A new report warns Pennsylvania’s early childhood education system is in crisis — threatening children, families, and the state’s economy. The 2025 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania finds more than 160,000 eligible children lack access to quality programs.
Maggie Livelsberger, policy director at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said the report reveals families can’t find or afford care, while low pay is driving educators out of the field.
“Some of the biggest findings are just how many families are really in search of care. Seventy-two percent of families with children under the age of six have all available caregivers in the workforce, and so they need to be able to access childcare and pre-K programs to be able to go to work,” she explained.
Livelsberger added that Pennsylvania loses about $6.65 billion each year due to childcare shortages, a loss she says hurts both families and the state’s overall economy.