HARRISBURG, PA (July 14, 2025) — The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, applauded the Pennsylvania House’s bipartisan passage of House Bill 1330 this evening, which includes Governor Shapiro’s proposed investments in the early care and learning workforce.
The partners of ELPA issued the following statement regarding the passage:
“The Governor and Pennsylvania House of Representatives responded to the pleas of Pennsylvanians to prioritize early care and learning by investing in early childhood educators and ensuring that their critical work of caring for and educating young children is valued. These educators are the workforce behind the workforce in Pennsylvania, and their work matters to children, families, businesses and Pennsylvania’s economic security.
“We laud the fact that House Bill 1330 includes the following investments above FY 2024-25 appropriations:
- A $55 million investment in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to grant licensed child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program with $1,000 per educator
- $17 million in additional funding for Pre-K Counts and
- $16.2 million increase for infant/toddler Early Intervention and $38.1 million increase for preschool Early Intervention.
“The House action is a positive step toward a final budget agreement which demonstrates that Pennsylvania state lawmakers stand with families with young children on these essential pro-family, early childhood line items. Coalition partners encourage the Senate to support these investments and ensure that $9.5 million is provided for Pennsylvania’s Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs in the FY 2025-26 Pennsylvania budget.
“These urgently needed investments will stabilize and reverse the exodus of early educators, directly benefit tens of thousands of early childhood professionals and help keep child care centers open so parents can go to work. Additionally, these investments will begin to reverse the billions of dollars in lost productivity and earnings suffered by working families and employers when families do not have the reliable child care they need.”
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98% of PA Voters Agree: Early Childhood Education is Critical
HARRISBURG, PA (May 1, 2025) — Just as the Pennsylvania 2025-26 state budget negotiations begin; partners of the Early Learning PA Coalition are releasing new polling data showing strong voter support for early childhood care and education programs and increased state funding to strengthen and grow these services.
The statewide poll, commissioned by the Early Learning PA Coalition and conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research of 700 likely voters from March 17 – March 23, 2025, found that:
- 98% of PA voters believe that early childhood education is important.
- Crosstab Detail – (Democrats 99%, Independents 100% and Republicans 95%)
- 73% of PA voters support increasing state funding to serve more eligible children in pre-k programs.
- Crosstab Detail – (Democrats 83%, Independents 75% and Republicans 62%)
- 73% of PA voters support increasing state funding to help more low-income working families afford high-quality child care.
- Crosstab Detail – (Democrats 84%, Independents 61% and Republicans 65%)
- 83% of PA voters support the use of state and/or federal government funding to pay for the Head Start program.
- Crosstab Detail – (Democrats 89%, Independents 79% and Republicans 78%)
- 83% of PA voters favor allocating state funding to increase wages of child care workers.
- Crosstab Detail – (Democrats 90%, Independents 82% and Republicans 76%)
- 72% of PA voters favor allocating state funding to increase compensation for pre-k teachers.
- Crosstab Detail – (Democrats 84%, Independents 68% and Republicans 59%)
“Few issues have united both Republicans and Democrats in Pennsylvania like early care and education. 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,” said PA Senator Pat Stefano (R-32nd District), Co-Chair Legislative Early Childhood Education Caucus. “As someone who has advocated for early care and education for a long time, I know that families rely on child care and other early learning programs. When the early learning sector is struggling, as we have seen with the increasing teacher shortage, it limits the availability of child care and pre-k and has negative implications for our working families and the overall economy.”
“As we start budget season here in Harrisburg, the partners of the Early Learning PA Coalition urge Pennsylvania policymakers to respond to this level of voter support for growing the Commonwealth’s investments in early care and education,” said Steve Doster, State Director, Mission Readiness/ReadyNation – Early Learning PA Partner. “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.”
“For over two decades, I’ve dedicated my life to this work—not just because I love what I do, but because I know what’s at stake. Right now, child care programs across Pennsylvania are struggling to keep our doors open,” described Dr. Leslie Spina, Founder and Executive Director of Kinder Academy (Philadelphia, PA). “We cannot recruit or retain enough teachers. Classrooms are closing. Families are being turned away. And children—the very children who need us most—are missing out on the foundation that will shape their futures. The good news is today’s poll results confirm what I’ve always known—our communities value early childhood education and this is a call to action.”
“Early care and education has been a priority for me for years,” said Senator Judith L. Schwank (D-11th District), Co-Chair Legislative Early Childhood Education Caucus. “The current early learning teacher shortage due to low wages is jeopardizing our Commonwealth’s pre-k and child care systems. Classrooms and entire centers are closing. Eighteen other states have stepped up to the challenge and invested in recruitment and retention initiatives for these teachers. Pennsylvania must do the same. And today, we have a mandate from the voters to do it!”
“As a parent, I know first-hand how important early care and education is. Thrust into the role of a single, full-time dad and full-time provider for three young children in 2023, I was unable to find and afford child care,” described Denzel Henderson, parent from Johnstown, PA. “On waiting lists for a year, I became unemployed, overwhelmed, and terrified for my children’s future. I was fortunate enough to eventually find high-quality care and education for my children and return to work, but I shouldn’t have had to wait over a year for that chance. Many families across Pennsylvania today still sit on those waiting lists unable to provide for their children. It is time for lawmakers to prioritize funding for these programs.”
The Early Learning PA Coalition applauded Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal which included an investment of $55 million in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to grant licensed child care providers participating in the child care subsidy program an additional $1,000 per educator. Additionally, the proposed budget includes a new investment of $15 million in Pre-K Counts to increase the per child rate to help providers address the workforce challenges and inflationary pressures.
The Early Learning PA Coalition also supports an additional $9.5 million in the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program to help stabilize the Head Start workforce.
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HARRISBURG, PA (February 4, 2025) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, applauded the early education workforce investments included in the Shapiro Administration’s 2025-26 state budget proposal.
Investments that will stabilize and reverse the exodus of early educators will directly benefit tens of thousands of teachers and other professional staff and help provider businesses remain open. Additionally, these investments will help reverse the billions of dollars in lost productivity and earnings suffered by working families and employers when families don’t have the care they need.
The partners of ELPA issued the following statements regarding Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA.
Budget proposal takes direct action to address PA’s child care teacher crisis
“Start Strong PA celebrates the Shapiro Administration’s proposal to directly invest in a child care teacher recruitment and retention program that will help keep teachers in the classroom so that working families have access to the care they need.
“The $55 million recurring investment estimates an additional $1,000 per educator increase for licensed child care programs participating in the child care subsidy program.
“With this investment, Pennsylvania is joining 18 other states that are directly investing in teacher recruitment and retention efforts to keep child care classrooms open for the benefit of working parents and the economy at large. Recent estimates show that gaps in Pennsylvania’s child care system cost working families, employers, and taxpayers a staggering $6.65 billion annually — in lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue.
“A September 2024 survey of 1,140 child care providers, representing 17 percent of providers, from across Pennsylvania, showed that 92% of child care programs reported challenges in recruiting staff with 85% struggling with teacher shortages leaving more than 3,000 unfilled positions statewide, thereby – eliminating child care for more than 25,000 Pennsylvania children.
“Start Strong PA looks forward to working with the House and Senate to ensure these urgently needed funds are included in the final budget and to the extent that state budget resources are available, increasing the investment so we can more fully address the child care crisis and its impact on working families and employers.”
Shapiro proposal increases Pre-K Counts rates to address continuing teacher shortage; additional action needed for Head Start
“Pre-K for PA applauds the Shapiro Administration’s continued commitment to address the historic teacher staffing shortage in the Pre-K Counts program. The 2025-26 budget proposal includes $15 million in new state funding to help stabilize early learning providers by boosting per child rates to help combat inflationary pressures and staffing shortages caused by low wages.
“Opportunities for teachers to earn more in the K-12 system and other sectors have challenged Pre-K Counts providers to keep classrooms open and operate at full capacity. This investment is a critical next step in preserving state funded pre-k programs for our commonwealth’s youngest learners.
“However, we are disappointed that the Governor’s budget proposal fails to offer support for the commonwealth’s Head Start Supplemental programs that are facing similar staffing challenges. Pre-K for PA urges lawmakers to include increased funding in the final state budget to stabilize the Head Start workforce.
“Mitigating teacher shortages in Pennsylvania’s publicly funded pre-k programs is a necessary first step in ensuring that all children have access to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Currently, 78,000 three- and four-year-olds in the commonwealth are eligible but do not have access to high-quality pre-k programs.”
Budget proposal also gives nod to significant workforce challenges in Early Intervention
“Early Intervention is a critical part of the Thriving PA campaign, 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. We appreciate the inclusion of a $16.2 million increase in the governor’s proposal for Early Intervention Part C (infants and toddlers) in the Department of Human Services, while noting significantly more dollars are needed to adequately deliver Part C EI to children in Pennsylvania. A total of $10 million of this overall investment aims to address key challenges in the sector including workforce shortages, and we urge policymakers to build on this momentum. The budget also includes a proposed increase of $14.6 million for Early Intervention Part B (age three to five) in the Department of Education budget.”
Fewer young children, families and pregnant women will be served by home visiting services due to continued flat funding and loss of federal funds
“The Childhood Begins at Home campaign is concerned the proposed 2025-26 budget does not account for the loss of federal funds expiring in June nor the continued rising costs of providing these life-changing services. Without any assurance that the state will account for rising costs and backfill federal dollars, this ultimately will mean fewer home visiting services for Pennsylvania families impacted by economic and social disparities.
“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 benefitting from evidence-based home visiting services.”
Governor Shapiro’s State Budget Proposal Includes:
- $57.7 million in additional funding for child care ($55 million in the proposed new Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item as well $1.6 million in Child Care Services and $1.1 million in Child Care Assistance line items).
- $17 million in additional funding for the state’s Pre-K Counts program.
- Level funding for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.
- Level funding for evidence-based home visiting in the Community-Based Family Center line item and a small reduction in the Nurse-Family Partnership line due to a change in federal matching rates.
- $16.2 million increase for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler) program through DHS.
- $14.6 million increase for the Early Intervention Part B (age three to five) program through PDE.
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HARRISBURG (December 10, 2024) — The Pre-K for PA campaign joined Governor Shapiro, First Lady, and Lieutenant Governor Davis at the Pennsylvania Capitol tree lighting ceremony to mark the official start of the holiday season today. The 24-foot Douglas Fir Christmas tree from Crystal Springs Tree Farm in Lehighton, Carbon County, was decorated by pre-k students from all corners of the commonwealth who crafted hundreds of original ornaments.
Joining Governor Shapiro for the tree lighting ceremony were staff, students, and families from a Pre-K Counts classroom located at Hansel and Gretel Early Learning Center in Harrisburg.
“Access to high-quality pre-k yields significant benefits that help ensure children are ready to succeed. From understanding how to be an active learner to letter and number recognition, Pennsylvania’s high quality pre-k programs like Pre-K Counts and Head Start are building a solid foundation of learning for our next generation,” said Jen DeBell, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC), a principal partner of Pre-K for PA.
A skilled teaching workforce is a critical component to providing high-quality pre-k programs, yet the pay disparity between early childhood educators and educators in the K-12 system is significant and is creating an historic shortage of qualified teachers. This teacher shortage is closing classrooms and reducing the number of children who receive this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A recent Susquehanna Polling and Research poll showed that 64% of PA voters support the use of state funding to increase compensation for pre-k teachers to combat this staffing shortage.
“This holiday season, our wish is for our elected officials to prioritize early care and learning for our youngest learners, their families, the professionals in the industry, and the future of our Commonwealth,” continued DeBell.
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.
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HARRISBURG, PA (July 11, 2024) – Today, the principal partners of the Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA Campaigns issued the following statements regarding Senate Bill 1001 that awaits the expected signature of Governor Shapiro to become the enacted 2024-25 Pennsylvania state budget.
No Child Care Recruitment and Retention Support Deepens PA’s Child Care Crisis and Lags Other States
“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 staffing shortage within the child-care sector is 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 average wage includes the impact of one-time federal child care stimulus funds. With the lack of direct state investment, it is unclear if even these wages can be sustained.
“More than 50 local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania called for a state investment that directly helps child care providers attract and keep their teachers. These chamber leaders understand that alleviating the child care workforce shortage means classrooms can remain open or reopen, increasing the availability of child care for the tens of thousands of families that need it to remain in the workforce and contribute to Pennsylvania’s overall economy. Recent estimates show that gaps in our child care sector cost the commonwealth’s economy $6.65 Billion annually in lost wages, lost productivity and lost tax receipts.
“At least 18 states are directly investing in recruitment and retention strategies to solve the child care teacher shortage and ensure that child care supply can meet the demand from working families.
“The budget deal includes a tax credit for businesses that help employees pay for child care. This tax credit is a demand-side solution, helping families afford care. Pennsylvania must also invest in the supply side – stopping the exodus of child care teachers – for these tax credits to be effective.
“Child care teachers are the workforce behind the workforce. 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.
Some Growth for Pre-K Counts and State Funding for Head Start but Workforce Challenges Will Remain
“The Pre-K for PA 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.
“The $15 Million increase for PA Pre-K Counts and $2.7 Million increase for Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program will make rate increases possible to pre-kindergarten providers to combat inflationary pressures and unrelenting staffing shortages. We are disappointed that the increase to PA Pre-K Counts is half of what Governor Shapiro proposed, and state support for Head Start continues to grow at a slower rate than Pre-K Counts.
“Inadequate wages across the early care and education sector are causing pre-k classrooms to close throughout the commonwealth. Pre-k teachers who have the same credentials 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. Future state investment is vital to continue to close this gap and ensure adequate staffing levels to operate state-funded pre-k programs at current-funded capacity.
“Currently, just over 78,000 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 the historic levels of teacher shortages in this competitive economy and ensure greater access to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our preschool learners.
“Access to pre-k continues to be front of mind for Pennsylvania voters with 95% of voters believing that early childhood education is an important issue and nearly 70% of voters specifically supporting increased state funding for pre-k access.”
Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA are initiatives of the broader Early Learning PA coalition that advocates for access to voluntary, high-quality early care and education and healthy development opportunities for all Pennsylvania children. Below is a summary of pertinent appropriations line items in SB 1001:
- $26.2 million in additional funding to maintain the status quo of payments in the subsidized child care system and the number of children served.
- Additional federal child care funding to meet the federally recommended child care subsidy reimbursement rate. This increase will help buffer inflationary pressures on child care providers that heavily participate in the subsidy system, however its impact on stabilizing the child care workforce will be limited.
- $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.
- $9.1 million increase for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler) program through DHS. While this 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.
- $32.9 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.
