Urge passage of child care teacher recruitment and retention proposal as part of final state budget agreement
August 6, 2025 – Local chamber of commerce leaders, child care teachers and working parents gathered via Zoom to discuss how the ongoing child care teacher shortage, driven by unlivable wages, is forcing classrooms to close and leaving working families scrambling to find care. Participants urged lawmakers to prioritize child care in the 2025-2026 state budget by including Governor Shapiro’s proposal to invest $55 million in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to boost the pay of the Commonwealth’s child care teachers by $1,000.
“As Chamber leaders, we know that child care isn’t just a family issue—it’s an economic issue. This is why more than 70 of Pennsylvania’s local chambers of commerce are urging the General Assembly to invest in our child care teachers,” said Ron Aldom, Executive Director of the Somerset County Chamber. “When parents can’t find reliable, affordable care, they can’t work. When child care providers struggle to recruit and retain staff, classrooms close, and employers lose valuable employees. This crisis is holding back our workforce, our businesses, and our entire economy.”
As part of the event, Aldom discussed the results of a statewide PA Chamber survey of employers on the impact that limited child care options are having on Pennsylvania businesses.
Key findings from the survey include:
- A staggering 81 percent of employers said they have moderate or significant recruitment and retention issues due to child care challenges.
- The vast majority of businesses — 69 percent — indicated that it is extremely or very important to help their employees meet their child care needs.
Aldom noted that these child care issues have a real cost to the economy. He cited a recent economic analysis conducted by the nonprofit ReadyNation and the PA Early Learning Investment Commission showing 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.
“Across Pennsylvania, we’ve lost 460 of our child care providers since 2019—a staggering blow to working families, said Briana Tomack, President and CEO of the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. “In Southwest PA specifically, the numbers are at critical levels. Fayette County has lost over 30% of its providers, Greene over 25% of their providers, and Westmoreland has lost over 11%. Imagine trying to keep a job, run a business, or even put food on the table when child care is out of reach—not for weeks, but for years. That’s the reality families are facing right now.”
A September survey conducted by the Start Strong PA Campaign of 1,140 child care providers from across Pennsylvania showed that 92% of child care programs reported challenges in recruiting staff with 85% struggling with teacher shortages. Those shortages are leaving more than 3,000 unfilled positions statewide. Programs could serve an additional 25,320 children if they could recruit and retain the staff they need, and these numbers represent less than 18% of the total open registered programs in Pennsylvania.
“We’ve had to close multiple rooms and downsize our program simply because we cannot find educators. Right now, we serve 120 children. But here’s the heartbreaking reality: We’re licensed for 350,” said Brie Rice, Program Specialist, JB’s Bright Beginnings. “It’s time for our elected officials to support us with funding specifically for teacher recruitment and retention. Our children, our families, and our workforce deserve nothing less.”
Amy Bradley, President & CEO, Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce shared that in the same September 2024 survey, 100% of the 23 providers that responded in Cambria County said they face significant challenges recruiting the staff they need. This has resulted in 64 unfilled staff positions and has limited the number of children those providers can serve by 748, making 748 child care spaces unavailable for working families.
“As a parent, it was important for me to find a place where my children would be accepted, protected, and educated every day,” said Sara Sisler, parent and Director of Curriculum, Environment, and Development, Judy Early Education Group. “And fortunately, when I enrolled my first child six years ago, I was working as a teacher within the same facility. I wear two hats that feel impossible to balance most days. I’m not only a parent of two young children who rely on child care, but I’m also an early educator in the field. I have witnessed the recruitment and retention challenges firsthand, as the turnover rate in our centers is at an all-time high.”
Stephanie McAdoo, Director of Indi Kids explained why child care providers can’t fill open positions. “Because child care runs on impossible math. Families can’t afford higher tuition, state subsidies don’t cover true costs, and teachers—our most critical workforce—earn poverty wages,” shared McAdoo. “Our teachers make less than cashiers at Sheetz or Target. How can we continue to ask our educators to shape young minds when they can’t afford rent or to feed their own families?”
Dan DeBone, President and CEO of the Westmoreland Chamber presented new polling data showing overwhelming Pennsylvania 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 found that:
- 98% of Pennsylvania voters have reached consensus that early childhood education is an important piece of what it takes to lead a healthy and productive life.
- 83% support increasing state funding for child care teacher recruitment and retention.
- 72% back more funding to increase compensation for pre-k teachers.
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Urge passage of child care teacher recruitment and retention proposal as part of final state budget agreement
July 23, 2025 – Local chamber of commerce leaders, child care teachers and working parents gathered in Philadelphia to discuss how the ongoing child care teacher shortage, driven by unlivable wages, is forcing classrooms to close and leaving working families scrambling to find care. Participants urged lawmakers to prioritize child care in the 2025-2026 state budget by including Governor Shapiro’s proposal to invest $55 million in a new and recurring Child Care Recruitment and Retention line item to boost the pay of the Commonwealth’s child care teachers by $1,000.
“As Chamber leaders, we know that child care isn’t just a family issue—it’s an economic issue. This is why more than 70 of Pennsylvania’s local chambers of commerce are urging the General Assembly to invest in our child care teachers,” said Bob Carl Jr., President and CEO of the Schuylkill County Chamber. “When parents can’t find reliable, affordable care, they can’t work. When child care providers struggle to recruit and retain staff, classrooms close, and employers lose valuable employees. This crisis is holding back our workforce, our businesses, and our entire economy.”
As part of the event, Carl discussed the results of a statewide PA Chamber survey of employers on the impact that limited child care options are having on Pennsylvania businesses.
Key findings from the survey include:
- A staggering 81 percent of employers said they have moderate or significant recruitment and retention issues due to child care challenges.
- The vast majority of businesses — 69 percent — indicated that it is extremely or very important to help their employees meet their child care needs.
Carl noted that these child care issues have a real cost to the economy. He cited a recent economic analysis conducted by the nonprofit ReadyNation and the PA Early Learning Investment Commission showing 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.
“Chambers across the Commonwealth have heard the pleas of employers. I am here to speak on behalf of those businesses,” stated Laura Manion, President and CEO of Chester County Chamber of Commerce. “Study after study shows that every dollar spent on early education yields massive returns—in workforce participation, in school readiness, and in business growth. Child care is infrastructure—just like roads and broadband. If we want a strong economy, we need to fund it.”
A September survey conducted by the Start Strong PA Campaign of 1,140 child care providers from across Pennsylvania showed that 92% of child care programs reported challenges in recruiting staff with 85% struggling with teacher shortages. Those shortages are leaving more than 3,000 unfilled positions statewide. Programs could serve an additional 25,320 children if they could recruit and retain the staff they need, and these numbers represent less than 18% of the total open registered programs in Pennsylvania.
“Right now, LifeSpan serves 800 children across three counties (Lehigh, Montgomery and Bucks),” said Nicole Fetherman, Director, LifeSpan. “But with 10–15 teaching positions perpetually unfilled, we could serve, at minimum, 100 more families tomorrow—if we had the staff.”
In the same September 2024 survey in Lehigh, Montgomery and Bucks County, 167 programs reported 471 unfilled jobs. If those positions weren’t vacant, the programs could serve 4,500 more children.
“We’ve had to close multiple rooms and downsize our program simply because we cannot find educators. Right now, we serve 120 children. But here’s the heartbreaking reality: We’re licensed for 350,” said Brie Rice, Program Specialist, JB’s Bright Beginnings. “It’s time for our elected officials to support us with funding specifically for teacher recruitment and retention. Our children, our families, and our workforce deserve nothing less.”
Samantha Chivinski, Executive Vice President of the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce noted that Schuylkill County has experienced a 20 percent reduction in the number of child care providers since 2019. “In a recent parent survey conducted by our chamber, 63 percent of those parents reported being placed on a waiting list for child care. These waiting lists ranged from months up to three years,” said Chivinski.
Before founding the Norristown Chamber of Commerce and a regional logistics company, Kym Ramsey opened and operated two early learning centers in Montgomery County serving more than 1,200 children and employing over 200 early childhood educators. “The economics of child care simply do not allow providers, who are small business owners, to offer competitive wages while keeping tuition affordable for working families. With the child care sector averaging $15 per hour, we simply cannot compete with other sectors where jobs pay more than $20 per hour and don’t have the responsibility of shaping young minds,” said Ramsey.
Event participants presented new polling data showing overwhelming Pennsylvania 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 found that:
- 98% of Pennsylvania voters have reached consensus that early childhood education is an important piece of what it takes to lead a healthy and productive life.
- 83% support increasing state funding for child care teacher recruitment and retention.
Megan Gherrity, a parent and teacher from CrossPoint Early Learning Center in Dauphin County shared her daily struggle. “I wear two hats that feel impossible to balance most days: I’m not only a parent of two young children who rely on child care, I’m also a child care teacher. I know firsthand what’s at stake in this fight—not just as someone who depends on this system, but as someone who gives my all to it every single day,” stated Gherrity. “I didn’t become a teacher to get rich. I did it because I believe in the magic of early learning—the way a child’s eyes light up when they finally write their name, the trust in their voice when they whisper a secret. But magic doesn’t pay rent. Passion doesn’t cover health insurance. And no teacher should have to choose between the career they love and feeding their own children.”
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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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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.
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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