Our commonwealth needs to make further investments and improve policies for the children and families served in the early care and education system. Read below for updates and information about Pennsylvania-focused policy and advocacy.



Summary of Governor Shapiro’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 Early Care and Education Budget Proposal by Line Item
Child Care
Child Care Services: $66.7 million in new state funding proposed to maintain subsidized child care access to 75,000 low-income working families and sustain Child Care Works reimbursements to meet or exceed rates at the 60th percentile of the market rate for child care facilities. Budget documents indicate this funding would replace federal dollars.
Child Care Assistance: Essentially level-funded; minor $5,000 state funding increase proposed, noted to “expand existing program to include four-year postsecondary institutions”.
Pre-K
Pre-K Counts: $30 million in new state funding proposed to increase rates by approximately $1,000 per child (full-time slot) / $500 per child (part-time slot). A full-time slot would increase to $11,000 and a part-time slot would increase to $5,500.
Head Start Supplemental Assistance: $2.7 million in new state funding proposed to increase the cost per child rate.
Early Intervention
Early Intervention Part C (DHS – infants/toddlers): $20.2 million in new state funding proposed. Budget documents indicate about 3,000 more children are expected to be served.
Early Intervention Part B (PDE – ages three-five): $10.4 million in new state funding proposed. Budget documents indicate about 2,000 more children are expected to be served.
Evidenced-based Home Visiting
Community-Based Family Centers: Level-funded. Nurse Family Partnership: Essentially level-funded; very minor adjustments made to state line item in relationship to federal funding.
Read the Early Learning PA statement: Governor Shapiro 23-24 Budget Proposal ELPA Statement DRAFT
Building a Financially-Stable, High- Quality Child Care System for Pennsylvania’s Children and Families: Improving Subsidized Child Care Rate Setting
Read the full report here Improving Subsidized Child Care Rate Setting - 2-2023 Web
Improving Subsidized Child Care Rate Setting Presentation February 2023
Presentation Recording; Passcode: Z%ngF2T?
Recommendations for Infant and Toddler Contracts in Pennsylvania: A Model to Strengthen and Stabilize the Child Care System
PennAEYC, Children First, Trying Together and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released recommendations for Pennsylvania related to infant and toddler contracted slots to expand and improve the program. Pennsylvania is well poised to expand contracts for infants and toddlers based on the Infant and Contracted Slots Pilot and can serve as a model for strengthening and stabilizing the child care system. These recommendations highlight the policy goals for the expansion of contract-based slots for infants and toddlers and offers well-researched financing and monitoring recommendations to ensure accountability for the system and use of public dollars. Lastly, the recommendations include ways to strengthen equity in a contracts-based model to ensure funding reaches all Early Learning Resource Center regions.
Read the full report here Recommendations for Infant and Toddler Contracts in Pennsylvania: A Model to Strengthen and Stabilize the Child Care System
Statewide Advocacy Agenda to Improve Part C Early Intervention Services for Pennsylvania
PennAEYC and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released a comprehensive report, Statewide Advocacy Agenda to Improve Part C Early Intervention Services for Pennsylvania, which reviewed the data and current practices in Pennsylvania’s system. There are five core recommendations:
- Serving all children who can benefit from Part C EI through outreach, referral, enrollment
- Ensuring Part C EI services offer the quality needed to make a difference
- Achieving equitable access in Part C EI
- Addressing mental health needs of infants and toddlers in Part C EI
- Partnering with Medicaid to improve Part C EI
Read the full report here Statewide Advocacy Agenda to Improve Part C Early Intervention Services for Pennsylvania - JUNE 2022 FINAL ONLINE