Teaching our children how to manage money can help them develop the financial skills they need for a financially resilient future. With many back in school learning new things, now would be a great time for families to also introduce financial education to their children.

As part of our ongoing financial education efforts, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) has published A Family Companion to Cents & Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management (Family Companion).

The Family Companion, created by families for families, provides valuable insights for teaching our children about money.

Families can use the Teachable Moments and Conversation Starters as a springboard to start their own financial journey with their children. Baking cupcakes together can be a platform for a conversation about "delayed gratification." There are steps that need to be completed (including cleaning up) before you get to the best part (gratification/reward) – eating the cupcake!"

The guide includes several foundational financial topics, like money basics, saving, spending, and borrowing. In the excerpt below, the Family Companion provides comprehensive information to help you explain to your children what it means to borrow money.

Excerpt from the Family Companion:

What is Credit?

Borrowed money, also called credit, can make it possible to buy the things you need at a time when you don't have money for them. However, some forms of credit, such as long-term credit card debt, can be costly and cause larger issues in the long run because the interest builds on top of what is owed. When we borrow money, we must pay it back, and typically with interest and interest rates vary greatly depending on the type of credit used.

Having and building good credit is important because so much of what we do with our finances involves our creditworthiness. Credit cards can lead to overspending because we don't need to pay in full each month. When we just pay the minimum or a portion of the credit card bill, credit card companies charge interest on the "average daily balance" until you pay the balance off.

Your initial purchase will cost you more in interest over the long term and any new purchase will also be more expensive. Teaching our children about responsible borrowing can help prevent them from getting into credit trouble when they become adults.



The Family Companion is an essential addition to our suite of financial education publications: Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management (also available in Spanish), and the Educator Companion Manual.

These resources are available in print and in 508-compliant digital form at bit.ly/PATF_FinEd.

On November 15th, explore PATF's new Family Companion to Cents and Sensibility and hear from a panel of parents who created the Family Companion, sharing strategies, tips, and activities for introducing money concepts to children.

Click to register for the webinar or register using the QR code below.

ASL, CART, and Spanish interpretation will be provided for the webinar. If you require additional reasonable accommodations, you will be prompted to submit your request when you register for the webinar.

Drew is seven years old and loves bright lights, music, and enjoys good food. And she needs plenty of room to roll around when she’s playing at home.

Drew was born a late preterm baby and was diagnosed with meningitis resulting in severe hearing loss. At two, she received a cochlear implant on her right side. Drew also has epilepsy, low vision, and limited mobility.

Drew uses a Kid Kart (wheelchair for children), and a SleepSafe Bed to prevent falls. Drew also uses a walker during her classes at Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children in Pittsburgh. She goes to school full-time and receives assistance from a teacher’s aide that stays with her throughout the school day. 

Continue reading about Drew's experience with her adapted van.

Looking to purchase assistive technology? PATF can help you locate possible funding resources, or offer to extend a low- or no-interest loan.

PATF provides Low-Interest Loans from $7,001-$60,000 and zero-interest, no fee Mini-Loans up to $7,000 for the purchase of assistive technology, including adapted vehicles, stair glides, hearing aids, smart home technology, and much more.

Questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Download our publication, Funding Your Assistive Technology: A Guide to Funding Resources in Pennsylvania.

Alexa's Smart Home:

Alexa's Advice is to Start Small

Smart home devices have been life-changing for people with disabilities and as part of our Smart Homes Made Simple program, we produced another video with Alexa (above on the left) talking about her smart home technology.

In the video above, Alexa shares with Susan Tachau, PATF’s former CEO and Chief Innovation Officer, the devices she recommends if you are just starting out.

Alexa first purchased an Amazon Echo Dot; she has a few of them in her home. In the beginning, Alexa only used the Dot to turn the lights on and off.

Alexa then learned how to use the Dot as an intercom or phone so she wouldn’t have to raise her voice in her home to get someone’s attention. While in bed, Alexa uses the Dot to set her morning alarm and to communicate with her aide, using the Drop In function, if she needs anything during the night.

Check out Alexa's other video, Her Smart Home Devices And How She

Uses Them.

Reminder: Don't Forget to Renew When it's Due!

If you receive Medical Assistance or CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), you need to renew your coverage every year when it is due to make sure you are still eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. You will not immediately lose health coverage.

No one will lose their health coverage without having a chance to complete a renewal or update their information. But, if you do not return your renewal when it is due, you may risk losing your coverage.

Learn more information, check your renewal date, or submit your renewal online.

Come See Us at These Community Events

Saturday, November 11th – PATF will attend Veterans Day events with PA State Representative Carol Kazeem in Upper Chichester.

Friday, December 29th – Hearing Loss Awareness Night with the Reading Royals in Reading. PATF will provide information about our resources. Proceeds from tickets sold from the link below will benefit the Pennsylvania Walk4Hearing: https://fevogm.com/event/Pennsylvaniawalk4hearing.

Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), founded in 1998, was originally funded as an Alternative Financing Program (AFP) under the Federal Assistive Technology Act. PATF is also a statewide non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) helps Pennsylvanians of all ages, all disabilities and health conditions, all income levels, and all communities and cultural backgrounds. We offer information about acquiring assistive technology (AT), funding resources, financial education, and financial loan programs. For more information, call 484-674-0506 or visit www.patf.us.