Public Policy Agenda

Child care is essential—for early brain development and family economic stability—yet birth-to-five isn’t funded like a public good, and funding still doesn’t reflect what we know about the first five years. We prioritize equity for Pennsylvanians systematically underserved by income, geography, disability, language, race, or ethnicity. Chronic underfunding makes it hard for programs to recruit and retain educators and limits families’ access to quality care.

Trying Together’s 2023–2027 policy agenda outlines the investments and actions to build a just, reliable early care and education system in which children, families, educators, and communities can thrive.

Download the 2023-2027 Trying Together Public Policy Agenda (PDF).

2023-2027 Trying Together Public Policy Agenda

Invest significantly in and strengthen the early care and education system.

  • Advocate for investments to increase access, affordability, and quality.
  • Explore financial models for public funding.
  • Provide ongoing recommendations for regulations and standards to ensure equity and quality.

Elevate the early care and education profession.

  • Advocate for increased compensation reflective of care and education work.
  • Strengthen the pipeline for workforce recruitment, retention, and career advancement.
  • Center the expertise and voice of early care and education professionals.

Focus on equitable and developmentally appropriate care and education.

  • Prevent and reduce the use of harmful, exclusionary discipline practices.
  • Ensure access to early intervention and mental health services.
  • Promote anti-racist, culturally- and linguistically-responsive, equitable, and inclusive early childhood environments.
  • Advance developmentally appropriate practice in learning and teaching.
  • Elevate the critical role of play in children’s development and learning.

Build connections and leverage partnerships to support the health and wellness of families.

  • Strengthen resources to support perinatal health.
  • Advance Paid Family Medical Leave.
  • Promote fatherhood initiatives and resources.
  • Support the economic stability of families through access to child care subsidies and food and nutritional programs.
  • Enhance connections between housing and child care providers to bolster families’ access to care.
  • Collaborate with healthcare providers to connect families with resources to strengthen children’s physical health and development.
  • Address and eliminate lead exposure in children.

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: