News

March 4, 2021

PA Allocation Plan Includes $303 Million for Child Care

On March 2, Governor Tom Wolf announced allocation plans for more than $303 million in federal funds received to support child care providers in Pennsylvania.

 

About

This funding will be provided through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) which was signed into law in December 2020. Recognizing that child care is both an important support for professionals in the workforce and a critical introduction to early education for young children, allocated funds will support the work and businesses of child care providers across the state.

As Governor Wolf said, “Child care providers across our commonwealth have endured a year of challenges and changes – circumstances that have made doing business incredibly challenging. A healthy, vibrant child care industry is a necessity to help our economy recover and support parents returning to work.”

Funding Channels

Funding will be issued beginning April 20, 2021, and will be divided to support child care providers through multiple channels. These channels include:

    • $140.7 million to support child care providers who are experiencing reduced enrollments.
    • $64.6 million to help child care providers continue to account for increased costs that are necessary to operate safely.
    • $87.17 million to support increased, regionalized base payment rates for child care providers participating in subsidized child care.
    • $3 million to expand the number of child care professionals who can receive pandemic relief awards to an additional 5,000 people.

An additional $984,000 will be issued to provide an administrative rate increase to Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) across the state. Acting as OCDEL’s regional partners, ELRCs administer Child Care Works and distribute federal stimulus support to providers in their local communities. Roughly $7 million is reserved in case temporarily closed providers choose to reopen, which would then qualify them for support.

Eligibility and Criteria

Additional information, including information on eligibility criteria and timelines, will be shared on The Pennsylvania Key website on March 10, 2021.

More Information

For more information, read the full press release. For information on child care providers operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit findchildcare.pa.gov.

Child Care Professionals and infants and toddlers pose with Trying Togehter t-shirts on.