News

June 29, 2026

Start Strong PA Urges Providers to Send Letters to Policymakers About Success of Recruitment and Retention Program

Start Strong PA is calling on providers of child care programs who received additional funding from last year’s state budget to send a message to Pennsylvania state legislators to let them know that investments in the state’s early care and education programs are beneficial.

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Currently, state lawmakers are finalizing the state’s 2026-2027 budget. Start Strong PA is urging child care providers to reach out to policymakers to ask them to include, at minimum, the following proposed investments in the early care and education workforce:

A $10 million increase for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program
A $2 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
A $7.5 million increase for Pre-K Counts

Start Strong PA is asking providers who received a Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Award or funding to provide bonuses to staff to let policymakers know if the bonus helped to pay bills, catch up on expenses, support one’s family, or reduce financial stress.

Providers can also let policymakers know whether the additional funding helped them to feel recognized for the work they do every day. Those who contact legislators can personalize their letters with their own story.

For more information, visit Start Strong PA’s website.

News

June 11, 2026

Chambers of Commerce Coalition Asks State Assembly to Continue Investing in Child Care Workforce

A coalition of 81 local chambers of commerce from across Pennsylvania is urging the Pennsylvania State Assembly to continue investing in the child care workforce as part of the 2026-27 state budget.

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The coalition, led by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, delivered a sign-on letter to state policymakers calling for additional investments in the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs.

Other chambers of commerce to join the coalition included the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, Greene County Chamber of Commerce, Butler County Chamber of Commerce, Beaver County Chamber of Commerce, Indiana County Chamber of Commerce, Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce, and Three Rivers Business Alliance.

The letter emphasizes that the state’s child care crisis is not only a family issue, but also a workforce and economic development challenge. Employers around the state continue to report that working caregivers are struggling to find and afford quality child care, making it harder to fill open positions, maintain productivity, and support economic growth.

“In Indiana County and communities like ours across Pennsylvania, employers need reliable access to talent and parents need reliable access to child care,” said Mark Hilliard, president of the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. “When child care providers cannot hire and keep staff, businesses feel the impact through absenteeism, turnover, and unfilled jobs. A stronger investment in recruitment and retention is an investment in workforce stability.”

The Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, the letter notes, was created as a first step to help child care providers address severe staffing shortages by supporting teacher recruitment and retention. Chamber of commerce leaders said that growing the program would help providers to better compete in a tight labor market, stabilize classrooms, and expand access for working families.

The letter states that providers continue to struggle to compete with other sectors that offer higher wages, while the average child care teacher in the state earns just over $15 per hour. As a result, providers have been forced to close classrooms, limit enrollment, and maintain long waitlists despite strong demand.

The chambers are also calling for increased investments in Pre-K Counts and Head Start to help providers address inflationary pressures and workforce shortages. The letter noted that the state’s child care crisis costs working families and employers approximately $6.5 billion annually in lost wages and productivity.

For more details, read the coalition’s letter.

News

June 10, 2026

Trying Together, Educators Advocate in Harrisburg for Early Childhood Education Investments in State Budget

Trying Together traveled with 40 early childhood education teachers and administrators as well as caregivers of young children to Harrisburg on Tuesday, June 9 to meet with policymakers and advocate for investments in the early care and education workforce in the 2026-27 budget.

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The teachers, administrators, and parents represented five counties – Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington, and Beaver – and were members of Trying Together’s advocacy fellowship program. They met with their state representatives and senators to tell their early childhood education stories.

“Early care and education is a critical issue for families and economic development in every community – rural, suburban, and urban alike,” said Emily Neff, Trying Together’s director of public policy. “The fact that nearly 40 early childhood educators from five counties traveled to Harrisburg and back in a single day demonstrates the urgency of this issue.”

Neff said the group met with policymakers from both parties and both chambers – a total of 19 state representatives and 10 senators – to advocate for increased investments in child care, pre-k, and early intervention in the state budget.

“There is no way around it: continued public investment in early care and education is essential,” Neff said.

Meetings with Policymakers

The group discussed with policymakers the importance of including proposed investments in the early care and education workforce in the 2026-27 state budget, including:

A $10 million increase for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program
A $2 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
A $7.5 million increase for Pre-K Counts

Participants in the day of advocacy said it was a positive experience. Anna Dolter, a Pittsburgh Public Schools pre-k teacher, said the trip was her first time to Harrisburg. She met with state Reps. Dan Frankel (D-23rd) and Lindsay Powell (D-21st) and state Sen. Jay Costa (D-43rd).

“My message to them was the importance of early education and keeping it accessible and equitable to all families in our city and state,” she said. “It was good to meet with representatives, so we can take information back to our colleagues in terms of what we can do to advocate to get early education in the budget.”

Wes Garis, the senior director of professional and child development at Braddock’s Heritage Community Initiatives, said his job involves supporting educators and providing classroom support.

“I’ve tried to bolster recruitment and retention, but we need to have teachers long enough to grow them and keep them in the field,” he said.

He said although some of the policymakers he met with on Tuesday were already on board with proposed investments, he thought it was important to provide them with context.

“It was good that we did it as a group,” he said. “We had our stories bounce off each other – it shows the connection and makes the stories and data come to life.”

Dayna Jones, the owner and CEO of Highland Park’s Simply Kidz Zone Early Learning Center, said that the trip to Harrisburg was a great opportunity to advocate for investments to the field.

“I wanted to advocate that we struggle with financially supporting our staff to be able to embrace high-quality child care,” she said. “We want to pay staff what they deserve and allow parents to be able to afford child care and be able to work. We want to send a message that (early childhood educators) are essential. I don’t think child care is taken seriously enough.”

The group met with state Reps. Dan Frankel (D-23rd), Lindsay Powell (D-21st), Eric Nelson (R-57th), Daniel Deasy (D-27th), Arvind Venkat (D-30th), Timothy J. O’Neal (R-48th), Joshua Kail (R-15th), Jim Rigby (R-71st), Jessica Benham (D-36th), Aerion Abney (D-19th), Andrew Kuzma (R-39th), Emily Kinkead (D-20th), Bud Cook (R-49th), Natalie Mihalek (R-40th), Eric Davanzo (R-58th), and Anita Kulik (D-50th), La’Tasha Mayes (D-24th), Mandy Steele (D-33rd), and John Inglis III (D-38th), and state Sens. Jay Costa (D-43rd), Kim Ward (R-39th), Joe Pittman (R-41st), Camera Bartolotta (R-46th), Wayne Fontana (D-42nd), Elder Vogel (R-47th), Patrick Stefano (R-32nd), Lindsey Williams (D-38th), Wayne Langerholc (R-35th), and Devlin Robinson (R-37th).

News

April 7, 2026

Five Ways to Advocate for Early Childhood Education During Month of the Young Child

There are numerous ways to advocate for early childhood education during April, which is celebrated by Trying Together as the Month of the Young Child and includes a regional advocacy blitz.

It is an important time to collectively work together to create systemic and policy change for young children, families, and the educators who serve them. No action is too small and can be part of your day. Think of advocacy as educating policymakers on the reality of early childhood education and the families of young children to ensure their needs are met and to receive the resources and investments necessary for a thriving early childhood education (ECE) system.

April Advocacy Blitz

The Trying Together Policy team supports an April Advocacy Blitz, a regional advocacy effort that aims to amplify the voices of early childhood educators, families, and community partners across the Pittsburgh region, said Emily Neff, Trying Together’s director of public policy.

“Last year, we celebrated a major win – a $25 million recurring investment (in the state budget) for child care recruitment and retention, the first of its kind in nearly 20 years,” Neff said. “While that was a huge step, we’re just getting started.”

Neff noted that as the 2026-2027 state budget is being negotiated, it is a critical time for early childhood advocates in the region to come together to ensure that their voices are heard.

Neff outlined five things to do during April’s Month of the Young Child (MOYC) to advocate for early learning:

Sign Start Strong PA’s petition
Complete the 2026 child care staffing crisis survey
Contact legislators
Submit children’s artwork to legislators
Post on social media

Sign Start Strong PA’s Petition

The first action that advocates can take is to sign Start Strong PA’s petition to include a number of proposed investments for early childhood education in the 2026-2027 state budget. The proposals include:

A $10 million increase for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention program
A $2 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance program
A $7.5 million increase for Pre-K Counts

Other recommendations include raising the child care subsidy limit, dedicating funds so programs can better serve children with special needs, and advancing targeted reforms to reduce unnecessary burdens on child care providers while preserving strong health and safety standards to keep children safe.

After signing the petition, share it with your friends, family, colleagues, and community members.

Complete the 2026 Child Care Staffing Crisis Survey

Help to gather real stories and data from the field to inform state policymakers and advocacy efforts by filling out Start Strong PA’s 2026 Child Care Staffing Crisis Survey.

Those who fill out the survey will have the opportunity to discuss staffing issues at their child care programs. The information collected from the 15-minute survey will be used to demonstrate the need for the 2026-2027 state budget to increase funding for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention program, so that bonuses for the workforce grow.

Those who take out the survey should encourage fellow staff members and families who utilize the program to also participate.

Contact Your Legislator

Another way to make your voice heard on the state’s child care staffing crisis is to reach out directly to the decision-makers in your community.

Start by looking up your state legislators, and then sending an email, making a call, or inviting them to visit your program. Show and tell them why investing in early childhood education is important to your community.

To find your state legislator, visit the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s website.

Submit Children’s Artwork

Another simple and powerful way to advocate is to submit children’s artwork to elected officials who represent your community.

Ask the children in your program to create artwork. If you are already having them create something for the Week of the Young Child, you can use that – or ask them to create something new. An optional step would be to ask them to include a short message, such as “My name is ___ and I love my school because ___.”

Then, find your state legislator’s district office by searching the state General Assembly’s page and then entering your program’s address on the artwork that you submit. Send some of the artwork to your state House representative’s office and some to your state senator’s office.

Post on Social Media

A final, simple way to advocate is to share what you are doing during the Month of the Young Child on social media and tag your legislator in the post.

Information you might consider sharing in the post might include:

Activities taking place at your center
Teachers in action
Children learning and engaging
An explanation of why this week and your work matter

Post your photos on Facebook or Instagram and describe the activities taking place at your center as well as why the Month of the Young Child is important. In your post, tag your state House representative, state senator, and Trying Together.

MOYC and Week of the Young Child

Trying Together celebrates the Month of the Young Child every April in conjunction with the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) yearly observance of the Week of the Young Child.

This year, the Week of the Young Child will be observed April 11 through 17.

More information on how Trying Together and providers are celebrating the Month of the Young Child can be found on Trying Together’s website.

News

February 4, 2026

OCDEL Offering Free Little Library for State-Certified Early Learning Providers

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is offering state-certified early learning providers the opportunity to request a Little Library at no cost for their program and community.

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The opportunity is voluntary and open to all Pennsylvania-certified providers, including child care centers, family child care homes, state Pre-K Counts, Head Start, and Early Head Start programs. Quantities are limited to one library per physical location.

Little Libraries are small, free book-sharing boxes that allow community members to “take a book, share a book.” Their aim is to increase access to reading materials, encourage family engagement, and promote a love of reading.

For early learning programs, a Little Library can be an additional way to support early literacy while reinforcing the program’s role as a trusted community leader and resource.

While placement of the Little Library is up to each recipient, OCDEL encourages locations that allow for public access to maximize community impact. This could include placement near a program entrance, along a sidewalk, or in another visible, welcoming space.

Programs that receive a Little Library will be responsible for maintaining and restocking books over time. To help each program, OCDEL will provide the first nine books. In addition, the first 500 programs to submit a request will also receive a copy of the previous PA One Book selection.

Those interested in adding a Little Library to their program can do so online. To prepare to set up a Little Library, visit the Pennsylvania Key’s website for tips and additional resources.

News

February 3, 2026

Shapiro Announces Additional $10M for Child Care Workforce in Proposed 2026-27 Budget

Governor Josh Shapiro announced on Tuesday during a speech before the General Assembly in Harrisburg that he is seeking an additional $10 million in his 2026-27 budget for the child care workforce.

The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania – a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting children from birth to age 5 – praised Shapiro’s budget proposal for its focus on children and early education workforce investments, while highlighting the need for additional support in areas such as infant and toddler Early Intervention and home visiting.

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Shapiro said the additional $10 million would bring the total investment to $35 million for the recurring Child Recruitment and Retention Program. The governor said the investment aims to stabilize and grow the child care workforce amid an ongoing teacher shortage.

“We need more early childhood educators and pre-k teachers – kind, gentle souls who want to get our kids started on the right path, but who have been paid too little for too long,” Shapiro said. “This budget delivers for them.”

Trying Together’s Executive Director Cara Ciminillo lauded this increased investment, saying, “I am pleased to see Governor Shapiro continue to prioritize the child care workforce in his proposed budget. This additional funding demonstrates to educators that their work is vital, valued, and worth investing in.”

The proposed budget also includes an additional $7.5 million for Pre-K Counts and $2 million for Head Start State Supplemental to help providers raise wages and retain staff. Shapiro said he is also calling for an additional $2.5 million for teacher professional development to ensure that educators have the training and tools needed to support students.

In a statement, Start Strong PA praised Shapiro’s budget proposal.

“Child care is an economic development strategy, workforce participation strategy, and education success strategy,” the statement read. “These investments will encourage teachers to remain in the field, allowing more parents to work, prepare more Pennsylvania children for school, and build a stronger and more prosperous commonwealth.”

However, Start Strong PA noted that the reduction in funding of $5.2 million for the infant and toddler Early Intervention program in the Department of Human Services’ budget failed to recognize needed investments in those areas.

“Early Intervention is a critical and federally-required component of the early care and education continuum, as all children from birth through age 5 with developmental delays, regardless of family income level, must be identified, referred to, and provided necessary services to help them and their families reach their fullest potential,” Start Strong PA’s statement read. “The cut to infant and toddler Early Intervention in the Department of Human Services’ budget is deeply concerning. The reduction of funding will negatively impact the ability to adequately deliver services to more children in Pennsylvania.”

Start Strong PA also noted that stagnant funding reduces home visiting services for pregnant women and families with young children.

To read the governor’s full budget address, visit the governor’s office pressroom website.

Take Action – Thank Governor Shapiro for Prioritizing the ECE Workforce!

Start Strong PA has issued a new action alert encouraging people to send a message to Governor Shapiro thanking him for prioritizing the ECE workforce. See action alert.

News

December 17, 2025

Child Care Programs Still Recovering from Budget Impasse, Advocates Optimistic About New Investments

Some early childhood education centers are still recovering from the months-long state budget impasse, despite additional child care investments in the 2025-26 budget that Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law last month, according to a new report by the West Hills Gazette.

Several long-time partners of Trying Together discussed with the Gazette how they were forced to dip into their reserves during the impasse and how getting a $25 million early childhood education retention and recruitment line item in the budget is a great start for alleviating teacher shortages.

Presbyterian Day School

Mary Merryman, director of Coraopolis’ Presbyterian Day School, said that low wages in the early childhood education profession has made it challenging to find teachers and resulted in a shortage of child care centers.

Merryman, an alum of Trying Together’s advocacy fellowship, said that Coraopolis is a “child care desert,” meaning there are not enough centers or programs to support the number of children under age 5 in the area.

Merryman, who has traveled to Harrisburg to advocate for early childhood education, said the state budget’s $25 million line item is a good start to combatting the shortages.

“That will definitely help,” she told the Gazette. “If we can retain teachers, we can offer more services to families.”

Riverview Children’s Center

Stephanie Heakins, director of Riverview Children’s Center in Verona, said she took over the reins at the center in the middle of the impasse. Earlier this month, Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis dropped by the center to discuss the recently-passed child care investments in the 2025-26 budget. Riverview has been a long-time partner of Trying Together and has a history of advocacy work.

Heakins told the Gazette that loans were not an option during the impasse because paying interest on them was “not feasible,” while laying off teachers was also not possible because she knew the center would never get them back.

Riverview receives about $55,000 per month from the state for its Pre-K Counts program, which provides free pre-kindergarten classes to low-income families, the Gazette reported. More than 50 students are currently enrolled and there is a waitlist.

Because Pre-K Counts and Head Start – which Riverview does not offer – did not receive state dollars during the impasse, programs like Riverview were forced to dip into their reserve funds.

“(The impasse) was a big thing, but now we are hoping we can get back on track and start planning for the future,” Heakins told the Gazette.

Data

According to PA Partnerships for Children, there were about 3,000 open staffing positions in the child care workforce, with an average salary of $29,480, as of September 2024. Kindergarten teachers, on the other hand, make an average $67,670.

The 2025-26 budget’s $25 million Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program would provide about $450 annually to employed licensed Child Care Works providers. The bonuses would support approximately 55,000 child care workers.

News

December 2, 2025

Shapiro Touts Child Care Recruitment and Retainment Program During Riverview Visit

Governor Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined child care workers, legislators, and community leaders at Verona’s Riverview Children’s Center on Monday to discuss child care investments in the 2025-26 budget that the governor signed in November.

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Shapiro dropped by the center, with which Trying Together has a long relationship, to talk about how investments in the budget would help Pennsylvania to recruit and retain child care workers, expand access to quality care, and ensure that more parents can stay in the workforce.

The state’s child care industry currently has 3,000 unfilled jobs that, if filled, could serve an additional 25,000 children. Providers also continue to struggle with low wages that make it difficult to hire and retain staff. The result is closed classrooms and families being turned away.

To address the shortages and expand child care availability, the 2025-26 budget established a $25 million Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program that will provide about $450 annually per employed to licensed Child Care Works providers. The bonuses would support approximately 55,000 child care workers.

“When parents can’t find affordable, reliable care, they can’t work – and our entire economy feels it,” Shapiro said during the event at Riverview. “We’ve taken real action to lower costs by tripling the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for nearly 219,000 families, but affordability isn’t enough. We also have to expand access. That’s why we’re making investments to help child care centers hire and retain talented educators. These bonuses will help to strengthen the workforce, open more slots for children, and make sure families across Pennsylvania can find the care they need.”

The budget also invests an additional $7.5 million for Pre-K Counts to help providers raise wages and stabilize the early educator workforce. It also includes a $10 million increase for early intervention services to support families with children experiencing developmental delays.

Riverview Children’s Center is a state licensed, four-star Keystone STARS early learning center that serves about 154 children from infancy through school age and employs 32 educators. About 15% of the center’s annual revenue comes from Child Care Works.

“As a working mother, I know firsthand how essential high-quality early education and dedicated educators are – not only for our children’s development, but for the stability and success of families across the commonwealth,” said Stephanie Heakins, the center’s director. “At RCC, we are deeply committed to providing high-equity care so every child, no matter their background, begins with the strong foundation they deserve.”

News

October 7, 2025

Treasurer Announces Short-Term Funding Relief for Pre-K Counts Programs, Head Start Providers

The Pennsylvania Treasury Department’s Budget Bridge Loan program will now accept applications from Pre-K Counts programs and organizations that provide rape prevention and response services as well as domestic violence prevention and support services for survivors, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced this week.

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Eligible organizations must use the Budget Bridge Loan for immediate operating expenses as indicated by the loan agreement. Funds will be received shortly after an application is approved.

In late September, Garrity announced $500 million in Budget Bridge Loans for Head Start providers and county governments to help support vital human services. Treasury expects to be able to expand the program to Pre-K Counts and rape and domestic violence prevention programs without increasing the original program amount.

The Treasury Department will reach out directly to Head Start programs and county governments. Those who enter into a loan agreement will be required to pay back the initial investment along with a 4.5% annual interest rate within 15 days of state funds being released following the enactment of a state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Providers eligible to apply for the loans will receive communication directly from the Treasurer’s Office with instructions on how to apply.

“The response to Treasury’s short-term funding solution has been positive, and I’m pleased to be able to expand this program to include organizations that provide critical services to more children and also to survivors of rape and assault,” Garrity said. “I’m using the tools available as state treasurer to make sure critical services can continue without interruption. These loans are a lifeline.”

For more information, read the Treasury Department’s announcement on the loan program.

While we continue to advocate for a final budget with early childhood investments, this is welcome relief for Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs.

News

October 6, 2025

Census Survey Includes Statistics on Children Living in Poverty, Pre-K Counts Eligibility

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released results of the 2024 Community Survey (ACS), an annual source of up-to-date information on social, economic, and housing data and trends.

This year’s survey found that the number of Pennsylvania children under the age of 18 living in families below the federal poverty level decreased by about 1%.

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The survey provides local statistics on a variety of demographic and economic topics, including health insurance coverage, household income, and educational attainment.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children highlighted some of the most noteworthy statistics in a recent newsletter. These include:

The number of Pennsylvania children under age 18 living in families below the federal poverty line – less than 100% FPL – decreased from 404,000 to 396,000, or from 16% to 15%.
Racial gaps remain for children living in poverty: Approximately 31% of Black children live in poverty as well as 26% of Latino children, 10% of non-Hispanic white children, and 20% of children with two or more races.
The rate of Pennsylvania children under age 6 who have all available parents in the labor force remained at 72%.
Pennsylvania children under 6 who are eligible for Pre-K Counts (less than 300% FPL) decreased from 54% to 51%.

For more statistics, visit the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT Data Center or the 2024 Community Survey.