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.
August 14, 2024 Working Together Webinar Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA will host an upcoming webinar on early learning initiatives in the state. Learn More The Working Together Webinar will focus on several topics relating to early learning in the state, including: Early learning in the 2024-25 state budget Follow up and response to state policymakers Federal advocacy update and opportunities for child care The webinar, which will be available in English and Spanish, will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA partners – including First Up: Champions for Early Education, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, Pennsylvania Child Care Association, Pennsylvania Head Start Association, and Trying Together. Attendees will learn how to work together in 2024 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 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Those interested in attending must register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
July 15, 2024 Report Touts States With Initiatives to Improve Teacher Recruitment and Retention Start Strong PA has released a new report that describes how other states are tackling the child care teacher shortage by funding initiatives that improve recruitment and retention of staff. Learn More “Solving the Child Care Teacher Shortage Through State Recruitment and Retention Investments” discusses how 16 states are directly investing in recruitment, retention, and other wage-impacting strategies to ensure that the supply of child care teachers can meet the demand and keep classrooms open. Issued by Start Strong PA and the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC), the report notes that some of the states it references also have a child care subsidy reimbursement rate at or above the 75th percentile. The report comes in the wake of a September 2023 survey conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab on behalf of Start Strong PA to demonstrate Pennsylvania’s child care crisis. The survey found that nearly 26,000 additional children could be served at child care programs if fully staffed. Additionally, it found that 2,395 open positions have resulted in the closure of 934 classrooms, and that providers’ inability to recruit and retain staff is having a direct impact on the quality of programming. As part of the 2024-25 proposed state budget, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed to utilize federal funding to increase the child care subsidy reimbursement to the 75th percentile of the current market price of child care services. However, while this increase would alleviate some of the inflationary pressures that subsidized providers are facing, it likely wouldn’t be sufficient to make the level of workforce investments necessary to solve the teacher shortage, the Start Strong PA report found. The report recommends that the state establish and fund a program that will help providers better recruit and retain staff and, as a result, keep classrooms open. For more information, read Start Strong PA’s report.
July 12, 2024 Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA Respond to 2024-25 State Budget Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA have issued statements that the state budget fails to address the crisis in the early childhood sector. The two advocacy campaigns – which are part of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five – have released reaction statements to Senate Bill 1001, which has been signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro and will be enacted in the 2024-25 Pennsylvania state budget. Below are statements from the advocacy campaigns and a breakdown of budget investments. Child Care $26.2 million in additional funding to maintain the status quo of payments in the subsidized child care system and the number of children. Additional federal child care funding to meet the federally recommended child care subsidy reimbursement rate. In a press release, Start Strong PA said, “With a child care sector that is collapsing with classrooms and programs closing across the commonwealth due to the historic child care teacher shortage, the Start Strong PA Campaign is deeply disappointed by the lack of direct investment to help child care providers recruit and retain their workforce as part of the state budget bill.” The Start Strong PA campaign noted that staffing shortages within the child-care sector are driven by low wages. According to the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO), the average child-care teacher in Pennsylvania only earns $15.15 per hour. This wage includes the impact of one-time federal child care stimulus funds. With the lack of direct state involvement, it is unclear whether these wages can be sustained, the campaign said. “Child care teachers are the workforce behind the workforce,” the statement said. “When families can’t get child care, their children suffer, their income drops, and the state’s economy is shortchanged. In a time of severe labor shortages and billions in state budget surplus, the commonwealth’s failure to help child care providers recruit and retain these teachers is a tragic outcome.” Recent estimates show that gaps in the child care sector cost the state’s economy $6.65 billion annually in lost wages, productivity, and tax receipts. Start Strong PA pointed out that more than 50 state chambers of commerce have called for investments that directly help child care providers attract and keep teachers. The budget deal includes a tax credit for businesses that help pay employees pay for child care. The credit is a demand-side solution that helps families afford care, but the state must invest in the supply side by stopping the exodus of teachers. “While we appreciate the continued support of existing programs in the state budget, the lack of investment in recruitment and retention initiatives will only continue the trend of short staffing in our programs and teachers leaving the field for higher-paying jobs,” said Karian Wise, the head of school for early learning at the Carlow University Early Learning Center and a Provider Advisory Board member. Pre-K $15 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program to increase rates from $10,000 per child for a full-day slot to $10,500. $2.7 million in additional funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. In a statement, Pre-K for PA said, “The Pre-K Campaign is relieved to see modest growth in the state’s publicly funded pre-k programs – PA Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.” Pre-K for PA noted that increases for both programs will make rate increases possible to pre-kindergarten providers to combat inflationary pressures and staffing shortages. However, the campaign noted, “We are disappointed that the increase to PA Pre-K Counts is half of what Gov. Shapiro proposed, and state support for Head Start continues to grow at a slower rate than Pre-K Counts.” Currently, more than 78,000 three- and four-year-olds in Pennsylvania are eligible but do not have access to publicly-funded pre-k programs. Pre-k access has been a top issue for state voters, of whom 95% believe that early education is important and nearly 70% support increasing state funding for pre-k access. “Once again, Pennsylvania has failed to adequately invest in young children and their families,” said Abigail Enz-Doerschner, assistant director of the Once Upon a Time Early Learning Center in Washington and a Provider Advisory Board member. “While the state has offered a $500 per slot increase in PA Pre-K Counts funding, this 5% increase does not keep pace with the rising costs of operating a program. Insurance, utilities, teacher compensation – all of our costs have risen sharply.” Early Intervention $9.1 million increase for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler) through DHS. $32.9 million increase for the Part B Early Intervention program (age three to five) through PDE. The statement noted that while the increase for the Early Intervention Part C reflects the administration’s updated budget request, it does not address broader issues within the program, including worker shortages and a long-needed rate adjustment for providers. Read the full statement by Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA.
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.
May 7, 2024 Child Care Providers Invited to Participate In “Imagine a Day Without Child Care” Throughout May, the Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA Provider Advisory Board is inviting Pennsylvania child care providers to participate in Imagine a Day Without Child Care. Inspired by the national “A Day Without Child Care,” which takes place every year in May, Imagine a Day Without Child Care offers advocacy activities to engage families, teachers, and staff in early learning programs. Imagine a Day’s Origins Since 2022, Start Strong PA and the Provider Advisory Board have drawn attention to the importance of early care and education providers by strengthening the policy-to-practice feedback loop, and growing the network of providers willing to mobilize and advocate on behalf of the early childhood field. Inspired by the national Day Without Child Care movement, the board introduced A Day Without Child Care to enable child care providers to close on May 13 to advocate for their programs and encourage families to raise awareness for the day. PAB’s Toolkit To support provider participation in Imagine a Day Without Child Care, the Provider Advisory Board releases an annual toolkit that includes: Information on how to reach out to state legislators Samples of prompts to post on social media to raise awareness for the day Tags to include in social media posts Information on how to set up a family engagement station for parents or caregivers to take quick action during drop-off or pickup. Stations can include printable temples that families can use to share their stories. Printable grab-and-go stickers that can be worn on Imagine a Day Without Child Care Learn More On May 13 and throughout the month, Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA are encouraging child care providers to use their voices to advocate for increased funding in the state budget to provide higher wages for early childhood educators. When posting to social media, be sure to tag Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA so these organizations can elevate provider posts and ensure elected officials receive a collective message. Families can also sign a petition to tell their elected officials that they rely on child care and support increased investments in child care wages. To learn more, visit Start Strong PA’s website.
April 15, 2024 Working Together Webinar Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA will host a Working Together webinar in late April that will focus on: Early learning in the 2024-25 state budget Follow up and response to state policymakers Federal advocacy update and opportunities for child care Learn More Speakers will include Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA’s partners: First Up: Champions for Early Education Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children Pennsylvania Child Care Association Pennsylvania Head Start Association Trying Together Participants will learn how to work together to strengthen the state’s early learning system for teachers and programs and grow access to more eligible families. Details The webinar will begin at 12 p.m. on Monday, April 29. Those interested in participating can register in advance for the Zoom webinar. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
April 9, 2024 Take Action to Fix Child Care In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro released his 2024-25 state budget approval. While the governor mentioned proposed investments in pre-K, evidence-based home visiting, and perinatal and child health, his proposal did not directly address the state’s ongoing child care teacher shortage. To accomplish our goal of keeping classrooms open and staffed, we need supporters to send a message to the General Assembly and the governor, telling them to fix child care in the 2024-25 state budget. Details on the Teacher Shortage A September 2023 survey conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab – on behalf of Start Strong PA – provided details on the staffing crisis in 762 of Pennsylvania’s child care programs. The survey found that nearly 26,000 additional children could be served at child care programs if they were fully staffed. Additionally, 2,395 open positions have resulted in the closure of 934 classrooms. Lastly, child care providers’ inability to recruit and retain staff is having a direct impact on the quality of programming. As a result, thousands of families are unable to find the care they need to go to work. Take Action Pennsylvania lawmakers can fix this problem by tackling the child care teacher shortage. They must establish and fund a program that will help providers to better recruit and retain staff. Make your voice heard: Send a message to the General Assembly and the governor. Tell them they must fix child care in the 2024-25 state budget. Get Updates By signing on to Trying Together’s Public Policy Agenda, you’ll receive action alerts to advocate on behalf of young children, their families, and the early care and education professionals who interact with them.
