Early Care and Education

Ensure each child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to  participate in affordable and accessible high-quality early care and education, including infant and toddler child care and pre-kindergarten education.  

The rapid brain growth during the first few years of life underscores the need to build an early, solid foundation for future success in school, relationships and life. A coordinated early care and education system is a vital component of the economy, allowing parents to work while knowing their children are receiving high-quality care and education.  

Early Care and Education Policy Goals

• Increase the number of children enrolled in publicly funded, high-quality pre-k. 
• Increase the number of Child Care Works eligible children in high-quality child care programs, specifically infants and toddlers. 
• Strengthen Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) through collaboration with early childhood education health systems, including Early Intervention (EI), and child welfare.  
• Support economic policies that benefit children and their families. 

Early Care and Education Publications

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Pre-K for PA 

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a principal partner of the Pre-K for PA campaign. Building on the shared belief that all children should have the opportunity to enter school ready to succeed, a broad coalition of organizations launched the Pre-K for PA campaign in 2014. The campaign makes pre-k a priority issue in the gubernatorial and legislative elections, advocating increased access to high-quality pre-kindergarten for all of Pennsylvania’s 3- and 4-year olds.

To learn more, visit: prekforpa.org.

Start Strong PA

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a partner in the Start Strong PA campaign, which aims to support healthy child development, working families and the economy by increasing access to and affordability of high-quality child care programs for young children.

To learn more, visit: startstrongpa.org.