Sign-On Your Support To support the work of early childhood and caregivers of young children, Trying Together participates in multiple campaigns, including Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, and Childhood Begins at Home. Powered through the work of organizations across the state, these campaigns combat modern challenges that families and professionals face in supporting the success of their young children. To advocate for increased investments, Trying Together depends in part on its partnership with supporters like you. Will you join us? Take action below and sign-on to advocate for conditions that help Pennsylvania’s children and families thrive. Raise Child Care Wages! A continuing crisis in the child care workforce poses a real threat to Pennsylvania’s working families – the workforce of all other Pennsylvania businesses – thus threatening our overall economic recovery. Raising child care wages does not only recognize these professionals deserve pay that reflects their important work, it will increase child care programs’ ability to recruit and retain qualified staff. This will reduce the staff turnover that negatively impacts children’s development and that has resulted in classroom and program closures currently disrupting working families’ ability to work. Help us urge General Assembly members to support a $2 per hour wage supplement in the state budget and take a necessary step to address the child care crisis for working families. Oppose House Bill 1155 The PA House of Representatives is considering a bill (HB 1155) that would allow municipal parks and recreation programs to serve three- and four-year-olds without having to become licensed and without meeting the basic health and safety standards our child care field is required to follow. Currently, only school-aged children can be served by municipal programs – three- and four-year-old children cannot be served by municipal programs unless they are a licensed child care center. Municipal parks and recreation programs are vital to our community, but so is the safety of our young children. Working with three- and four-year-olds is not a summer job for someone who is not trained to respond to the developmental needs of this age group. Additionally, adult-to-child ratios are an important quality and safety component for children in care. This bill could also impact enrollment and revenue for licensed child care programs – creating new competition for already under resourced child care community. Send your State Representative a message to stand with child care professionals and protect preschool children by opposing HB 1155. TweetShare128Pin1Share129 Shares
