BUDGET ARTICLES

State Budget Fails to Significantly Invest in Early Care and Education Amid Historic Labor Shortage

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.

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Early Care and Education in Governor Shapiro’s 2023-24 State Budget Proposal

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.

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2022-23 State Budget: Growth for Pre-k, Child Care and Home Visitation

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.

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Early Care and Education in Governor Wolf’s 2022-23 State Budget Proposal

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.

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Governor’s Budget Proposal Advances Portions of PA’s Early Learning System

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. 

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Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Programs Level-Funded for Remainder of FY 20-21

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.

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Passage of Stopgap Budget Demands Immediate, Robust Economic Stimulus to Preserve Capacity of Early Learning Sector

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.   

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Pennsylvania’s Working Families Need Greater Investment in Early Learning Services

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.

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Leaders in Harrisburg Get it!

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…

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Governor Wolf’s 2018-19 Budget Proposal, Ambitious Steps Forward for Early Learning in PA

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.

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Bipartisan Budget Agreement a Victory for Kids, $30 Million Pre-K Investment Will Serve Thousands More Young Learners

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.

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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.

Pre-K for PA

320 Market Street, Suite 473E
Harrisburg, PA 17101