Sign the Petition to Save the Workforce Behind the Workforce As state budget negotiations enter their final month, please add your name to our petition telling lawmakers to save the workforce behind the workforce and invest in child care wages! The Pennsylvania child care sector is in crisis. Unlivable wages of less than $12.50/hr. in this sector are causing a historic workforce shortage that is closing classrooms and driving up wait lists for working mothers and families. Child care providers can’t raise teacher wages because families are already struggling to afford the costs of care. They are also struggling to compete in the labor market, with many sectors offering $20+/hr. for positions that don’t require the same levels of education or training. Start Strong PA is asking the Pennsylvania General Assembly to directly invest in a wage scale for child care teachers based on their qualifications. This direct action is needed to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Child care is the “workforce behind the workforce” and as such, the staffing crisis in the child care industry compounds staffing shortages across other sectors. Please add your name to the petition by Friday, June 9, 2023! Get Public Policy Updates To accomplish this important work, we need supporters who will join us to raise their voices, use traditional and social media, and meet with policy makers. By signing-on to our Public Policy Agenda, you’ll receive action alerts to advocate on behalf of young children, their families, and the early care and education professionals who interact with them. Enter your information below to sign-up for our public policy updates and take action: Password First Name * Last Name * Email * Mobile Phone * Address 1 * Address 2 City * State/Province * AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamMarshall IslandsNorthern Mariana IslandsPalauPuerto RicoU.S. Minor Outlying IslandsVirgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces Europe, the Middle East, anArmed Forces PacificAlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNova ScotiaNorthwest TerritoriesNunavat TerritoryOntarioPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanYukon Territory Zip * Company Name E-communication Subscriptions* Trying Together Newsletter Public Policy Alerts TweetShare128Pin1Share129 Shares
