More investments needed to provide PA children with the foundation they need to succeed

New report highlights access and pay disparities in early care and education system HARRISBURG – 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. Yet, inequities exist, causing too few children to have access […]

State Budget Fails to Significantly Invest in Early Care and Education Amid Historic Labor Shortage

HARRISBURG, PA (July 6, 2023) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, issued the following statements regarding House Bill 611 that still awaits the signature of the Senate President Pro Tempore and finally Governor Shapiro to become […]

Latest National Rankings for Child Well-Being Show Pennsylvania at 22nd

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania ranks 22nd overall in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how children and families are faring. When looking specifically at economic well-being, the state ranks 22nd, while it ranks 20th in health. The health […]

Too Many PA Youth and Young Adults Exit Foster Care Without Permanent Families and Unprepared to Thrive on Their Own

Less than half of the older youth population exited to permanency in 2021   HARRISBURG, PA—Family relationships that endure throughout an individual’s lifetime have been out of reach for too many of Pennsylvania’s young people who have experienced foster care, according to Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy, released […]

Early Care and Education in Governor Shapiro’s 2023-24 State Budget Proposal

HARRISBURG, PA (March 7, 2023) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, issued the following statements regarding Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2023-24 state budget proposal. ELPA operates four issue-based advocacy campaigns: Start Strong PA, Pre-K for PA, Childhood […]