NEWS ROOM
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.
PA Senate Passes Budget with NO Funding to Address Early Learning Workforce Shortage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Kate Philips (Pre-K for PA) philips@parkerphilips.com 215-850-4647 Jodi Askins (Start Strong PA) jodiaskins@gmail.com 272-444-1860 PA Senate Passes Budget with NO Funding to Address Early Learning Workforce Shortage Child...
Public Opinion: Op-Ed: Our Workforce Skills Gap
A skills gap among our workforce threatens our future economy … both here in Franklin County and across the Commonwealth. Boosting access to high quality pre-K and investing more long-term state funding through Pennsylvania’s fair education funding formula will address these inequities and help to close the skills gap ensuring a brighter economic future for all.
The Intelligencer: Give every child a good start for learning
I believe in the promise of every kindergartner, but it saddens me to think that some have a late start on the journey to graduation day. With high-quality pre-K, every child in Pennsylvania starts a lifetime of learning, preparing to contribute to the community and pursue their dreams.
Lehigh Valley: LTE: Reopening child care centers will be difficult for owners
Now, more than a decade later, being able to reopen after this health crisis hinges on my 15 employees and the parents of 85 children feeling comfortable returning to work in a post-COVID-19 world.
Lehigh Valley Live: LTE: Gov. Wolf’s ‘pay them more’ comment insensitive to small business owners
The frustration comes when Gov. Wolf says, “If you want your staff to come back, just pay them more.” I would love to, governor, but where are we supposed to get that money when subsidy reimbursement rates are not increased for child care centers? Or when private-pay families would have to be charged more, yet many of them are now unemployed, and therefore do not need child care?
MEDIA CONTACT
Kate Philips
215-850-4647
kphilips@prekforpa.org
EARLY EDUCATION EXPERTS
If you are a reporter looking for comment or background from one of our early education experts, please Kate Philips at kphilips@prekforpa.org.
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York County teachers celebrate new Pre-K classroom
State officials joined the staff to celebrate a new pre-k classroom. This was made possible by an extra $79 million in this year’s budget. The new space makes early education accessible to more families.
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