Gov. Josh Shapiro and Val Arkoosh, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, highlighted the state’s new recruitment and retention bonuses for child care workers during an event in Bristol.

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Shapiro dropped by the Children of God Educational Services to discuss the new $25 million Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program that aims to address the state’s child care workforce shortage. The program was part of the state’s recently passed budget. 

During his discussion of the budget, Shapiro noted that items passed in it would:

• Create an employer child care contribution tax credit that encourages businesses to make contributions to their employees’ child care and be able to write it off
• Add a new $25 million child care line item in the budget that is earmarked for recruitment and retention bonuses for child care workers at licensed child care facilities. As a result, 55,000 child care workers would get a bonus of up to $450.

“We’re making it more affordable by putting over $130 million back in people’s pockets who are trying to afford child care and making it more available for families by opening up more slots by hiring more teachers,” Shapiro said. “We need to invest in the well-being of our children. We need to invest in economic opportunity. This budget does all of that.”

To listen to Shapiro speak about the budget and the new child care recruitment and retention line item, watch this video on YouTube.