HARRISBURG (September 24, 2024) – A coordinated early care and education system ensures infants, toddlers, and preschoolers succeed in school and allows parents to work while knowing their children are safe and learning in high-quality care. A coordinated system is vital to the economy, yet according to the 2024 State of Early Care and Education report, Pennsylvania faces a historic early learning workforce shortage.
Working with Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA as part of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, the report uses data and research to show that without new investments in the child care workforce, Pre-K Counts, or the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program, early learning providers will continue to lose teachers and close classrooms.
“The growth and development of young children in high-quality early care and education sets them on a path to success with benefits that last into adulthood,” said Kari King, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. “Providing every eligible child with high-quality early care and education will ensure infants, toddlers, and preschoolers have the foundation to succeed in school and life.”
Early childhood educators are the workforce behind the workforce. However, the Pennsylvania child care sector is in crisis, and no funding was allocated in the 2024-25 state budget to support the recruitment and retention of workers in the field.
The report shows that inadequate funding for the early care and education system has led to supply-side issues impacting a family’s ability to find affordable, high-quality care, as well as providers’ ability to be compensated fairly to pay their teachers and maintain business expenses:
- Unlivable wages of less than $15.15/hour are causing a historic workforce shortage, closing classrooms, and driving up wait lists for working mothers and families.
- Child care providers can’t raise teacher wages because families are already struggling to afford care costs. On average, costs for infant child care comprise approximately 17.5% of the Pennsylvania median family income.
- Only 25% of eligible children under three are served by Child Care Works, leaving over 73,000 eligible infants and toddlers unserved.
Without direct investment in the child care sector’s workforce, this crisis will continue, likely resulting in more classroom closures and more working parents struggling to find care for their children. The report recommends implementing and continually funding a recruitment and retention model to increase the child care workforce and ensure providers have the staff needed to operate at full capacity so that programs can meet families’ needs.
In addition to highlighting the workforce crisis in the child care sector, the report notes the importance of high-quality pre-k programs. Only 46% of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds participate in high-quality, publicly funded pre-k, leaving over 78,000 without access to a high-quality program.
Solutions for addressing access for children and supporting high-quality pre-k programs include increasing state investments in the Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance programs and developing and fully funding a pay parity policy for pre-k teachers that reflects wages provided to teachers in the K-12 system.
“A high-quality early care and education system positively impacts the lives of Pennsylvania children. Addressing the child care sector and pre-k workforce shortage will allow more children to access the benefits of a high-quality system,” King said. “Working together, we can build Pennsylvania’s early care and education system as a leading model.”
About Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a strong, effective and trusted voice to improve the health, education and well-being of children and youth in the commonwealth. Since 1992 its public policy victories have helped countless children learn, thrive and succeed, regardless of circumstances. PPC is statewide, independent, non-partisan and non- profit. Learn more at papartnerships.org.
About Pre-K for PA
Pre-K for PA launched in 2014 with the vision that every 3- and 4-year-old in Pennsylvania will have access to high-quality pre-k. Learn more at www.prekforpa.org.
About Start Strong PA
Start Strong PA launched in 2019 to support healthy child development, working families, and the economy by increasing access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs for young children. Learn more at www.startstrongpa.org.
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