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

March 31, 2026

State Survey Asks for Women’s Input on Child Care, Education, and Other Topics

The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women is asking Pennsylvania women to take a survey on such issues as child care, health care, education, and employment prior to an upcoming statewide listening tour.

Learn More

The survey, which takes about 20 minutes, is part of the commission’s initiative to collect information on women to help shape public policy.

Women are asked to share their stories involving child care, health care, education, employment, safety, and other issues of importance to them.

The testimony will be included in a 2026 State of the Woman Report that will highlight progress women have made in the state over the past 60 years as well as identify the gaps that still exist.

The statewide listening tour kicked off in Philadelphia on March 19. The tour will continue through May 30 in locations across the state. Registration for the Pittsburgh event, which takes place on Thursday, May 14, is available online.

Start Strong PA noted that the survey is an opportunity for mothers, grandmothers, child care teachers, and program directors and owners to make their voice heard. It encouraged women to provide testimony about how the state’s child care crisis affects a parent’s ability to work, an educator’s ability to earn a living wage, and a child’s ability to have a stable learning environment, among other topics.

Those interested can take the survey online.

News

March 23, 2026

Start Strong PA Calls on Child Care Directors, Owners to Take Staffing Crisis Survey

The Start Strong PA Campaign is calling on child care directors and owners to take part in a survey on the staffing crisis survey in the next two weeks.

Learn More

Start Strong PA is collecting information about the ongoing staffing crisis and participation in the Child Care Recruitment and Retention Program that was included in Pennsylvania’s most recent budget.

The information collected during the survey will be used to demonstrate the continued need for the 2026-2027 state budget to increase funding for child care so the workforce is paid a livable wage and programs can keep classrooms open for working families.

Surveys must be completed by Sunday, April 5.

Child care programs should fill out separate surveys for each locations if they are multi-site organizations.

Some of the questions on the survey include:

The amount of open or unfilled staff positions
Whether the program has closed classrooms
Whether there are under-enrolled classrooms
Whether there are challenges with recruiting teachers

The survey can be taken online.

News

February 26, 2026

Start Strong PA Survey Focuses on Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program

The Start Strong PA Campaign is calling on child care program staff to fill out a survey regarding the need for increased funding for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program in the 2026-27 state budget.

Learn More

The Start Strong PA Campaign is collecting information from Pennsylvania child care directors and owners about the ongoing staffing crisis. While last year’s state budget included funding to help child care programs offer a bonus to eligible teachers, child care programs are still in need of more funding to keep their classroom and program doors open.

The information collected from the 15-minute survey will be used to demonstrate the urgent need for the 2026-27 state budget to increase funding for the recruitment and retention program, so the workforce is paid a livable wage and classrooms can remain open for working families.

The survey includes questions about the number of open staff positions, closed classrooms, and underenrolled classrooms as well as whether programs are having difficulty recruiting teachers.

Those who complete the survey by Friday, March 20 will be entered in a $100 gift card drawing. The deadline to fill out the survey is Sunday, April 5.

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

January 15, 2026

Start Strong PA Provides Update on Impact to Federal, State Child Care Funding

Start Strong PA shared information this week regarding what is known about the current status of federal and state child care funding after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it would freeze funding in five states.

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The federal government announced in early January that it would freeze $10 billion in federal funds to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York. This was triggered by allegations of fraud at child care centers in Minnesota and was initially stated it would be applied nationwide. However, a judge temporarily blocked the freeze on January 9 on the grounds that the states met a threshold “to protect the status quo” for at least 14 days while arguments were made in court.

Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA condemned this freeze on federal funds in a recent statement, saying, “The recent decision to freeze access to Child Care and Development Fund, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Social Services Block Grant funds for California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York is a disproportionate and harmful reaction to alleged fraud confined to specific providers in Minnesota. Let us be clear: fraud within public systems is unacceptable and must be addressed with precision. However, we must also be clear that states have regular audits of these funds, many systems like Pennsylvania’s have robust program integrity measures, and federal oversight mechanisms are already in place to ensure accountability.”

To date, states have submitted quarterly financial reports to justify funds that are drawn monthly from their CCDF allocation. New rules would prevent states from accessing federal funds automatically. Every payment request would now require pre-approval with “justification and a receipt or photo evidence.” The immediate impact could be on state agencies, such as Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), that are responsible for providing the documentation.

Documentation or Payment Delivery

OCDEL has announced that there is no change in required documentation or in payment delivery for child care providers with Child Care Works contracts receiving reimbursement for subsidized child care.

Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC) and child care providers should continue administering Child Care Works in accordance with existing OCDEL policy and procedures. Also, for parents, OCDEL has announced that there is no change in the type or frequency of required documentation.

“While fraud is absolutely unacceptable and must be addressed, this response is unjust and disproportionate,” a statement from Start Strong PA read. “It punishes providers, families, and children for the alleged actions of a few. Many states like Pennsylvania already have extensive program integrity measures and all states undergo regular federal reviews designed to prevent and catch fraud.”

Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program

The Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program enacted in the 2025-26 state budget is not affected by the federal funding change and will continue accepting applications from eligible providers from qualified staff.

Providers must submit a completed application to their region ELRC by Thursday, January 29.

Impact on Pennsylvania

Start Strong PA said that the new federal rules would negatively affect the 93,300 children receiving Child Care Works if Pennsylvania’s federal child care funding is impacted in the future.

“Delaying or freezing payments would not only hurt the families receiving those subsidies, but could force child care programs to close and teachers to lose their jobs,” the Start Strong PA statement read. “These consequences are detrimental to families’ stability and children’s learning. This reaction is outside the norm – the federal government has already targeted legal and financial tools to recoup fraudulent funds without harming innocent families and small businesses.”

News

October 17, 2025

Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA Surveys Find Devastating Impacts from Budget Impasse

Recent surveys conducted by the Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA campaigns and the Pennsylvania Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) of early childhood providers found widespread, devastating impacts resulting from the state’s budget impasse.

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The surveys found that 95 Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program providers in 32 counties have collectively taken on nearly $20 million in loans to continue serving working families while state funding has been frozen.

Many of the loans were business lines of credit taken out at an average interest rate of 7.5%, while others have been personal loans with higher interest rates. Many providers indicated that loans will only sustain operations for a short period of time and the accumulated interest liability may have severe consequences for future operations.

“This survey represents just a small portion of early learning providers, but it is clear that the continued state budget impasse is further destabilizing a sector that was already in the midst of a crisis with financial and staffing challenges,” said Kara McFalls, executive director of the Pennsylvania Head Start Association. “Early learning providers cannot withstand additional insecurity.”

While numerous providers have taken on debt to keep classrooms open, others have been forced to take more dramatic measures, such as layoffs and closing classrooms completely.

Through outreach across 21 grantees operating Pre-K Counts or Head Start programs in 16 state counties, OCDEL documented closures, planned closures, or delayed openings of classrooms that affect more than 4,000 slots in Pennsylvania. As a result, working families across the state are struggling to arrange and pay for alternate care for their children during working hours. Both Pre-K Counts and Head Start are free programs for qualifying families.

“Shutting our youngest learners out of classrooms will certainly have negative impacts on school readiness for this cohort of three- and four-year-olds in years to come,” said Robert S. Carl, Jr., president of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. “It’s time to compromise and pass a budget that invests in the early learning workforce.”

Previous surveys have documented thousands of unfilled early learning teaching positions due to low pay. Providers fear that closures and layoffs resulting from the state budget impasse will exacerbate these staffing challenges and further destabilize programs.

Polling from March 2025 shows that Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support increased state funding for early learning programs – including 83% support to allocate state funding to increase child care worker wages, 73% support to increase funding to serve more eligible children in pre-k programs, 73% support to increase funding to help more low-income families afford high-quality child care, and 72% to allocate funding to increase compensation for pre-k teachers.

Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA urge state lawmakers to pass a final budget that includes:

A $55 million investment in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to grant licensed child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program with $1,000 per educator
$17 million in additional funding for Pre-K Counts
$9.5 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
A $16.2 million increase for infant/toddler Early Intervention and a $38.1 million increase for preschool Early Intervention

News

May 15, 2025

Early Childhood Educators Share the Day-to-Day Realities of Working in Child Care Programs

Pennsylvania early childhood educators joined Trying Together and partner organizations on May 13 in Harrisburg to advocate for investments in workforce recruitment and retention and share at a press conference a recently released photovoice story map that highlights the joys and challenges of working in the early childhood field.

A Day in the Life

The photovoice story map, titled “A Day in the Life,” shares a glimpse into the day-to-day reality of working in child care programs. During the event, participants used these stories to call attention to widespread challenges in the field and urged further investments in the state’s early childhood education system.

Brie Rice and Aydan Roney met with state Rep. Eric Nelson.

Brie Rice, of JB’s Bright Beginnings in North Huntingdon, discussed the often-overlooked dedication of early childhood educators who spend significant time outside of work hours and their own money to keep young learners engaged.

“Let us draw you a picture of what happens in early education – gifted early childhood educators are making the heartbreaking decision to leave their passion behind in the classroom for higher-paying jobs in other sectors,” she said. “To raise wages, we would need to increase tuition. Parents can’t afford to pay more, and teachers can’t afford to make less. Without public investment in the workforce, the broken child care system is going to collapse.”

State Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-38th District) said that the state should support educators by investing more in the early childhood education system.

“Early childhood educators are the cornerstone of a family and child’s quality experience in a child care program, offering safe, nurturing, and responsive environments where children grow, learn, and thrive,” Williams said. “However, talented early educators are leaving the field due to abysmal pay and families’ access to quality child care is directly impacted. By investing funding proposed by Gov. (Josh) Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget in recruitment and retention bonuses for licensed child care providers, child care programs will be able to provide competitive wages to caregivers.”

According to a March 2024 report from the state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO), the average child care teacher in Pennsylvania earns $15.15 per hour, less than $32,000 annually. Shapiro has proposed a $55 million investment in child care recruitment and retention.

Data from a September 2024 Start Strong PA survey of 1,140 child care providers showed more than 3,000 open positions. If those positions were filled, an estimated 25,320 more children could be served.

In partnership with the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA campaigns, Trying Together was joined by fellow campaign partners First Up, PennAEYC, Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA), and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids/Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. Alongside early childhood educators from across the state, they met with more than 30 state legislators to advocate for increased investments in early care and education.

During their visits in Harrisburg, they urged the General Assembly to:

Support the proposed investment of $55 million in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to grant licensed child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program an additional $1,000 per educator
To more fully address the child care staffing crisis and its impact on working families, businesses, and the economy, consider an investment above the proposed $55 million

“Classrooms are empty, centers are closing, teachers are fleeing, families are being stranded without care, and children are being left without educational resources,” said Hayley Butler, an educator at Crafton Children’s Center in Allegheny County. “Recruitment and retention desperately need to be taken seriously because when a teacher leaves, a domino effect occurs. A teacher leaving can result in a family losing access to quality care options. While we know that there are many industries in need of support, our sector is the workforce behind the workforce, and we will not solve the labor issues without investing directly in our early education professionals.”

To better understand what is taking place in the early childhood education sector, view Trying Together’s “A Day in the Life” photovoice storytelling project.

Ready to take action? Sign the petition urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to invest, at minimum, the governor’s proposed $55 million in new and recurring state funding to implement a child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative to fix our child care staffing crisis.

News

April 29, 2025

Working Together Webinar

Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA will hold a webinar that will focus on advocating for funding in the 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget.

Learn More

The webinar, which will be offered in English and Spanish, will include discussions on:

Advocating for early learning in the 2025-26 state budget
State legislation updates
Federal advocacy update and opportunities for child care

The webinar will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 8. Those interested should register in advance for the Zoom webinar. Those who register will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Speakers will include Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, and the Provider Advisory Board. Other organizations participating include Trying Together, Pennsylvania Head Start Association, Pennsylvania Child Care Association, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, and Champions for Early Education.

News

March 3, 2025

Working Together Webinar

Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA will host an upcoming webinar on the state budget and advocacy efforts.

Learn More

The Working Together Webinar will be available in English and Spanish. The topics covered during the webinar include:

Early learning in the 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget
Follow up and response to state policymakers
Federal advocacy update and opportunities for child care

The webinar will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. Registration is open for the Zoom webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Speakers will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA partners.