News
Chambers of Commerce Across the Commonwealth Support Child Care
UPDATE (June 21, 2024): More than 50 organizations have now signed on to the letter. Local chambers of commerce from across Pennsylvania signed a letter urging lawmakers to address Pennsylvania’s continuous child care crisis. Child care is the workforce behind our workforce and without safe, reliable child care, our working families suffer. The staffing shortage […] [Read More]
Advocates Continue the Call to Address Teacher Shortage
This week, child care providers, advocates, and a bi-partisan slate of lawmakers rallied on the steps of the capitol to highlight the impact of a historic child care teacher shortage driven by low-wages and called on the general assembly to invest in a recruitment and retention grant program as part of the final budget deal to help keep teachers in the classroom. [Read More]
Working Mothers Carry the Burden of Inconsistent Child Care
“$2.4 Billion: The Annual Cost of PA’s Child Care Crisis for Working Mothers” is a new report from the nonprofit ReadyNation that looks specifically at the economic impact of PA’s working mothers’ struggles with gaps in our child care system. [Read More]
States Prove that Recruitment, Retention Investments Work
Start Strong PA’s report “Solving the Child Care Teacher Shortage Through State Recruitment and Retention Investments” details how others states are navigating the child care teacher shortage crisis that is closing programs and driving up waitlists for working families in need of care. [Read More]
Early Childhood Education Caucus Highlights Need for More Pre-K Teachers, Child Care Workers
Today, the bicameral, bipartisan Early Childhood Education Caucus hosted a rally with child care and pre-K students, teachers and parents as well as other advocates to underscore the worsening impacts of the commonwealth’s early learning teacher shortage. [Read More]
Celebrating Young Minds, Those Who Care for Them in April
The PA Senate recognized SR 261 designating the week of April 6 through 12, 2024 as the “Week of the Young Child” in Pennsylvania. This week is about acknowledging the importance of early childhood care and education, and celebrating the incredible potential that lies within every young mind. Celebrating this week also means recognizing the significant […] [Read More]