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.
Phone number: 412-350-6490
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.
