-related deaths

Chronic diseases, mental health issues, and health insurance were factors, a review of pregnancy-associated deaths from 2013 to 2018 shows.

1 month ago

NPR

Politics & Policy

With more women in state office, family leave policies have not caught up

More women are becoming lawmakers, but many legislatures still don't have family leave policies. That leaves new moms little choice but to miss out on the lawmaking process.

1 month ago

Emma LeMay, now 22, with her mother at the Jersey shore. LeMay, adopted from Chongqing China, was raised in Vermont and now lives in Atlanta. (Emma LeMay)

NPR

Community

‘Am I Asian enough?’ Adoptees struggle to make sense of spike in anti-Asian violence

Many Asian adoptees say they feel left out of the conversation about anti-Asian hate because they don't think they belong in either the Asian community or white America.

1 month ago