BUDGET ARTICLES
Working Families & Employers Win With Shapiro Early Education Budget Investments
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...
State Budget Fails to Address Crisis in Early Childhood Sector to the Detriment of Working Families and Employers
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...
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...
State Budget Fails to Significantly Invest in Early Care and Education Amid Historic Labor Shortage
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 House Bill 611 that still awaits the signature of the Senate President Pro Tempore and finally Governor Shapiro to become the enacted 2023-24 Pennsylvania state budget. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home and Thriving PA.
Early Care and Education in Governor Shapiro’s 2023-24 State Budget Proposal
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 regardingGovernor Josh Shapiro’s 2023-24 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Start Strong PA,Pre-K for PA, Childhood Begins at Home and Thriving PA.
2022-23 State Budget: Growth for Pre-k, Child Care and Home Visitation
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 the final 2022-23 Pennsylvania state budget. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home and Thriving PA.
Early Care and Education in Governor Wolf’s 2022-23 State Budget Proposal
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 Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home and Thriving PA.
2021-22 State Budget: Growth for Pre-k; Ignores Recommendations Prioritizing Child Care and Fails to Expand Evidence-based Home Visiting Services
Reaction statements from three of these campaigns regarding the FY 2021-22 state budget follow:
Governor’s Budget Proposal Advances Portions of PA’s Early Learning System
The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, commend Governor Wolf’s 2021-22 budget proposal’s emphasis on Pennsylvania families. As a coalition that focuses on greater access to the Commonwealth’s continuum of high-quality early care and education services, we applaud the governor’s continued commitment to growing state funding for pre-k, however additional effort is needed to boost the availability of quality child care and home visiting services that are essential to Pennsylvania’s working families and our economic recovery.
Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Programs Level-Funded for Remainder of FY 20-21
The principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, thank the General Assembly for level funding 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.
PA Stimulus Deal Saves Early Learning as Working Families Prepare to Get Back to Work
The economic stimulus bill that authorizes the spending of most of the $3.9 billion in federal CARES Act funding includes $125 million in economic relief for the Commonwealth’s early learning sector, which will be critical in supporting Pennsylvania families returning to work.
Passage of Stopgap Budget Demands Immediate, Robust Economic Stimulus to Preserve Capacity of Early Learning Sector
The anticipated five-month stopgap state budget will preserve Pennsylvania’s current investment in publicly-funded, early learning programs. Under the proposed agreement, PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start State Supplemental, and state funding for child care and evidence-based home visiting services will remain level funded for at least the first five months of the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Pennsylvania’s Working Families Need Greater Investment in Early Learning Services
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 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...
Gov. Wolf Ramps Up Pre-K Investment, Opens Opportunity to Thousands More PA Children
Pre-K for PA marked the proposed new investment of $50 million in the 2019-20 PA budget as a big win for thousands of Pennsylvania’s youngest children.
Leaders in Harrisburg Get it!
Harrisburg, PA (June 22, 2018) – The Pre-K for PA campaign called the additional $25 million investment in pre-kindergarten programs contained in the 2018-19 state budget agreement continued progress toward something that Pennsylvanians universally support…
Governor Wolf’s 2018-19 Budget Proposal, Ambitious Steps Forward for Early Learning in PA
The Pre-K for PA campaign, an initiative of the Early Learning PA (ELPA) coalition, saluted Governor Tom Wolf’s continued commitment to expanding access to early learning from birth to age five in Pennsylvania after he announced a $40 million expansion to high quality pre-k; a $6.5 million expansion to evidence-based home visiting programs; and a $23 million expansion to the state’s child care system, which will expand access to subsidized child care and increase funding for high quality programs as part of his 2018-19 budget address today.
Bipartisan Budget Agreement a Victory for Kids, $30 Million Pre-K Investment Will Serve Thousands More Young Learners
The Pre-K for PA campaign called the $30 million investment in pre-k as part of the 2017-18 state budget agreement a momentum-building moment, making significant progress towards the goal of expanding access to all children eligible for Pre-K Counts and Head Start. The investment will open access to high-quality pre-k for thousands more three- and four-year-olds across the commonwealth.
House Bill 218 Does Not Adequately Invest in Services for PA’s Youngest Citizens
As the Pennsylvania budget process gets underway today with the House of Representatives approving House Bill 218, the Pre-K for PA campaign issued a statement on the passage of a budget that does not adequately invest in Pennsylvania’s early learning continuum.
Pre-K, Early Learning Advocates Urge Bi-partisan Support of 2017-18 Investment Proposal
The Pre-K for PA campaign lauded Gov. Tom Wolf’s continued commitment to expanding access to high-quality pre-k in Pennsylvania after he announced a $75 million expansion as part of his 2017-18 budget address today.
Pre-K for PA's work is possible only through generous contributions from the 1675 Foundation, The Donley Foundation, GE Employees Community Service Fund, The Heinz Endowments, The Philadelphia Foundation, and William Penn Foundation.