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Proposed State Budget Strengthens Support for Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Workforce

Proposed State Budget Strengthens Support for Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Workforce

HARRISBURG, PA (February 3, 2026) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, expressed appreciation for the Shapiro Administration’s 2026-27 state budget proposal and its continued focus on children and early education workforce investments, while also highlighting the need for additional support in areas like infant and toddler Early Intervention and home visiting.

ELPA operates issue-based advocacy campaigns, including: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA. The partners of ELPA issued the following statements regarding the Governor’s budget proposal:

Budget prioritizes early learning workforce to address on-going child care staffing crisis

“Start Strong PA applauds Governor Shapiro for continuing to prioritize the child care workforce by building on the $25 million recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention Program funding with an additional $10 million investment. These funds will support programs as they work to recruit quality applicants and retain experienced educators.

“Child care is an economic development strategy, workforce participation strategy, and education success strategy. 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.

“Start Strong PA looks forward to working with the House and Senate to ensure these urgently needed funds are included in the final budget so we can more fully address the child care staffing crisis and its impact on working families and employers. There is always more we can do to help families find and afford child care and build a robust early learning sector while working to improve system quality and stability.”

Proposed budget boosts Pre-K Counts and Head Start rates to tackle ongoing teacher shortage

“Pre-K for PA commends the Shapiro Administration for taking an additional step to confront the longstanding teacher staffing crisis facing the Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental programs. The proposed Pennsylvania 2026-27 state budget’s inclusion of an additional $7.5 million investment for Pre-K Counts and $2 million for Head Start will help stabilize early learning providers by increasing per-child rates – an essential step toward addressing rising costs and chronic staffing challenges driven by persistently low wages.

“For years, higher-paying opportunities in K-12 education and other sectors have pulled qualified educators away from early learning settings, forcing many providers to reduce enrollment or close classrooms altogether. This new funding represents a critical step toward reversing that trend and ensuring that state-funded pre-kindergarten programs remain strong, sustainable, and accessible to families across the state.

Budget proposal fails to recognize needed investments in infant and toddler Early Intervention

“Early Intervention is a critical and federally required component of the early care and education continuum, 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. While the increase for preschool Early Intervention in the Department of Education budget is a needed boost, 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. It is especially disappointing, as the 2024 Early Intervention Rate Methodology Study released by OCDEL found that infant/toddler rates were underfunded by more than $71 million in 2022-23 – almost 40% – a deficit that has continued to grow in the years since. Failing to address the workforce shortages caused by the ongoing rate deficit in the sector severely limits providers, making it harder for families to access services they are entitled to by federal law. We look forward to working with the legislature and the administration to change course and ensure critical investments are made in infant and toddler Early Intervention in the final budget.”

Stagnant funding reduces home visiting services for pregnant women and families with young children

“Home visiting is a vital component of the early childhood landscape, offering pregnant women and families with young children an option for support during the earliest and most critical years of life. For the fourth consecutive year, the proposed state budget level funds evidence-based home visiting programs. Without increased investments to address the rising costs of providing these life-changing services designed to strengthen and support families, local programs will struggle to serve families in their communities without reductions or be able to address longstanding workforce shortages, including factors that affect retention and recruitment. The Childhood Begins at Home campaign views the lack of an increase in the proposed 2026–27 budget as a missed opportunity, particularly as families and communities across Pennsylvania continue to face rising costs for basic needs such as food and housing. Investments in these vital services also help lower human services costs in the long run, and are critically important at a time when costs continue to grow. We will continue working with policymakers in the legislature and the administration to underscore the importance of evidence-based home visiting services for families who face disproportionate barriers to health and well-being, including families living in poverty, and to lay the groundwork for increased investment in the next competitive contract period beginning in July 2027.”

2026-27 PA State Budget Proposal Includes:

  • $10 million in additional funding for the Child Care Recruitment and Retention line.
  • $7.5 million in additional funding for the Pre-K Counts program.
  • $2 million in additional funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
  • $2.2 million in additional funding for the Child Care Services and $1.6 million for the Child Care Assistance line items.
  • A reduction in funding of $5.2 million for the infant and toddler Early Intervention program in the Department of Human Services budget, and an increase of $51.2 million for preschool Early Intervention in the Department of Education budget.
  • Level funding for the Community Based Family Centers line and Nurse Family Partnership line.

 

About Pre-K for PA

Pre-K for PA launched in 2014 with the vision that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Learn more at www.prekforpa.org. 

About Start Strong PA

Start Strong PA launched in 2019 to support healthy child development, working families, and the economy by increasing access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs for young children. Learn more at www.startstrongpa.org. 

About Thriving PA

Thriving PA is a perinatal and child health campaign launched in 2021 that works to ensure each birthing person, infant, and toddler in Pennsylvania has access to affordable, quality health care. Learn more at www.thrivingpa.org.

About Childhood Begins At Home

Childhood Begins At Home is a statewide campaign launched in 2017 to help policymakers and the public understand the value of evidence-based home visiting and support public investments in the programs. Learn more at www.childhoodbeginsathome.org.

Pennsylvanians Overwhelmingly Support Funding for Head Start Even as Federal Funding for Program is Slashed and Faces Elimination

83% of PA Voters Support Funding Head Start

HARRISBURG (April 17, 2025) – Head Start provides an invaluable service to more than 750,000 children across all 50 states. In Pennsylvania alone, Head Start serves nearly 30,000 children at 806 centers and employs almost 10,000 staff members.

Over the past few weeks, five Head Start Regional Offices were closed, representing half of all regional offices across the country, including 22 states, six territories and 467 Tribal governments. More recently, federal Administration officials are proposing to eliminate the program in its entirety; a program, which should be noted, that an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians support.

“We are incredibly saddened and deeply concerned about the future of Head Start,” said CEO/President of Community Services for Children, Deidra Vachier. “Funding cuts and the potential elimination of Head Start will hurt our most vulnerable children. Early learning opportunities provide critical cognitive, social, and emotional development, and Head Start offers those foundational skills to low-income families.”

Head Start is a program that provides working parents living in poverty with children under age five with a variety of services including: early learning classes for their children, connections to health care and support for these families to achieve self-sufficiency. And according to a recent poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research, 83% of Pennsylvania voters support the use of state and/or federal funds to pay for the Head Start program. The same poll showed that 98% of Pennsylvania voters believe that early childhood education is important and helps children lead healthy and productive lives.

“At a time when research has not only proven that early education provides life-long benefits to children who are provided the opportunity but that an overwhelming majority of voters believe that it is important, it is indefensible that funding cuts and potential elimination of such a vital program are on the table,” said the PA Head Start Association Executive Director, Kara McFalls. “Head Start is an important investment in our youngest learners, their families, our communities, and our nation.”

Research shows that Head Start improves educational outcomes, health, and social development for our most at-risk children and provides a safe, caring environment for the children of working Head Start families.

Head Start parents and guardians are working families, with 66% of them working, in job training, or currently in school. In fact, 84% of Head Start parents and guardians have a high school diploma, GED, vocational training, associates, baccalaureate, or advanced degree.

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About Pre-K for PA

Pre-K for PA launched in 2014 with the vision that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Learn more atwww.prekforpa.org. State and federally funded Head Start programs are a core component of Pennsylvania’s publicly funded pre-k system.

Shapiro Budget Offers Progress

Shapiro Budget Offers Progress

Early Education Advocates Warn Historic Early Childhood Staffing Shortages will Persist

 

HARRISBURG, PA (February 6, 2024)–Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, issued the following statements regarding Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA.

Shapiro proposal boosts pre-k rates to begin addressing teacher shortage; work remains

“Pre-K for PA applauds the Administration’s 2024-25 state budget proposal that offers progress for a system struggling with historic teacher staffing shortages exacerbated by wage growth in other sectors. For the state’s publicly-funded pre-k programs, thenearly $33 million in new state funding for Pre-K Counts ($30M) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance ($2.7M) for rate increases will provide much-needed aid to pre-kindergarten providers to combat inflationary pressures and unrelenting staffing shortages.

“Inadequate wages across the early care and education sector are causing pre-k classrooms to close throughout the commonwealth. Pre-k teachers earn roughly half of their (K-5) counterparts in public schools and face the tough choice of staying in their chosen profession as wages increase across other sectors. This investment is a critical first step in closing this gap and ensuring adequate staffing levels to operate state funded pre-k programs at current-funded capacity.

“Currently, 87,000 three-and four-year-olds in Pennsylvania are eligible but do not have access to publicly-funded pre-k programs. Additional investment will be needed in future years to further mitigate teacher shortages in this competitive economy and ensure greater access to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our preschool learners.”

Budget proposal boosts rates for subsidized care; direct action needed to solve historic shortage of child care teachers

  • Nearly 26,000 additional children could be served at child care programs if sites were fully staffed.
  • Providers reported 2,395 open positions, resulting in the closure of 934 classrooms.
  • Child care providers’ inability to recruit and retain staff is having a direct impact on the quality of their programming.

“Start Strong PA encourages Governor Shapiro and the General Assembly to tackle the child care teacher shortage head-on by establishing a program that will help providers better recruit and retain their staff. Pennsylvania’s economy depends on working families and working families depend on child care.”

Home visiting campaign concerned flat funding will lead to fewer young children, families and pregnant women being served

“Childhood Begins at Home is concerned the proposed 2024-25 budget does not account for the anticipated loss of one-time federal stimulus funds that were included in the Community-Based Family Center line (in DHS) as part of the 2023-24 final budget. Further, the proposal does not recognize the impact of federal sequestration on discretionary spending, including home visiting, due to Congressional action last year. The state rightfully included funds to offset sequestration in previous budgets, including $1million in funding in the 2020-21 final budget.

“Without any assurance that the state will sustain funding to backfill for expired stimulus funds and administrative cuts due to sequestration, we worry this ultimately will mean fewer home visiting services will be provided in Pennsylvania next year. Even more sobering is that only 7 percent of children under age 6 living in low-income households statewide currently receive voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services.

“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 benefiting from evidence-based home visiting services.”

Budget proposal sustains current Early Intervention program

“Early Intervention is a critical part of the Thriving PA campaign, and the governor’s proposal includes an increase of $16.7 million for Early Intervention Part C (infants and toddlers) in the Department of Human Services budget to maintain the current program and an increase of $17 million for Early Intervention Part B (age three to five) in the Department of Education budget to serve additional children. All children birth through age five with developmental delays, regardless of family income level, must be identified, referred to, and provided needed services so that they and their families reach their fullest potential.

“Thriving PA urges policymakers to build on this proposal and ensure an investment would provide for a long-needed rate adjustment for Early Intervention providers and serve additional children. Additional support would help to address key issues in the sector, including workforce shortages, achieving equitable enrollment, and addressing the growing needs of families across the Commonwealth. National data shows that not all children who are eligible to participate in Early Intervention do so.”

Governor Shapiro’s State Budget Proposal Includes:

  • $32.478 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program.
  • $2.7 million in additional funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
  • $31.709 million in additional funding for child care ($29.331 million in Child Care Services and $2.378 million in Child Care Assistance).
  • Level funding for evidence-based home visiting in the Community-Based Family Center line item and a minor reduction in the Nurse-Family Partnership line item to adjust for federal matching rates.
  • $16.7 million increase for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler) program through DHS.•$17 million increase for the Part B Early Intervention program (age three to five) through PDE.

 

About Pre-K for PA

Pre-K for PA launched in 2014 with the vision that every 3-and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Learn more at www.prekforpa.org.

About Start Strong PA

Start Strong PA launched in 2019 to support healthy child development, working families, and the economy by increasing access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs for young children. Learn more at www.startstrongpa.org.

About Childhood Begins

At HomeChildhood Begins AtHome is a statewide campaign launched in 2017 to help policymakers and the public understand the value of evidence-based home visiting and support public investments in the programs. Learn more at www.childhoodbeginsathome.org.

About Thriving PA

Thriving PA is a perinatal and child health campaign launched in 2021 and is working to ensure each birthing person, infant, and toddler in Pennsylvania has the opportunity for affordable, quality health care access. Learn more at www.thrivingpa.org.

 

It’s Unanimous! 98% of PA Voters Believe Early Childhood Education is Important

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Carolyn Myers
(Childhood Begins at Home & Thriving PA)
cmyers@papartnerships.org
717-756-8992 (mobile)   

 Kate Philips
(Pre-K For PA)
philips@parkerphilips.com 
215-850-4647 (mobile) 

Jodi Askins
(Start Strong PA)
jodiaskins@gmail.com
272-444-1860 (mobile)

 

It’s Unanimous! 98% of PA Voters Believe Early Childhood Education is Important

New poll shows strong support among PA voters to increase state investments in pre-k, child care and evidence-based home visiting.

HARRISBURG, PA (February 21, 2023) — Just weeks before Governor Shapiro’s first state budget address and negotiations begin, partners of the Early Learning PA Coalition held a Capitol Rotunda press conference today releasing new polling data on voter support for early childhood care and education programs.

The poll, commissioned by the Early Learning PA Coalition and conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research from February 1-7, 2023, found that 98% of PA voters believe that early childhood education is important. It also showed strong voter support for increased investment for early care and education programs like pre-k, high-quality child care and home visiting services. Voter’s overall support has grown several percentage points since a June 2022 poll, when 90% of voters said they found early childhood education to be important.

“Ninety-eight percent of Pennsylvanians have reached consensus that early childhood education is an important piece of what it takes to lead a healthy and productive life,” said Steve Doster, State Director of Mission: Readiness – a principal partner in the Early Learning PA Coalition. “Even more amazing is that this level of support is consistent across all age brackets, education levels, ethnicity, and gender. There is also no discernable difference between the views of Republicans or Democrats, conservative or liberal – they are all at or above 98% in agreement. The same goes for voters in different regions of the state.”

According to the poll, 78% of PA voters support increasing state funding to serve more eligible children in pre-k programs, which is an increase from 65% in 2022. Seventy-eight percent of PA voters also support increasing state funding to help more low-income working families afford high-quality child care, up from 67% in 2022. Support for increasing state funding to provide voluntary home visiting services to eligible families was 62% of PA voters (up from 60% in 2022). The poll also found that 81% of PA voters favor allocating state funding to increase wages of child care workers.

“Few issues have united both Republicans and Democrats in Pennsylvania like early care and education,” said Kristen Rotz, President of the United Way of Pennsylvania and principal partner in the Early Learning PA Coalition. “At a time of political polarization, Pennsylvania voters responded unanimously that early childhood care and education is not only a uniting issue, but one that the majority want prioritized in our state spending.

“As we start budget season here in Harrisburg, the partners of the Early Learning PA Coalition urge Governor Shapiro and all members of the General Assembly to respond to this level of voter support for growing the Commonwealth’s investments in early care and education. Pennsylvania must make these programs more accessible to children and families that qualify and further stabilize and strengthen the system by addressing historic teacher shortages caused by low wages.” said Rotz.

Also participating in the event was State Representative and Senator-elect Lynda Culver and State Representative Pat Harkins — who both serve as House co-chairs of the Legislative Early Care and Education Caucus as well as TaTyana Abreu, a mother of a pre-k student and staff member at York Day Early Learning.

“Folks in our area have understood for a long time the important role that high-quality early care and education programs play in benefiting the social and economic needs of our local families and the educational and developmental needs of our children, said Rep. Culver. “It’s clear that we still have more work to do in expanding these services to more Pennsylvania children and families that are eligible. It’s also clear that Pennsylvanians want us to prioritize this.”

“Early care and education has been a priority for me for years,” said Rep. Harkins. “When more than 100,000 children are eligible for state-funded pre-k programs like Pre-K Counts and Head Start but don’t have access due to insufficient funding – we have work to do. When more than half of Pennsylvania residents live in child care deserts, and less than half of Pennsylvania’s child care is considered high quality – we have work to do. When there is a historic teacher shortage that is due to low wages in the early care and education sector – we have work to do. And today, we have a mandate from the voters to do it!”

“To say my husband and I are grateful for York Day is an understatement,” said TaTyana Abreu. “We now have two children, who we can confidently drop off every morning knowing that they are well taken care of, while we work. It is not surprising to me that so many Pennsylvanians want to see more children in our state have the same opportunities that my children have, and that they want their elected officials to invest more to make sure high quality early care and education is not out of reach for families who can’t afford the costs all on their own.”

About Pre-K for PA
Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Our vision is that every 3-and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. For more information www.prekforpa.org.

About Start Strong PA
Start Strong PA launched in 2019 to support healthy child development, working families, and the economy by increasing access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs for young children. Learn more at www.startstrongpa.org.

About Childhood Begins At Home
Childhood Begins At Home is a statewide campaign launched in 2017 to help policymakers and the public understand the value of evidence-based home visiting and support public investments in the programs.  Learn more at www.childhoodbeginsathome.org.

About Thriving PA
Thriving PA is a perinatal and child health campaign launched in 2021 and is working to ensure each birthing person, infant, and toddler in Pennsylvania has the opportunity for affordable, quality health care access. Learn more at www.thrivingpa.org.

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CROSS TAB REPORT ELPA FEB 2023

TOPLINES ELPA FEB 2023

Proposed State Budget Strengthens Support for Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Workforce

Pre-K for PA Lauds Continued Investment in High-Quality Pre-K

Pre-K for PA Lauds Continued Investment in  High-Quality Pre-K

Harrisburg, PA (June 27, 2019) – In the final FY 2019-20 budget agreement, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continued to make progress on behalf of its youngest learners by prioritizing expanded access to high-quality pre-k.

The principal partners of Pre-K for PA issued the following statement regarding the increased investment:

“The Pre-K for PA campaign, representing tens of thousands of Pennsylvania families, appreciate that lawmakers in Harrisburg understand the irrefutable value of investing in high-quality pre-k. We applaud Governor Wolf and the legislature for maintaining the political will to continue to invest in greater access to high-quality pre-k for yet another year.

“Research shows that high-quality, publicly funded pre-k benefits children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. From birth to age five is the most rapid period of brain development in a child’s life and the nurturing interactions that children experience in high-quality early learning programs are key to their future success. This is why in every corner of the commonwealth, across all demographics, an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians support investing additional state dollars to expand access to high quality pre-k.

“We all know that there is more work to be done, but today represents another milestone as we chip away at the number of children who are missing out on this once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity.”

The goal of the non-partisan Pre-K for PA campaign is that by 2022 every at-risk child will have access to a high-quality pre-kindergarten program and that middle-income families will more easily afford these services for their children. High-quality pre-k is delivered in Pennsylvania in a variety of settings: school districts, Head Start centers, licensed private academic nursery schools, home-based care, and roughly half in STAR-3 and -4 Child Care centers.

Pre-K for PA is an issue campaign supported by individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania who believe that investing in our children is the right choice and an urgent necessity. Its vision is that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org.

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