Access to Birth Certificate Changes

Working with about 400 young people per year, 95% of teens and young adults who show up to YEAH Philly for services do not have their own vital documents. Seeing this as a major barrier to life in general, staff at YEAH brought this to the attention of State Rep Rick Krajewski and proposed legislative changes to eliminate barriers for young people to have access to their own birth certificates. For a year and a half, teens and young adults at YEAH advocated in Harrisburg collectively with Rick Krajewski, giving their personal testimonies about the importance of young people having access to their birth certificates. As of October 2022, the state regulations for birth certificates have been changed.