POLICY MAKERS

Why We Need It

It’s not often that politicians from different parties see eye-to-eye on an issue, but expansion of pre-k is an issue that crosses party lines and unites Republicans, like former Governor Mark Schweiker, and Democrats, like former Governor Ed Rendell. High-quality pre-kindergarten and childcare programs close the opportunity gap, reducing the need for special education and remedial instruction. In addition, all the data show that access to high-quality early learning decreases crime, incarceration, and dropout rates during teenage years.

Why We Need It

It’s not often that politicians from different parties see eye-to-eye on an issue, but expansion of pre-k is an issue that crosses party lines and unites Republicans, like former Governor Mark Schweiker, and Democrats, like former Governor Ed Rendell. High-quality pre-kindergarten and childcare programs close the opportunity gap, reducing the need for special education and remedial instruction. In addition, all the data show that access to high-quality early learning decreases crime, incarceration, and dropout rates during teenage years.

PA Partnerships for Children Pre-K Data

This interactive review at the Pennsylvania House, Senate and school district levels includes local data on children served, unmet need, the number of high-quality providers, current capacity and much more. Not sure where your legislative districts or school district are on the maps? No problem. Use the convenient search functionality on each map to look up your legislators or school district.

The link of the sources and methodology: 2023-24 Pre-K for PA Data Sources and Methodology

Pre-k in Your County

To learn more about the state of pre-k in your county, click on an individual county in the map below. Click on the STATEWIDE tab above to download a summary of pre-k in Pennsylvania. Citations for the data are listed under the NOTES tab. To learn more about how pre-k will benefit economic development in your region, click on the BUSINESS CASE for Pre-K tab.

 

What’s the state of pre-k in your county?

Click on the map below to download the most current statewide summary of pre-k in Pennsylvania.

GAT_map

Sources

2023-24 Pre-K for PA Data Sources and Methodology

High-quality pre-k includes: an unduplicated count of PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program, and Keystone STARS 3 and 4 enrollments; Head Start; public school pre-k; accredited or PDE licensed nursery school; and providers accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Association for Family Child Care, National Early Childhood Program Accreditation, and Council On Accreditation.

Publicly funded, high-quality pre-k includes: the unduplicated count of PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and Child Care Works enrollments in Keystone STARS 3 and 4; Head Start; and public school pre-k.

Strengthening Pennsylvania Business Through Investments in Pre-Kindergarten

One of the keys to sustained economic growth in Pennsylvania is to generate additional sales of local goods and services, while also creating new jobs. That is why the Pre-K for PA campaign asked researchers from ReadyNation to model the impact of significant expansion of Pennsylvania’s high-quality pre-k system and its potential impact on the economy of the state and its major economic regions. These reports document that investments in early learning provide a significant, immediate economic boost for local businesses and help build stronger communities over the long term. Click below for regional data on the business case for pre-k.

Strengthening Business in the Capital RegionStrengthening Business in Erie County
Strengthening Business in the Lancaster-York RegionStrengthening Business in the Lehigh Valley
Strengthening Business in the NortheastStrengthening Business in the Southeast
Strengthening Business in the Southwest Strengthening Business in the State College Region

2024 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania

August 2024

Solving the Child Care Teacher Shortage Through State Recruitment and Retention Investments

June 2024

$2.4 Billion: The Annual Cost of PA's Child Care Crisis for Working Mothers

June 2024

The Value and Cost of High-Quality Early Care and Education

December 2023

We Need...All That They Can Be

November 2023

2023 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania

August 2023

$6.65B: The Growing, Annual Cost of PA's Child Care Crisis

March 2023

A Snapshot of the Rural Early Care and Education Landscape

March 2023

PA's Early Care & Education Crisis

February 2023

The High Cost of Working in Early Childhood Education

January 2023

Voters for Pre-K

We hired a bi-partisan polling team to conduct two polls among PA voters in the fall of 2013 and 2014. The results? There is strong voter support to ensure all children can access high-quality pre-k. Click below to see both years’ polling results.

Click to download the Lake & Bellwether polling results

2014 poll memo

What do PA voters think about pre-k?

2013 poll memo