PennAEYC in the News
Local child care programs honored
HAZLETON – State Sen. Dave Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., State Rep. Dane Watro, R-116, Kline Twp. and Jan Schwartz, Outreach Director Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Children, recognized 12 Luzerne County family child care providers and child care centers for their commitment to quality improvement, as they have reached either a STAR 3 or 4, the highest quality designations in Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS quality rating system.. Read more.
These tools can help new and expecting Pa. parents find child care that meets their needs
HARRISBURG – In early 2016, Jessica Stamper started searching for child care around the end of her first trimester. The Pittsburgh resident had heard from friends that finding safe, quality care for her first baby would not be easy. Read more.
Spotlight PA Event: How Pa's child care crisis affects you
HARRISBURG – Two things plague Pennsylvania’s child care industry: many families find care unaffordable and inaccessible while workers are given low pay and often do not remain in their jobs for long. Business groups have urged lawmakers to take action, saying the staffing shortage affects “virtually all economic sectors.”. Read more.
Cambria County child care crisis explored at summit
JOHNSTOWN – Area child care providers and state specialists, local employers, educators and economic developers gathered Thursday to explore the child care crisis that’s impacting the region. “Anything we can do to find a solution, I think would help,” McAneny Brothers human resources Director Shawn Kaufman said. He attended the event to learn more about the lack of available child care and what employers can do to help, noting that he has a few people with young children in his department. Read more
Between high fees and low wages, what will it cost to fix PA's child care staffing crisis?
HARRISBURG – Holli Zelinsky often thinks about selling or even closing the Doodle Bug. She opened the preschool and child care center in rural Schuylkill County in 2007, and making the finances work has always been a challenge. But after the coronavirus pandemic upended the child care industry over four years ago, finding and keeping workers became even harder. Read more
Dr. April Torrence Honored as a Voice for Children for Work at Zion
FARRELL – When she first started Zion Education Center in 1995 out of her own home, Dr. April Torrence sometimes had as many as three children sitting on her lap. At the time, Torrence was pregnant with her first child – Tamara Harrison — but she still able to apply a “motherly touch” when it came to caring for the community’s children while the parents worked.
Dr. April Torrence Honored as a Voice for Children for Work at Zion
FARRELL – When she first started Zion Education Center in 1995 out of her own home, Dr. April Torrence sometimes had as many as three children sitting on her lap. At the time, Torrence was pregnant with her first child – Tamara Harrison — but she still able to apply a “motherly touch” when it came to caring for the community’s children while the parents worked.
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Representative Flood Recognizes The Learning Locomotion Child Care Centers' High-Quality Designations
LEHIGH VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA – On Monday, February 12, 2024, state Representative Ann Flood (R-District 138) recognized two of The Learning Locomotion’s newest sites for their commitment to continuous quality improvement as they moved up in Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS quality rating system, from a STAR 3 to STAR 4. The centers’ other two locations, in Bangor and Stockertown, already have the highest quality designation in the state, a Keystone STAR 4. Read more.
LEHIGH VALLEY (February 2024) – On Monday, February 12, 2024, state Representative Ann Flood (R-District 138) will recognize two of three of The Learning Locomotion child care locations for their commitment to continuous quality improvement, as they moved up Pennsylvania’s Keystone STARS quality rating system to a STAR 4, the highest quality designation in the state. Read more.
Historic Shortage of Child Care Teachers Shrinks Child Care Availability for PA Families by 26,000 Slots
State funds desperately needed to recruit and retain child care workforce
HARRISBURG (January 2024) – A recent survey conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Policy Lab on behalf of Start Strong PA demonstrates Pennsylvania’s ongoing child care crisis continues to threaten parents’ ability to work and the overall economy. The survey, conducted between August 29, 2023 and September 21, 2023, details the child care staffing crisis in 762 of Pennsylvania’s child care programs and its effects on working families’ ability to access care. Read more.
Harrisburg's Strawberry Square new home to childhood education advocate
Harrisburg -- Strawberry Square in Harrisburg is the new home for the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC), a membership-based advocacy organization of early care and education professionals. Read more.
PA Child Care Providers Sound Alarm, Say More Support is Needed as Federal COVID Funding Ends
State College --During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of millions in federal dollars was pushed out to child care centers in Pennsylvania, but that funding wasn't permanent and has stopped. At a time when workers can make more in other jobs, providers and advocates say the child care shortage that existed before the pandemic will get worse if the government doesn’t step in. Read more,
Daycare Centers Brace for Financial Hit as Federal Pandemic-era Funding Ends
Harrisburg -- Not a day goes by that Lana Stitzel, who runs a popular day care center in Harrisburg, doesn’t get a call from a desperate parent looking to enroll their child in her program. For Stitzel the answer is always sorry, but no. Read more.
Lack of Child Care Funding Has Wide Impact
Sunbury PA -- Child care as Pennsylvania residents know it is in real trouble. If it remains on its current course, the situation may turn from worse to dire in only a few years, according to experts studying the situation. Read more.
Child Care in PA, U.S. Facing Fast Erosion as Federal Relief Program Ends
Johnstown, PA -- Advocates say that it’s not a cliff awaiting Pennsylvania’s child care providers when a federal financial relief program expires on Saturday. Rather, they say, what lies ahead is the continued erosion of an industry already beset by low pay, an unstable labor pool and an inability to meet public demand. Read more.
Legislators Recognize Two Lehigh Valley Children's Centers Inc. Sites Move-Up to High Quality
CARBON COUNTY, PA — State Senator David Argall (R-District 29) and State Representative Doyle Heffley (R-District 122) presented certificates to staff at Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers Inc. recognizing two of their child care centers in Carbon County for achieving the highest quality designation in the state, a Keystone STAR 4. Keystone STARS is Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System helping early care and education centers reach and sustain high-quality education programs. Read more.
Rep. Susan Wild Helps Introduce Bill to Keep Child Care Programs Open
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Susan Wild helped introduce the Child Care Stabilization Act, a bill to keep America’s child care industry afloat as key child care funding is set to expire September 30th.
The Child Care Stabilization Act would prevent a potential crisis when funding expires at the end of the month by providing $16 billion in funding each year for the next five years to continue the American Rescue Plan’s successful Child Care Stabilization Grant program. This investment would ensure child care providers continue receiving stable, reliable funding to help them deliver high-quality and affordable child care for working families. Read more.
Rep. Susan Wild Celebrates New Easton Child Care Slots, Reaffirms Push to Expand Child Care for PA-07 Families
EASTON, P.A. – September 7, 2023 - Congresswoman Susan Wild visited Third Street Alliance for Women and Children for a ribbon cutting of three new preschool classrooms and a roundtable on improving access to high-quality, affordable child care. Third Street Alliance’s new classrooms will allow forty-four additional children whose families earn less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level to attend the high-quality early learning center in the upcoming 2023-24 school year. The transformation of the decommissioned pool at Third Street into classroom space was made possible by funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that Congresswoman Wild helped pass into law. Read more,
Lawmakers, activists consider child care statistics, solutions
INDIANA, Pa. — Low wages threaten early childhood care and swallow billions from the Pennsylvania economy, according to activist group. In a roundtable discussion Thursday, sponsored by Trying Together, Start Strong PA and the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC), lawmakers, child care workers and activists reviewed new data gathered by Start Strong PA and other organizations that exposes a deeply inefficient early child care system. Read more.
Advocates want higher wages for child care workers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — In Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget address, he called for nearly $67 million dollars to maintain childcare access for 75,000 low-income families. However, advocates say that doesn’t help solve the root of the early education problem: low wages, which feeds a staffing shortage. Read more. Read full report here.
Local leaders discuss status of early childcare and education
MONROE COUNTY, Pa. (WOLF) — The Pre-K for PA and Start Strong PA Campaigns, Pocono Mountains United Way hosted a visit with state and local leaders to discuss the status of early care and education in Monroe County.
Pocono leaders discuss challenges in early childcare
MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A roundtable discussion took place in the Poconos with state and local leaders about the challenges the early child care industry is facing.
Oberlander, Law Enforcement Leaders Tour Keystone SMILES, Discuss Challenges of Child Care and Pre-K Education
KNOX, Pa. (EYT) – Pa. State Representative Donna Oberlander and local law enforcement leaders on Wednesday toured Pre-K Counts and Keystone STAR 4 child care provider Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center and held a discussion on the continued challenges of the early care and education sector.
Pa. hiring event to help with childcare staffing crisis
(WHTM) — A three-day hiring event aiming to address the early childhood staffing crisis begins Tuesday, March 29.
Waning signups for Pa. child care program could forecast weak economic recovery
ALLEGHENY COUNTY — Roughly 25,000 fewer children in Pennsylvania are benefiting from a program that helps low-income families find affordable child care compared with before the coronavirus pandemic, fueling concerns about the loss of vital support systems for parents.
Covid pandemic puts pressure on Pittsburgh region's child care services
With child tax credits expired, some households feeling the pinch again
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. | January 26, 2022 – Some local families’ income may be falling with the recent expiration of a federal safety net.
Pennsylvania could get universal preschool. Here’s how.
Chalkbeat | December 7, 2021 -- Parent Danielle Ruffin thinks every Pennsylvania child deserves a preschool program like the one her 4-year-old daughter Novah attends inside a small brick building in North Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Child Care and Staffing Crisis, By the Numbers
Spotlight | November 26 -- HARRISBURG — As a roughly $2 trillion social spending plan moves through Congress, transformational change could be on the horizon for child care in Pennsylvania and across the country. But now, an industry pivotal to the state’s economic recovery is facing severe staffing shortages.
Economy Depends on Accessible, Affordable Child Care
Yahoo News | Nov. 14—Pennsylvania employers are bearing the brunt of the lack of child care programs as they struggle to fill positions left vacant due to workers' inability to find affordable and accessible day care.
The lack of child care "is a barrier to the workforce," said Gene Barr, president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and member of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC).
Child Care Crucial to Economic Strength But It's In Short Supply
Central PA Business Journal | September 23, 2021 — There is a childcare shortage in Pennsylvania and across the nation. The COVID pandemic caused childcare centers to shutter, many permanently. The extra unemployment benefits kept some caregivers from returning to work. Wages for childcare workers are low, pushing many to change careers.
All of this is causing an economic squeeze on businesses here and across the country as workers who can’t find childcare stay home with their children. So what can be done?
Federal Child Care Funds Critical to Reopening and Rebuilding PA
Blue Valley Times | Allentown, PA | September 14, 2021 — Volunteers of America Children’s Center and the Pennsylvania As- sociation for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) will co-host a tour and roundtable discussion describing the current state of child care in the Lehigh Valley.
U.S. Congresswoman Susan Wild will participate in a tour and roundtable at Volunteers of America Children’s Center to learn about the on-going challenges with recruiting and retaining staff, under-enrollment and continued pandemic related expenses.
Federal Child Care Funds Critical to Reopening and Rebuilding PA
THE VALLEY LEDGER | Allentown, PA | September 13, 2021 – On Friday, September 17, 2021, Volunteers of America Children’s Center and the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) will co-host a tour and roundtable discussion describing the current state of child care in the Lehigh Valley.
Child care staffing shortage could make it harder for people to go back to work
WILLIAMSPORT SUN-GAZETTE | September 4, 2021 – Child care centers across the Lehigh Valley and beyond are facing an uphill battle to get their facilities staffed as parents return to working in offices and drop their children off for in-person classes.
Staffing levels are critical for child care centers, which are required to have low ratios of children to adults. People in the industry say conditions both pandemic- and non-pandemic-related combined to create a crisis.
Cartwright advocates for funding for child care centers
Cartwright touts need for child care, early learning in Plains Twp. visit
Times Leader | September 3, 2021 Sarah Valonis put a very human face to the call for more affordable child care, talking of her daughter pulled from the Building Blocks Learning Center program during the pandemic.
The girl seemed to disappear at home, until the Laflin mother found her under the dining room table crying, a math workbook nearby.
The Pandemic ‘Blew the House of Cards All the Way Down’ for Mothers. Can Joe Biden Build It Back Better?
The Keystone | August 27, 2021 Moms are not okay. The pandemic has taken a toll and they are exhausted and struggling to find affordable child care. But help could be on the way, as President Joe Biden has a plan to pass a once-in-a-generation investment to help working families.
Pick a night of the week—any night—and odds are high that Stephanie Lane is “touched out.”
For nearly a year and a half, Lane has focused much of her energy in keeping her three younger children happy, healthy, and engaged amid a pandemic. By the end of the day, the 43-year-old Harrisburg area mom often feels exhausted from being constantly grabbed at by her kids.
Casey pushes for federal funding for early childhood education during Scranton preschool visit
The Scranton Times-Tribune | August 23, 2021 U.S. Sen. Bob Casey sat on a tiny blue chair and started to build a home for the Three Little Pigs...
Child care staffing shortage could make it harder for people to go back to work
The Morning Call | August 22, 2021
Sen. Bob Casey touts legislative plan aimed at helping kids during visit to Centre County
Centre Daily Times | August 18, 2021 Senator Bob Casey, D-Pa., stopped in Centre County Tuesday and visited Step by Step School for Early Learning to talk about the importance of quality early childhood education.
Casey spoke about his “Five Freedoms for America’s Children” agenda, an update of what his office announced in early 2020 that reflects the COVID-19 pandemic as well as some progress that has been made, he said.
Sen. Bob Casey touts legislative plan aimed at helping kids during visit to Centre County
State College | August 17, 2021 Senator Bob Casey, D-Pa., stopped in Centre County Tuesday and visited Step by Step School for Early Learning to talk about the importance of quality early childhood education.
Casey spoke about his “Five Freedoms for America’s Children” agenda, an update of what his office announced in early 2020 that reflects the COVID-19 pandemic as well as some progress that has been made, he said.
High quality childcare learning centers struggling to fill essential roles
CBS 21News | Harrisburg, PA | August 2, 2021 — Childcare providers are struggling to fill essential staff roles and maintain financial stability, but it can be particularly challenging for high quality learning centers.
Only 42% of Pennsylvania’s childcare capacity is high quality, in part due to lack of specialty workers that help maintain a three or four star state rating.
Gov. Wolf and advocates celebrate investments in early childhood education
CBS 21News | | July 19, 202 — Governor Wolf, advocates, and legislative members gathered at the YMCA in Reading to celebrate a $30 million dollar increase in early childhood education funding.
This new funding will allow 3,270 new children to enroll in early learning program.
PA Child-Care Providers: State Budget Falls Short for Youngest Learners
Public News Service | Harrisburg, PA | July 6, 2021 — Gov. Tom Wolf signed the new state budget last week, which includes a historic $416 million increase in public-education funding.
While the investment was praised by some, child-care providers say the budget missed the mark in their field. They also want to ensure the $1.2 billion dollars the state received from the American Rescue Plan for child-care centers gets to them as soon as possible.
State Budget Signing Disappoints Child-Care Providers
The Post | Harrisburg, PA | July 6, 2021— Although the state budget signed last week by Gov. Tom Wolf included an historic $416 million increase in public-education funding, child-care providers say the budget missed the mark in their field. Child-care line items got no state-budget increases despite being devastated by the pandemic, according to Jen DeBell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children.
Because child-care centers face a critical need for $1.2 billion in federal funds now available under the American Rescue Plan, DeBell hopes the state begins distributing them as soon as possible.
PA Child-Care Providers: State Budget Falls Short for Youngest Learners
bctv.org | July 8, 2021— Gov. Tom Wolf signed the new state budget last week, which includes a historic $416 million increase in public-education funding.
While the investment was praised by some, child-care providers say the budget missed the mark in their field. They also want to ensure the $1.2 billion dollars the state received from the American Rescue Plan for child-care centers gets to them as soon as possible.
CHILD CARE IN CRISIS | 'Broken economic model': Parents, centers caught in struggle over high costs and low wages
The Tribune-Democrat | June 20, 202 — Jody Jurgevich sees fast-food restaurants offering work incentives and sign-on bonuses and hopes her employees don’t leave.
“Here we are in child care, where workers don’t get offered much more over minimum wage and they don’t get benefits,” she said.
Advocates Want To Build Stronger Child Care System In Pennsylvania
KDKA CBS 2 Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | June 18, 2021 — Child care providers ensure our little ones remain safe, engaged and actively learning.
But more than 600 locked their doors statewide during the coronavirus pandemic, unable to accept the infants and toddlers born to parents who still had to work.
Local Early Childhood Sector To Receive $4.4 Million From Heinz Endowments
WESA 90.5 | June 10, 2021 — Providing child care became even more expensive during the pandemic. Centers were closed during lockdowns, while enrollment overall decreased as safety protocols and the cost of supplies grew.
The sector was already operating with thin margins when the pandemic focused new attention on the critical role it plays in the region's overall economic health.
Philadelphia pre-Ks could see millions in federal dollars. Parents and providers weigh in on how to spend it.
Chalkbeat Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | May 15, 2021 — Child care providers have long struggled to stay afloat, amid narrow margins and a lack of teachers who are willing to work for low pay. Now early childhood advocates are hoping that an influx of funding could stabilize an industry hard hit during the pandemic, when many families pulled their children from community day cares.
With three federal relief bills signed and a White House proposal to provide free preschool for 3- and 4-year olds, the sector will see a significant boost, and that money could prove transformative.
Childhood development center sees the effects of a year at home
WjAC - wearecentralpa.com | Centre County, PA | May 11, 2021 — The importance of high-quality early childhood education has been a hot topic in government, as studies show these are pivotal years for development. Nationally, President Biden promotes universally accessible Pre-K education.
Echoing the importance of early learning, the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, and local development center, The Learning Station, met with Representative Kerry Benninghoff today, to discuss their progress and concerns.
Heinz Endowments grants of $4.4 million target child care, education programs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | May 11, 2021 — The Heinz Endowments is awarding $4.4 million in grants for child-care and education initiatives, saying those sectors were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and need more funding than what state and federal sources provide.
“The pandemic ripped open the curtain on the precarious state of our nation’s early childhood care and education system, and has made abundantly clear how essential that system is to the healthy development of America’s children, and to the future of our economy,” Grant Oliphant, the endowments’ president, said in a statement announcing the new funding round.
Pa. child care providers give feedback on challenges they face amid pandemic
69 News | Early-education advocates in Pennsylvania are trying to find a way to build a stronger child care system through the American Rescue Plan.
Start Strong PA and the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children held a virtual call Thursday for child care providers and the families they serve.
Rep. Sonney discusses the importance of investing in early education
FOX66 WFXP WJET | YourErie.com | Erie, PA | May 6, 2021A panel came together with a local Representative Thursday to discuss the importance of investing in early education.
Representative Curt Sonney met with multiple members of the Erie Community virtually Thursday, including Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri and Michelle Harkins the Executive Director of Early Connections.
Early childhood educators invited to participate in year-long, monthly virtual workshop series
The Daily American | January 3, 2021For early learning workers in rural communities, access to ongoing training is critical to building the skills necessary to deliver high quality care. It is also hard to come by.
To address the challenge and improve quality of care for all children, The Learning Lamp and Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) will launch Insights and Innovations — An ECE Conference Workshop Series beginning in January 2021. The workshops can be accessed virtually by any provider, no matter how rural, so long as they have access to the Internet.
PennAEYC Press Releases
National Early Education Expert Visits Accredited PA Child Care Program and Speaks at Advocacy Event
ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (March 31, 2023)— Michelle Kang, chief executive officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) visited Pennsylvania to tour an accredited early childhood care and learning program and speak at the annual gala of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC). Read more MichelleKang Visit Release Final
Voice for Children Awardees Honored at Annual Gala
HERSHEY, Pa. (March 31, 2023) — PennAEYC’s Voice for Children Award is the only statewide award in Pennsylvania recognizing the grassroots leaders whose work impacts the quality of care for young children in diverse settings. The “Voice” Award celebrates not only the individual award recipients, but the early childhood profession.
“With our Voice for Children Award, PennAEYC recognizes the critical role advocacy plays in high-quality early care and education settings and celebrates those who speak on behalf of Pennsylvania’s children,” said Jen DeBell, Executive Director of PennAEYC. “As the "Voice” for early childhood care and learning, community advocates are an invaluable component to assuring all Pennsylvania’s children get the start they deserve in school and life.”
Read more at
- Voice for Children Award - Dr. Jean C. Allison, PhD, Associate Professor of Early Childhood, Delaware County Community College
- Voice for Children Award - Linda D. Grinage, Founder & CSO, Blessed Assurance Christian Early Learning Center Press Release Voice For Children Honorees SWPA Final
- Voice for Children Distinguished Career Honoree - Rebecca Lentz Gorton, Administrator Emerita, Northampton Community College. Press Release Voice For Children Honorees Lehigh Final
- Voice for Children Distinguished Career Honoree, In Memoriam - Dr.Rae Ann Hirsh, Program Director, Early Childhood Education Department, Carlow University Press Release Voice For Children Honorees SWPA Final
Ahead of Shapiro’s budget, poll stresses funding for early child care | Thursday Morning Coffee
Eighty-five percent of providers said they face staffing shortages; blame low wages
HARRISBURG (March 2, 2022) – With Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first budget address now less than a week away, a new poll underlines the staffing shortage facing Pennsylvania’s child care providers and, advocates say, the need for policymakers to step up to help them. Eighty-five percent of provider respondents to the poll commissioned by the advocacy groups Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA said they face staffing shortages, while 50 percent said they’ve shuttered at least one classroom in response to the staffing gap. Read more.
New Survey: Sunsetting Pandemic Relief for Pennsylvania Child Care Sector will Raise Tuition for Working Families
HARRISBURG (December 15, 2022) – According to a new poll from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 62% of Pennsylvania child care center directors surveyed reported that they will have to raise tuition as one-time federal pandemic relief comes to an end. Additionally, 29% reported they will have to cut staff salaries, as they will be unable to sustain the increases the federal funds allowed them to offer. This is bad news for working families in Pennsylvania who are struggling to find and afford child care. Read full story here New Survey: Sunsetting Pandemic Relief for Pennsylvania Child Care Sector will Raise Tuition for Working Families
NAEYC Survey: Vast Majority of PA Child Care Centers Currently Experiencing Staffing Shortage
Swift action needed by PA officials to stabilize sector and ensure families can return to work
PennAEYC, Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children | Harrisburg, PA | August 16, 2021 — Four out of every five child care providers in Pennsylvania are currently experiencing a staffing shortage, according to a recent survey of 7,500 early childhood educators nationwide from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The survey demonstrates how the child care sector is struggling to recruit and retain teachers and essential staff, as well as maintain financial stability. The current state of child care poses a major obstacle to working families and rebuilding the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More: Child Care Survey 8-16-21 Final
