Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania child care centers at ‘breaking point’ due to mandated COVID-19 closures
By: Kate Giammarise March 24, 2020
Child care providers throughout Pennsylvania — most of which have been temporarily closed since last week — say they might not be able to reopen for business without direct and immediate state aid, should the closure last beyond a month.
On Tuesday, several statewide child care advocacy groups said action is needed from the governor and legislature to preserve child care for essential workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — and to ensure the system’s survival for when all families are able to return to work.
The system is “truly at a breaking point,” said Cara Ciminillo, executive director of Pittsburgh-based advocacy organization Trying Together, speaking Tuesday on a conference call with reporters.
Providers are being hammered by a combination of an already fragile infrastructure and staffers who often earn low wages, combined with the sudden halt of tuition payments from parents and the prospect of an uncertain and potentially prolonged period of closure.
Gov. Tom Wolf ordered child care centers closed statewide for two weeks as of last Tuesday along with other “nonessential businesses,” though centers that serve the children of workers deemed essential — such as first responders and front-line healthcare workers like nurses — can apply for waivers to remain open.
As of Tuesday, the state had processed and approved 670 waivers, said a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Human Services.
In the meantime, child care advocates Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA are asking the state to continue to pay the subsidies it would normally pay as part of the Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs, in addition to $17 million to compensate for lost co-pays, $100 million in lost tuition payments from parents, and $50 million to extend programs like Head Start into the summer.
About one-third of the agencies that responded to a survey by the Pennsylvania Child Care Association said they would not be able to reopen if the state-mandated closure lasts beyond a month. That will harm any economic recovery, they said.
Read the full article here.
Pennsylvania Capital Star: Childcare providers seek $100M in aid to ride out COVID-19 pandemic
March 24, 2020 by Elizabeth Hardison
Before the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of southeastern Pennsylvania to a standstill, Latonta Godboldt could typically expect to tend to 13 children each day at her home-based daycare center in North Philadelphia.
These days, attendance at Small Wonders Family Child Care has dipped to three students. Godboldt says she can continue paying her staff for now, but she and countless other child care providers wonder what’s in store as Philadelphia residents and suburbanites remain under strict orders to stay at home.
A coalition of advocates on Tuesday asked state lawmakers to authorize more than $100 million in stimulus aid for the state’s ailing childcare sector, which they say could collapse as the COVID pandemic disrupts business and employment across the Commonwealth.
“Our economy is dependent on the childcare sector being up and able to take children,” Donna Cooper, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, said during a conference call with reporters. “If anyone has an expectation of the economy returning to normal without a healthy childcare sector … they are fooling themselves.”
Childcare centers across the state were forced to close their doors starting on March 13, when Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a statewide shutdown of daycare centers and schools to slow the spread of the coronavirus virus that causes COVID-19.
Home-based providers, such as Godboldt, were able to keep operating. Some child care centers secured waivers to stay open, even as enrollments dwindled.
But many centers shut their doors entirely, either to protect the safety of their staff or because they fear being sued if they continue to operate during a statewide emergency.
Childcare providers say their incomes could evaporate as more workers face layoffs and furloughs that leave them unable to pay tuition.
Wolf extended the closure for schools and daycare centers through April 6 on Monday. Advocates say a prolonged shutdown could be disastrous for childcare centers, which have long been plagued by high costs for labor and facilities.
If approved, advocates say a $100 million appropriation from the state’s General Fund would help centers that rely on tuition payments maintain their payroll and overhead costs until the COVID pandemic abates.
Read the full article here.
Pennsylvania’s Child Care System in Urgent Need of Stimulus to Prevent Collapse
Survey shows extended economic shut down puts nearly one-third of PA child care providers at risk of closing permanently
HARRISBURG, PA (March 24, 2020) – Principal partners of the Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA advocacy campaigns called for swift action by PA policymakers to save the state’s child care system. Advocates touted a recent survey by the Pennsylvania Child Care Association showing that of the 605 child care providers responding (serving more than 44,000 children across the Commonwealth), nearly one-third indicated that they would not be able to reopen if the state mandated closure lasts for longer than one month.
“Child care is an ‘essential service’, and without this frontline workforce our state would not be able to effectively respond to this pandemic,” said Diane Barber, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association. “What is most startling about the survey results is the frightening reality that when non-essential businesses are able to reopen, child care providers may not. Stimulus funds are urgently needed to stabilize our child care system ensuring that programs survive to play an undeniably critical role in our economic recovery.”
Supporters of Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA are calling for Governor Wolf and the General Assembly to enact the following emergency appropriations as part of any stimulus package to stabilize Pennsylvania’s child care system:
- Continue to pay child care subsidies and contract payments to Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs for the duration of the crisis.
- Provide $17 million to compensate for the share of revenues that would otherwise have been collected as copays until child care services are restored to normal.
- Provide $100 million to support the continued financial viability of child care providers that rely in part, or in full, on tuition payments directly from parents.
- Appropriate $50 million to extend Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs through the summer to stem early childhood learning losses for students.
Additionally, advocates are calling on PA policymakers to take action to ensure the sustainability of the child care sector and protect the health and wellbeing of children by:
- Passing legislation to impose an immunity from tort liability associated with claims related to COVID-19 to all Commonwealth certified child care providers that are authorized to continue to operate pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order / Declaration of Emergency.
- Prohibiting any adjustments to employer unemployment compensation experience ratings associated with any claims paid as a result of child care centers’ compliance with Commonwealth COVID-19 guidance or directives.
- Decreasing the risk of subsequent infection by requiring every child care and other early childhood education program to attend free training on the practices needed to sanitize all spaces in which children and early learning staff are working before programs can be reopened.
“We appreciate that for those providers receiving state child care subsidy, the Governor mandated that those payments will continue through April 30,” said Jen DeBell, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children. “However, we know that for the majority of providers, that funding stream is either not available to them or not enough to sustain them. That’s why we are collectively calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to take swift action to prevent the collapse of our child care system.”
“The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the fragility of the child care system that many have warned about for years,” said Cara Ciminillo, Executive Director, Trying Together. “Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, working families struggled to find and afford high quality child care. This problem was identified by the Keystone Workforce Command Center as a major barrier to workforce participation. If nearly one-third of Pennsylvania’s current providers close permenantly, this will most certainly jeopardize our economic recovery.”
Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA represent thousands of early learning providers and supporters across Pennsylvania. From birth to age 5 early learning is happening, and our coalition of advocates is committed to ensuring that families can access it in high-quality, developmentally appropriate settings. For more information visit www.prekforpa.org and www.startstrongpa.org.
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Pennsylvania’s Working Families Need Greater Investment in Early Learning Services
2020-21 State budget proposal: modest growth for pre-k; fails to expand critical child care and evidence-based home visiting services
HARRISBURG, PA (February 4, 2020) –The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, are calling on the General Assembly to go beyond Governor Wolf’s budget proposal and prioritize greater state investments in high-quality pre-k, child care and evidence-based home visiting services to help Pennsylvania’s working families. ELPA operates three issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, and Childhood Begins at Home. Reaction statements from these respective campaigns regarding Governor Tom Wolf’s 2020-21 budget proposal follow.
PRE-K
“Governor Wolf deserves to be acknowledged for his continuous support of expanded access to publicly-funded, high-quality pre-k in PA. If approved, his proposed $30 million in new state funding as part of the 2020-21 Executive Budget will provide the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of high-quality pre-k to more than 3,200 young learners.
“Research shows that high-quality pre-k benefits children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. This is why, according to recent polling, an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania voters support investing additional state dollars to expand access to pre-k for children in every corner of the commonwealth.
“Unfortunately, only 44 percent of eligible children in Pennsylvania are currently enrolled in publicly-funded, high-quality pre-k, according to the most recent data available (FY 2018-19). That means 56 percent of eligible children do not have access to this vital early education opportunity due to limited state funding. We must do better, faster, if we are to move the needle on these dismal statistics. PA is being outranked by states like Georgia, Alabama and West Virginia when it comes to expanding access to publicly-funded, high-quality pre-k. PA ranks 19th –- a drop from the 2018 study — among the 28 states that also publicly fund high-quality pre-kindergarten programs with similar quality standards.
“Pre-K for PA, representing tens of thousands of Pennsylvania families, appreciates that policymakers in Harrisburg understand the irrefutable value of investing in high-quality pre-k. We strongly urge the General Assembly to make a bold move and boost funding for both access and quality to Governor Wolf’s proposed pre-k investment. By investing now, Pennsylvania can serve more eligible children and take steps to adjust quality pre-k provider rates for inflation.”
CHILD CARE
“Start Strong PA agrees with Governor Wolf that the critical shortage of affordable, high-quality child care is a major barrier to workforce participation for many Pennsylvania families.Given that 70 percent of Pennsylvania children under the age of five have all adults in their household in the labor force, high-quality child care is an essential workforce support. This finding was a focal point of the January 2020 Keystone Economic and Workforce Command Center reports — which included input from Pennsylvania business leaders — and recommended greater access to affordable high-quality child care.
“Start Stong PA is disappointed that the Governor’s budget proposal commits no new state funding to help Pennsylvania’s working families find and afford high-quality child care.
“Although the Governor’s budget proposal utilizes $15.3 million in federal funding toward child care subsidy base rates, this proposal will have no impact in addressing the list of children waiting to gain access to subsidized care or improve the quality of that care.
“Less than half of certified child care capacity in Pennsylvania currently meets high-quality standards. And only 34 percent of infants and toddlers that receive subsidized care attend programs that have met high-quality standards.
“Start Strong PA urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to invest in our youngest children, their families and our workforce by allocating additional state funding for more children to gain access to high-quality child care.”
EVIDENCE-BASED HOME VISITING
“The Childhood Begins at Home campaign has credited the Wolf administration over the past three state budgets for making the state a national leader for delivering voluntary, evidence-based home visiting programs that ultimately improve maternal health, child well-being and family self-sufficiency.
“Unfortunately, the proposed $2.4 million included in the 2020-21 state budget is disappointing, because it does not build upon the steady progress of investing in evidence-based programs to expand services to additional children and families.
“We understand state funds will preserve federal slots through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV) and support Medicaid managed care organizations offering short-term, in-home services for first-time mothers. However, the proposal is a missed opportunity as only 5 percent of the pregnant women, children and families who would benefit the most from evidence-based home visiting programs currently receive services.
“While we’re not losing ground, we’re not gaining it either, and building successful families by providing healthy and safe home environments through consistently demonstrated, evidence-based home visiting programs takes a greater commitment than maintaining the status quo.”
“From birth to age 5 early learning is happening, and our coalition of advocates is committed to ensuring that families can access it in high-quality, developmentally appropriate settings. The lack of state resources for early learning creates deep inequity among families at a very early age.We, and our tens of thousands of supporters, urge lawmakers to boldly invest in early learning in 2020 – it is an urgent necessity.”
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Reading Eagle: Report Calls on Harrisburg to Increase Pre-kindergarten Funding
January 28, 2019 by Dan Mekeel
Over the last five years, Pennsylvania has pumped $145 million in funding increases into the effort to make sure kids have access to high-quality prekindergarten programs.
The Pre-K for PA Campaign is looking for another $243 million.
In a report released Tuesday, the campaign says that Pennsylvania ranks 19th out of 28 states that provide high-quality, publicly-funded prekindergarten when it comes to how much money the states provide per student. The $966 per capita spending in Pennsylvania is less than a third of what the top state, New Jersey, spends.
The newest “The Road to Success Includes High-Quality Pre-K” is the third version of the annual report. In each, Pennsylvania has fared similarly, coming in at 20th in 2017 and 18th in 2018.
“We’ve really been hanging around the same range,” said Kari King, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnership for Children, a principal partner of The Pre-K for PA Campaign.
King said Tuesday that the importance of high-quality prekindergarten programs is well-known. Study after study has shown its positive impact on students both inside the classroom and out, helping to develop curiosity, problem solving and social and emotional skills and other traits.
Kids who go through the programs perform better on standardized tests, have higher graduation rates and are better prepared when they reach the workforce, she added.
Despite the obvious benefits, King said, there are still a lot of kids not getting the opportunity. Only 44% of the eligible 3- and 4-year-olds eligible for state-funded prekindergarten — as determined by financial need — are currently enrolled.
And that, she said, needs to change.
“If we don’t break down barriers to access for more children at-risk of failure, then we cannot expect them to enter adulthood prepared to make meaningful contributions to our economy and society,” King said.
That’s why King and others involved with the report are calling for the state to increase funding for prekindergarten by $243 million by the 2022-23 school year.
During a teleconference to discuss the report, a pair of men involved with efforts to increase prekindergarten funding in states that fare much better than Pennsylvania in the rankings shared their experiences.
Ken Sikkema, a former Michigan state Senate and House majority leader, said his state made a significant push to increase prekindergarten funding in 2013. Michigan ranked fourth in the report, spending $2,143 per student.
Sikkema said Michigan started a program to provide prekindergarten for low-income children in 1985, initially providing $1 million in funding. The program grew year after year, he said, sitting at about $70 million when he retired from politics in 2006.
Then, in 2012, a report came out that showed low-income students in the state who went to a quality prekindergarten program ended up being much more successful than the ones who didn’t.
“The results were really quite startling, to be honest with you,” Sikkema said.
Read the full article here.
