Philadelphia, PA - Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) leadership today, including Deputy Secretary for the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) Shante’ Brown and Deputy Secretary for the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) Kristin Ahrens, visited Autism R.E.C., a group child care home that offers after-school and summer programs to children with autism, to discuss Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 Budget Proposal, which builds on his Administration’s efforts to make child care more affordable and expand and strengthen the child care workforce.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to supporting child care providers across the Commonwealth. We know that an early childhood education provides our youngest Pennsylvanians with a foundation that will reap benefits throughout their lives, so Pennsylvania needs a thriving child care industry,” said Deputy Secretary Brown. “We must continue to invest in high-quality child care that helps our children grow and thrive while allowing parents to work and participate in our economy, all while appropriately compensating the child care providers and educators who do this work every day.”
“The Shapiro Administration believes that every Pennsylvanian with an intellectual disability or autism deserves to receive the supports they need to achieve an everyday life with dignity. Ensuring that child care providers who serve this population have the resources and investments they need is integral to improve the everyday lives of children with autism,” said Deputy Secretary Ahrens.
Early learning and child care programs are an invaluable resource that foster educational and social development for our youngest Pennsylvanians. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, access to early childhood education improves performance in K-12 schooling, lowers health care costs, and improves employment and earning prospects into adulthood. Child care programs also allow parents to work knowing their children are safe and cared for. The CDC also cites child care as a factor for increased parental employment and income, making this industry an essential cornerstone for a healthy, vibrant economy.
Investing in Pennsylvania’s Families and Strengthening the Child Care Workforce
Pennsylvania’s child care system serves more than 300,000 children annually across the Commonwealth, including approximately 80,000 children who receive subsidies through the Child Care Works (CCW) Program, Pennsylvania’s state and federally-funded child care program that helps low-income families pay their child care fees.
However, providers are struggling to hire and retain staff. Pennsylvania has 3,000 unfilled jobs in child care; if we filled those jobs, 25,000 more children in Pennsylvania could have access to child care and their parents would have the peace of mind that their kids are well taken care of so they can go to work. Child care centers also report increasing difficulty in filling positions due to low wages, and many are forced to close classrooms or limit enrollment. Without a competitive wage, it remains difficult to attract and retain qualified early child care educators.
That’s why Governor Shapiro is proposing investments to recruit and retain child care workers and increase child care services for Pennsylvania families. These proposed investments include $55 million to give child care providers in Pennsylvania’s Child Care Works Program at least $1,000 per employee in recruitment or retention bonuses.
Additionally, $10 million will be directed through DHS to increase Early Intervention (EI) provider rates, to ensure every Pennsylvania child has the support and resources needed to succeed — regardless of family income.
These proposed investments build on the work the Shapiro Administration has done during the past two years. Since 2023, DHS has invested more in access to care by increasing base reimbursement rates for providers participating in Child Care Works to the 75th percentile of private pay rates for the first time, helping Pennsylvania meet federal best practices and providing greater financial support to child care providers and their dedicated workforce. This allows CCW providers to invest in quality of care and their workforce amid the continued challenges of operating.
Additionally, Governor Shapiro signed into law a historic expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit and created a new tax credit for businesses who want to contribute to their employees’ child care costs. Those two initiatives helped make child care more affordable. DHS also continues to leverage federal funding received by DHS' Office of Child Development and Early Learning to support child care providers through quality improvement and workforce development and retention programs.
Learn more about Child Care Works and find more information on certified child care providers at www.findchildcare.pa.gov.