February 4, 2025 ELPA Responds to Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 Pennsylvania Budget Proposal On February 4, 2024, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro released his 2024-25 state budget proposal. The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, applauded the early education workforce investments included in the Shapiro Administration’s 2025-26 state budget proposal. “Investments that will stabilize and reverse the exodus of early educators will directly benefit tens of thousands of teachers and other professional staff and help provider businesses remain open,” the ELPA partners said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. “Additionally, these investments will help reverse the billions of dollars in lost productivity and earnings suffered by working families and employers when families don’t have the care they need. ” ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA. Governor Shapiro’s state budget proposal includes: $57.7 million in additional funding for child care ($55 million in the proposed new Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item as well $1.6 million in Child Care Services and $1.1 million in Child Care Assistance line items) $17 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program Level funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program Level funding for evidence-based home visiting in the Community-Based Family Center line item and a small reduction in the Nurse-Family Partnership line due to a change in federal matching rates $16.2 million increase for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler) program through DHS $14.6 million increase for the Early Intervention Part B (age three to five) program through PDE Learn More Budget proposal takes direct action to address PA’s child care teacher crisis A $55 million recurring investment estimates an additional $1,000 per educator increase for licensed child care programs participating in the child care subsidy program. Start Strong PA “celebrates the Shapiro Administration’s proposal to directly invest in a child care teacher recruitment and retention program that will help keep teachers in the classroom so that working families have access to the care they need.” With this investment, Pennsylvania is joining 18 other states that are directly investing in teacher recruitment and retention efforts to keep child care classrooms open for the benefit of working parents and the economy at large. Recent estimates show that gaps in Pennsylvania’s child care system cost working families, employers, and taxpayers a staggering $6.65 billion annually — in lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue. “Start Strong PA looks forward to working with the House and Senate to ensure these urgently needed funds are included in the final budget and to the extent that state budget resources are available, increasing the investment so we can more fully address the child care crisis and its impact on working families and employers.” Shapiro proposal increases Pre-K Counts rates to address continuing teacher shortage; additional action needed for Head Start $15 million in new state funding to help stabilize early learning providers by boosting per child rates to help combat inflationary pressures and staffing shortages caused by low wages. Pre-K for PA “applauds the Shapiro Administration’s continued commitment to address the historic teacher staffing shortage in the Pre-K Counts program.” “Opportunities for teachers to earn more in the K-12 system and other sectors have challenged Pre-K Counts providers to keep classrooms open and operate at full capacity. This investment is a critical next step in preserving state funded pre-k programs for our commonwealth’s youngest learners.” Because the commonwealth’s Head Start Supplemental programs face similar staffing challenges, Pre-K for PA expressed disappointment that the budget proposal did not offer similar support and urges urges lawmakers to include increased funding in the final state budget to stabilize the Head Start workforce. “Mitigating teacher shortages in Pennsylvania’s publicly funded pre-k programs is a necessary first step in ensuring that all children have access to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” their statement read. “Currently, 78,000 three- and four-year-olds in the commonwealth are eligible but do not have access to high-quality pre-k programs.” Budget proposal also gives nod to significant workforce challenges in Early Intervention Inclusion of a proposed $16.2 million increase for Early Intervention Part C (infants and toddlers) in the Department of Human Services budget Increase of $14.6 million for Early Intervention Part B (age three to five) in the Department of Education budget. Thriving PA expressed appreciation for the investment. “Early Intervention is a critical part of the Thriving PA campaign, as all children from birth through age five 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.” However, they also noted that significantly more dollars are needed to adequately deliver Part C EI to children in Pennsylvania. A total of $10 million of this overall investment aims to address key challenges in the sector including workforce shortages, and they urge policymakers to build on this momentum. Fewer young children, families and pregnant women will be served by home visiting services due to continued flat funding and loss of federal funds The Childhood Begins at Home campaign expressed concern that the proposed 2025-26 budget does not account for the loss of federal funds expiring in June nor the continued rising costs of providing these life-changing services. “Without any assurance that the state will account for rising costs and backfill federal dollars, this ultimately will mean fewer home visiting services for Pennsylvania families impacted by economic and social disparities,” they said. “Home visitors are supportive partners who build a trusting relationship with families and help guide them through the early stages of having and raising a child. The evidence-based models show positive outcomes, from improving health for both children and adults to achieving economic self-sufficiency to reducing child maltreatment. Childhood Begins at Home will continue to work with policymakers in the legislature and the administration to ensure Pennsylvania does not unnecessarily see a reduction in families receiving and benefitting from evidence-based home visiting services.”
January 8, 2025 Map Provides Window Into Day-to-Day Life of Early Childhood Educators Trying Together – in partnership with the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA campaigns – has created an interactive map that highlights the day-to-day realities of child care programs around the state. These first-hand accounts depict the joys and challenges of working in the early care and education field. Learn More Visitors to the site will see the impact of low wages for educators, the closed classrooms and silent playgrounds, teachers struggling to afford basic necessities, and empty administrative offices. But they will also read stories about the joy a child finds on a swing at a program in Coraopolis or how teachers have an impact on the learning and growth of children in their communities. There’s even a story about a preschooler field trip to Burger King. The stories also show how, despite challenges, early childhood educators go above and beyond for their children and families. This includes meeting transportation needs, providing meals, and collaborating with caregivers on securing early intervention services for children. Each photo on the site was taken during an everyday moment in an early care and education program setting. The captions were written by each participant with guidance from their early childhood colleagues. Recruitment and Retention Currently, early childhood educators in child care programs make an average $15.15 per hour, which is less than $32,000 a year and does not meet the cost of living in any Pennsylvania county. Trying Together, Start Strong PA, and Pre-K for PA are all calling for early childhood educators (ECE) to be paid what they deserve. To compete with states that are doing more to keep ECE teachers in the classroom, Pennsylvania must invest $284 million in new and recurring state funding to implement a child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative. To read the stories, view the map on the A Day in the Life website.
December 2, 2024 Allegheny County Council to Vote on Proposed 2025 Budget Last week, the Allegheny County Budget and Finance Committee approved a budget with a 1.35 millage property tax increase rather than the proposed 2.2 mils, which would lead to significant cuts to the County Executive’s proposed budget. This budget will be discussed and voted on by the full council on December 3. What do these cuts mean? Of significant concern is a potential $23.2 million cut to the DHS budget which could greatly impact the children and families we serve and the child care sector. In order to leverage additional state funds and fully invest in critical human services in our region, the County needs to pass the County Executive’s proposed budget with the 2.2 mils property tax increase. These budget cuts could negatively impact children and families and their access to affordable, high-quality child care, as well as countless other important human services programming. What can you do? 1. Contact your council member by phone, email, or both and implore them to support a county budget that fully funds the Department of Human Services and does not leave any leveraged state monies on the table. See contact information below. 2. Request to speak at the December 3 council meeting to voice your support and urge approval of the full budget. Requests to comment must be submitted by 5 p.m. on December 2 by filling out the online form. If you do not wish to speak, you can still show your support by attending the meeting at the Allegheny County Courthouse (436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA) on December 3. The meeting will be held on the 4th Floor in the Gold Room at 5 p.m. 3. Share with others how they too can urge their council members to support the full budget proposed by Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. Find your council district Phone number: 412-350-6490 Allegheny Council District Council Member Email At Large Bethany Hallam Bethany.Hallam@alleghenycounty.us At Large Samuel DeMarco III Samuel.Demarco@alleghenycounty.us District 1 Jack Betkowski Jack.Betkowski@alleghenycounty.us District 2 Suzanne Filiaggi Suzanne.Filiaggi@alleghenycounty.us District 3 Anita Prizio Anita.Prizio@AlleghenyCounty.us District 4 Patrick Catena Patrick.Catena@alleghenycounty.us District 5 Dan Grzybek Daniel.Grzybek@alleghenycounty.us District 6 John F. Palmiere John.Palmiere@alleghenycounty.us District 7 Nicholas Futules Nicholas.Futules@alleghenycounty.us District 8 Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis Michelle.Chapkis@alleghenycounty.us District 9 Robert J. Macey Bob.Macey@alleghenycounty.us District 10 DeWitt Walton DeWitt.Walton@alleghenycounty.us District 11 Paul Klein Paul.Klein@alleghenycounty.us District 12 Robert Palmosina Robert.Palmosina@AlleghenyCounty.us District 13 David Bonaroti David.Bonaroti@alleghenycounty.us Chief of Staff Kenneth Varhola Kenneth.Varhola@alleghenycounty.us Learn More November 12, 2024- The proposed 2025 Allegheny County budget offers an incredible opportunity for our region’s children and families. We urge councilmembers to continue investments in child care and other critical human services that lift up families and enable them to thrive. The progress for young children, families, and our region’s economic growth depends on it. Allegheny County residents value giving children a strong start through accessible and affordable child care. Nearly 19,000 county residents shared their priorities through the All-In Community survey and made it clear that access and affordable child care (40%) and increased pay for child care workers (31%) matters. When the early learning sector struggles, there is a ripple effect. Our working families struggle, our businesses struggle, our local economy struggles. In a September survey from Start Strong PA, child care programs in Allegheny County reported 373 open positions, resulting in 128 closed classrooms. If those programs were fully staffed, 2,977 more children could be served. This is only a snapshot of about 20% of programs that responded across the county. Families in Allegheny County rely on child care and early learning programs. Child care providers are the workforce behind the workforce and necessary infrastructure for economic development and for Allegheny County to realize its full potential. We are grateful for the investments that Allegheny County has made in child care thus far. In January, the Allegheny County Executive directed an additional $500,000 to expand the Allegheny County Child Care Matters pilot program, which enabled additional families on a waiting list to receive subsidized child care. The Allegheny County Child Care Matters pilot program currently supports around 400 children. There is still more work to be done. The program has the potential to cover up to 15,000 children if fully funded. We support the proposed 2025 budget to invest in the services needed for children, families, and our communities to thrive. The impact of county investments will allow the county to unlock more state and federal funding and enable more children and families to have access to affordable, high-quality child care and other important human services programming. Resources Updates on Education and Workforce priorities for Allegheny County can be found here. You can find your county council district online. For more information, read the 2025 Budget Highlights for Allegheny County as well as the 2025 County Budget Toolkit.
November 25, 2024 Start Strong PA Urges Advocates to Add Their Name to Child Care Staffing Crisis Petition Start Strong PA is calling on Pennsylvania residents to add their names to a petition that calls on the state to take action regarding its ongoing child care staffing crisis. Currently, a total of 3,100 people have signed the petition. Start Strong PA is aiming to get 3,500 signatures before the petition closes on Friday, Nov. 29. Learn More As Gov. Josh Shapiro and state legislators begin to consider funding for the 2025-26 state budget, Start Strong PA is urging the governor’s administration to invest $284 million in new and recurring state funding for early child care. The organization is calling for funding to implement a child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative to fix the state’s child care staffing crisis. Pennsylvania currently has tens of thousands of parents struggling to find the care they need to work and support their families. As more child care classrooms close due to a lack of staffing, the number of families without reliable child care will increase. Start Strong PA argues that the crisis can be fixed by addressing the industry’s unlivable wages. Child care staff are so low that they do not meet the cost of living in any Pennsylvania county. Advocates are asked to add their names to a petition by filling out an online form. Start Strong PA is an advocacy campaign that is part of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five.
November 13, 2024 Working Together Webinar Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA are hosting a webinar that will focus on early learning priorities for the 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget. Learn More The Working Together Webinar will focus a variety of topics, including: Early learning priorities for the 2025-26 state budget Election results Advocacy update and opportunities for child care Speakers will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA partners, including Trying Together, Champions for Early Education, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, Pennsylvania Child Care Association, and Pennsylvania Head Start Association. Attendees will learn how to work together to strengthen Pennsylvania’s early learning system for teachers and programs and grow access to more eligible families. More Details The webinar will begin at noon on Thursday, Nov. 21. Those interested in attending should register in advance. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the webinar.
October 22, 2024 ELPA Releases Report on State of Early Care and Education in PA The Early Learning PA (ELPA) coalition has released a new report on the state of early care and education in Pennsylvania. Learn More The report, Providing the Necessary Foundation for Young Children to Succeed, includes a number of findings regarding the effect on the state when families can access child care options. It also provides policy recommendations about recruitment and retention for the child care workforce. The report states that the focus of the ELPA coalition – of which Pre-K for PA, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, and Start Strong PA are members – advocates for access to high-quality early care and education and healthy development opportunities for all Pennsylvania children. The report takes a deeper look into complexities within the state’s child care and pre-k system and recommends improvements that are necessary to ensure the system functions equitably. Its aim is to increase access and affordability for all Pennsylvania families. Key Findings The report’s key findings include: 71% of families with young children in the state have all available caregivers in the workforce. Pennsylvania loses about $6.65 billion annually when families cannot access child care options. Only 25% of eligible infants and toddlers are being served by Child Care Works, leaving more than 73,000 eligible infants and toddlers unserved. On average, child care for an infant in Pennsylvania comprises about 17.5% of the median family’s income. The state’s average wage of a child care worker is about $15.15 per hour. Only 46% of all child care capacity in Pennsylvania meets high-quality standards and only 36% of providers serving children under age 5 in Child Care Works are high-quality. Only 46% of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds participate in high-quality, publicly-funded pre-k, leaving more than 78,000 without access to a high-quality program. At 49%, child care programs comprise the largest share of Pre-K Counts providers in the state, with half of Pre-K Counts children being served in high-quality child care centers. The average salary for pre-k teachers in the state is $34,430, compared to $68,250 for kindergarten teachers. 96% of kindergarten teachers agree that students who attend high-quality pre-k programs are ready for success when they start kindergarten. Policy Recommendations The report’s recommendations for policymakers in Pennsylvania include: Implementing and continually funding a recruitment and retention model to increase the child care workforce and ensure providers have the staff needed to operate at full capacity Cease using market-rate surveys, instead conducting cost estimation studies to develop an approved modeling tool to determine the true cost of providing high-quality care; this would ensure accurate investment in state funding in the child care sector to build an infrastructure that would support providers Increasing state and federal funding for the child care sector to serve more infants and toddlers Increasing state pre-k investments in Pre-K Counts and HSSAP Developing and fully funding a pay parity policy for pre-k teachers that reflects wages provided to teachers in the K-12 system Requiring OCDEL to produce a report every three years that provides a clear picture of the early childhood workforce, using state-level and county data and including recommendations on how Pennsylvania can better support the profession Expanding the number of high-quality providers by increasing incentives within the state’s QRIS, Keystone STARS Providing additional opportunities for professional development and career advancement for the early care and education workforce Conducting an equity audit of the state’s early care and education system to understand better the changes needed to ensure equitable access for all children The entire report can be viewed online.
October 7, 2024 Report Finds That PA Early Learning Shortage Poses Risk to Economy A report from Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children notes that the state faces an historic early learning workforce shortage. Learn More A coordinated early care and education system ensures that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers succeed in school and allows parents to work while knowing their children are safe and learning in high-quality care. But Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children’s 2024 State of Early Care and Education report found that this coordinated system that is vital to the economy could be threatened by the early learning workforce shortage. The report uses data and research to show that without new investments in the child care workforce, Pre-K Counts, or the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program, early learning providers will continue to lose teachers and close classrooms. Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children worked with Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates that includes Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA, on the report. Inadequate Funding The report shows that inadequate funding for the early care and education system has led to supply-side issues affecting families’ abilities to find affordable, high-quality care. It has also impacted providers’ abilities to be compensated fairly to pay teachers and maintain business expenses. Without direct investment in the child care sector’s workforce, the crisis will continue, likely resulting in more classroom closures and more working parents struggling to find care for their children, the report noted. The report recommends implementing and funding a recruitment and retention model to increase the child care workforce and ensure that providers have the staff needed to operate at full capacity. It also suggests increasing state investments in the Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance programs as well as developing and funding a pay parity policy for pre-K teachers that reflects wages provided to teachers in the K-12 system. Other Findings Other findings in the report include: Only 46% of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds participate in high-quality, publicly funded pre-K, leaving more than 78,000 without access to a high-quality program. Unlivable wages of less than $15.15 per hour are causing an historic workforce shortage, closing classrooms and driving up waitlists for working parents. Child care providers can’t raise teacher wages because families are already struggling to afford care costs. On average, costs for infant child care comprise about 17% of the Pennsylvania median family income. Only 25% of eligible children under age three are served by Child Care Works, leaving more than 73,000 eligible infants and toddlers unserved. The full report is available on Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children’s website.
October 2, 2024 Working Together Webinar Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA will host an upcoming webinar that will focus on early learning in Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 budget. Learn More The webinar, which will be available in English and Spanish, will focus on early learning in the state budget for 2025-26. It will also include an advocacy update and a discussion on opportunities for child care. The webinar will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10. Those interested in attending should register in advance. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Speakers will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA partners, including: Champions for Early Education Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children Pennsylvania Child Care Association Pennsylvania Head Start Association Trying Together Attendees will learn how to continue working with others to strengthen the state’s early learning system for teachers and programs and grow access to more eligible families.
September 3, 2024 Report: Fewer Pennsylvania Teachers Getting Certified A new report by Penn State College’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis found that fewer Pennsylvania teachers are getting certified and many are leaving the field altogether. Learn More In his study, “Pennsylvania Teacher Attrition and Turnover from 2014 to 2024,” Penn State professor Ed Fuller notes that the 2022-23 state’s teacher attrition rate of 7.7% was the highest on record. According to a Chalkbeat report, Pennsylvania was within the range of national trends during that time period. About 9,500 Pennsylvania teachers left the profession between 2022 and 2023, which led to concern that attrition rates would exacerbate ongoing teacher shortages. While demand for teachers has increased, the supply has decreased. But Fuller’s study found that fewer teachers left the profession in Pennsylvania than in the prior year. The teacher attrition rate from 2022-23 to 2023-24 dropped from 7.7% to 6.7%. This equals about 8,326 teachers. However, the attrition rate is still greater than the rates for six of the 10 years since 2014-15. Early Learning Shortages The teacher shortage in Pennsylvania extends to child care and early learning professionals. A September 2023 survey by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab on behalf of StartStrongPA detailed a child care staffing crisis in 762 of the state’s child care programs as well as its effect on working families’ ability to access care. That study found that 2,395 open positions across the state have resulted in the closure of 934 classrooms. It also found that child care providers’ inability to recruit and retain staff is having a direct impact on the quality of their programming. An additional 26,000 children could be served at state child care programs if fully staffed, the report found. Similarly, a total of 145,010 Pennsylvania children, ages three and four, are eligible for high-quality kindergarten – but only 46% of them have access, according to 2024 Pre-K for PA fact sheets. Pre-K for PA’s campaign amid the 2024-25 state budget process called for increased investments in Pre-K Counts to address teacher shortages and greater access to eligible children.
August 27, 2024 Child Care Directors and Owners Asked to Take Staffing Crisis Survey The Start Strong PA campaign is asking child care directors and owners to take a survey regarding the ongoing Pennsylvania teacher staffing crisis. Learn More While the recently passed Pennsylvania 2024-25 state budget included funding to help families better afford child care, programs are still in need of more funding to keep their classroom and program doors open. Information collected through the survey will be used to demonstrate the need for the 2025-26 state budget to fund a child care teacher recruitment and retention initiative. This would ensure that the workforce is paid a livable wage and that programs remain open for working families. Four respondents to the survey will be randomly selected to receive a $100 gift card. The deadline to participate is Monday, Sept. 30. The survey is now available online.
