HARRISBURG (November 4, 2025) — A comprehensive report released by Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a principal partner of the Early Learning PA coalition, reveals that Pennsylvania’s early care and education system is facing a critical crisis, one that threatens the well-being of children, families, and the state’s economy.
The 2025 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania outlines the urgent need for investment in child care and pre-kindergarten programs, citing widespread workforce shortages, unaffordable costs, and limited access to high-quality care.
Report Highlights:
- Economic Impact: Pennsylvania loses $6.65 billion annually due to child care shortages, including $2.4 billion in lost earnings and productivity for working mothers.
- Access Gaps: Over 80,000 eligible infants and toddlers and 84,000 eligible preschoolers lack access to high-quality programs.
- Affordability Crisis: Infant care costs average $13,354/year, nearly equal to in-state college tuition.
- Workforce Shortage: Child care workers earn just $15.15/hour, leading to over 3,000 open positions and a loss of 393 providers since 2019.
- Budget Impasse Fallout: Providers have taken on $20 million in loans to stay open due to delayed state funding.
Policy Recommendations for the 2025-26 State Budget:
- $55 million for child care recruitment and retention bonuses.
- $17 million increase for Pre-K Counts reimbursement rates.
- $9.5 million investment in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) workforce stabilization.
“This report is a wake-up call. Pennsylvania’s youngest learners are being left behind, and our economy is paying the price,” said Kari King, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. “We need bold, sustained investments to stabilize the early learning workforce and ensure each child has access to high-quality care.”
About Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a strong, effective, and trusted voice to improve the health, education, and well-being of children and youth in the commonwealth. Since 1992, its public policy victories have helped countless children learn, thrive, and succeed, regardless of circumstances. PPC is statewide, independent, non-partisan, and non-profit. Learn more at www.papartnerships.org.
About Early Learning PA
Early Learning PA is a statewide coalition advocating for voluntary, high-quality early care and education for each child in Pennsylvania. Two of its issue-focused advocacy campaigns, Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA, focus on expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care and high-quality pre-kindergarten.
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