Northern Tier News

Reps. Tina Pickett and Clint Owlett have announced that Supporting Area Families Everyday (SAFE) has received a state grant exceeding $125,000. The funding is intended to expand SAFE's supervised visitation and parent education program in Bradford County and nearby areas.

"This funding will help to ensure parents have the support they need to foster healthy relationships with their children," said Pickett. "By investing in these vital services, we are not only improving outcomes for families today but also building a safer, more stable future for our local communities."

Owlett emphasized the importance of family-focused initiatives: "Families are the cornerstone of our Commonwealth and society as a whole. There’s no greater investment we can make than in programs like this that support families, help parents work through challenging times and protect our children."

SAFE aims to reduce domestic violence by offering secure environments for family interactions during custody exchanges and educating parents on emotional self-regulation to minimize conflicts. The grant will be used primarily to cover the salary and benefits of a specialist who will implement the program. With this financial boost, SAFE plans to enhance its service capacity by 25% over two years.

The Pennsylvania Commissioner on Crime and Delinquency’s School Safety and Security Committee awarded the grant through the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program. This initiative allowed applicants to receive up to $950,000 in funding for community violence prevention efforts.