YWCA York CEO: Pennsylvania’s budget crisis is a human crisis | opinion

Pennsylvania is more than two months past its legal deadline to adopt a state budget. That failure has left organizations like YWCA York without the funding we need to serve our communities. This is not politics as usual. It is a crisis with immediate consequences for women, children and families across our Commonwealth.

At YWCA York, we are already making impossible choices. Dedicated staff face the threat of layoffs. Vendors who help us keep programs running go unpaid. Families who count on child care, legal assistance, and support for survivors of domestic violence are caught in the crossfire of political gridlock. Every day this impasse drags on, the harm grows deeper.

I have led through financial storms before, and I know what it takes to protect people and keep essential services moving.  Experience has taught me that leadership is about responsibility, not comfort.  By working hand-in-hand with unions, employees, and community leaders, we made sure workers were paid and the city stayed on its feet.  Those lessons matter now more than ever.  My team and I bring that same steady, proven leadership to YWCA York today, because families in our community deserve nothing less than stability, accountability, and a voice that puts their lives first.   

YWCA York is now navigating its own storm. But let us be clear: this situation is not the result of failed management or broken trust. Legacy costs and behaviors weigh heavily on our organization, and the state’s budget delay has disrupted the funds that sustain our services. Our team is stretching every resource to protect programs, but the reality is that no nonprofit can operate indefinitely without the support the state is obligated to provide.

The legislators who represent us are still being paid and our employees will not be. Our families cannot wait. Communities deserve stability, not stalemate.

For more than 130 years, YWCA York has been a lifeline in this community. We will continue to raise our voices until state leaders do their jobs, pass a budget, and release the funds that keep families safe and strong. This is not about politics. It is about people. And the people of Pennsylvania deserve better.

C. Kim Braceyis CEO of YWCA York.