May 15, 2024 Interactive Maps Demonstrate Unmet Child Care Needs at County Level Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a Start Strong PA campaign partner, has created interactive maps and fact sheets demonstrating the unmet need and availability of high-quality child care to meet those needs at the state, county, and legislative district levels. Access By County Each county-level assessment examines workforce issues – such as average wages – as well as the amount of access to and quality of child care. Access to high-quality programs was a challenge for families in numerous Pennsylvania counties. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children provided fact sheets and maps for: Allegheny County (65% of children under age five and 70% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Armstrong County (90% of children under age five and infants and toddlers were unserved) Beaver County (78% of children under age five and 82% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Butler County (87% of children under age five and 90% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Fayette County (80% of children under age five and 82% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Greene County (83% of children under age five and 85% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Indiana County (86% of children under age five and 85% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Lawrence County (76% of children under age five and 79% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Washington County (83% of children under age five and 87% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Westmoreland County (83% of children under age five and 86% of infants and toddlers were unserved) Start Strong PA Campaign The Start Strong PA campaign is asking the General Assembly to include in its 2024-25 state budget: Support for the Shapiro administration’s proposal to increase subsidy rates to the 75th percentile of the current price families pay for child care services. This increase will help alleviate rising facility, food, utility, and supply costs for providers participating in Child Care Works. A $284 million investment in new and recurring state funding to implement a child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative. This will help alleviate the ongoing staffing crisis that is causing classrooms and programs to close, leaving working families without access to child care.