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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