MEDIA REPORTS

Pennsylvania lawmakers have spent months wrangling over the budget and the impact of the impasse is being felt statewide. The stalemate could have long-term effects on some of the state’s most vulnerable.

Apparently, preschool doesn’t count enough to keep the doors of Pennsylvania’s Pre-K Counts state preschool program open in some communities more than 100 days into a budget stalemate there.

As Pennsylvania’s budget stalemate nears the 5-month mark, state-subsidized pre-kindergarten programs across the Commonwealth are in danger of shutting down, school advocates said Friday.

Some early childhood centers certified under Pennsylvania’s state-subsidized pre-kindergarten program are starting to tell parents that they will close because of the state’s four-month-old budget stalemate, advocates said Friday.

According to Pre-K For PA coalition, they have confirmed that 19 providers will be closed by November 10, affecting 884 kids and families and an additional 16 confirmed they will close by December 30, affecting 1345 kids and families.

The Growing Place’s Pre-K Counts program in Brodheadsville will be shutting its doors at the end of next week if a budget isn’t in place, said Executive Director Lisa Eick.

With every passing day, social service agencies say the lack of a Pennsylvania budget is hurting thousands of people statewide.

The next best chance to ease the squeeze from Pennsylvania’s protracted state budget stalemate fizzled Tuesday when Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed an emergency stopgap funding bill.

The Gettysburg Campus of Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) hosted a public forum Wednesday morning as a follow-up to a film presentation last week on early childhood education.