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.
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: 2025-26 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.
Sources
2025-26 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.
2025 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania
November 2025
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
Click here to view all the most recent pre-k news.
York Dispatch: OpEd: Quality pre-K prepares kids for school
As a kindergarten teacher of nearly 17 years, I am often asked if I notice a difference between kids who have attended prekindergarten and those who have not. My answer is always the same: YES, YES, and YES!
Pre-K for PA Lauds Continued Investment in High-Quality Pre-K
In the final FY 2019-20 budget agreement, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continued to make progress on behalf of its youngest learners by prioritizing expanded access to high-quality pre-k.
Morning Call: Your View by retired Allentown police chief: ‘Spend more on potential, less on penitentiaries’
Pennsylvania’s law enforcement professionals are tough on criminals because it is their job and their mission, but we know that safer communities start with diverting youth from lives of crime in the first place. We can fight crime by assuring that each Pennsylvania child earns a high school diploma and grows up to lead a productive, law-abiding life. This path demands a continuum of public investment in childhood, building a foundation of success from birth through graduation.
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
2013 poll memo
