Too Few Children Have Access to High Quality Early Childhood Education Programs
PHILADELPHIA (February, 12th, 2013) – PCCY’s latest report “The Bottom Line is children: Early Care and Education in Delaware County” finds that because of a lack of state investment, only 37 percent of low-and-moderate income children have access to high quality early learning programs. About 8,500 additional seats are needed to fill the gap.
The report also points out:
- Of all licensed programs, less than 15% are rated as high quality.
- The number of high quality child care seats has tripled since 2008
- These high quality programs can serve only 4% of al young children under five.
- More than two-thirds of all families with children have both parents in the labor force, while a third of hard working families are getting assistance to help pay for child care.
Research shows that low-income and middle class children who participate in high quality early childhood education programs are more likely to graduate from high school and obtain high paying jobs.
“High quality early learning programs go a long way in ensuring all children are ready to succeed in life. Delaware County has taken a huge step forward in this regard by nearly tripling the number of high quality seats in private care programs,” said Shawn Towey, Child Care Policy Coordinator for PCCY. “Unfortunately, even with those gains, only four percent of Delaware County children under five would be able to enroll in a high quality private program.”
State budget cuts have made it difficult for a majority of low-and-moderate to enroll their children in high quality programs. PCCY’s report finds that due to state budget cuts since 2010, 356 fewer children from working families can be enrolled in subsidized care. That’s a nine percent reduction in access. Today, only an estimated four in ten eligible families are receiving any financial assistance in meeting the high cost of child care, down dramatically from five years ago when two-thirds of eligible families were able to get financial assistance.
“Delaware County effectively uses the resources available to us in order to provide high quality early education for our children,” said Dr. Lawrence O’Shea, Executive Director of the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. “There is a need, however, to increase significantly our resources so that all children in the County have access to high quality preschool services.”
For Delaware County families who are not eligible for child care subsidy, the costs associated with child care can make up a considerable amount of the family budget. The median cost of child care for a typical family of four with two young children is $22,100. A high quality center can cost significantly more. The median cost of care is similar across southeastern Pennsylvania, but there are more children growing up in poverty and near-poverty in Delaware County than the other suburban counties.
“All children should have the opportunity to enroll in high quali ty early care programs,” said Doreen Yeremian, Director of Delco Early Learning Centers. “Failing to properly invest in these programs sends a negative message to parents and their children.”
Due to limited investment, the number of available seats in Pennsylvania’s Pre -K Counts program has not been able to keep up with the demand. More than half of Delaware County pre-school children are eligible for Pre-K Counts; however there are only 349 seats for the entire county this year, leaving more than 7,000 eligible children unable to enroll.
“We have a growing need here in Delaware County for more seats in high quality early learning programs,” said Joseph Flynn, Director of Head Start, Family Services and Pre-K Counts for the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. “For those of us who are life-long County residents and have reaped the benefits of the opportunities that exist here, it’s time to consider what our children will inherit. Strong communities require strong schools.
Thoughtful investment of resources to expand greater educational opportunities for families of preschool children is a meaningful step forward in preserving a better quality of life for all county residents.”
To improve early care and education for Delaware County children, PCCY recommends County leaders:
- Support the Pre-K for PA campaign with the end goal of providing high quality preschool for every 3-and-4 year old in Pennsylvania.
- Create a county-wide campaign to boost program quality that helps providers meet the one-time and long-term costs of quality improvements.
- Provide incentives to community colleges and other programs to boost offerings for adults working in child-serving fields to improve quality.
- Create a grant/loan pool from county economic development resources to assist child care facilities with capital expenses to help them improve the quality of services to children.
- Forge a partnership with other counties to advocate for the state to boost the child care subsidy for all eligible working families and reduce wait times to 30 days or less.
PCCY’s report, “The Bottom Line is Children: Early Care and Education in Delaware County,” is the final report in a four-part series looking at issues affecting children in each of Philadelphia’s suburban counties. PCCY’s previous reports on education, family economic security, and child health can be viewed at
www.childrenfirstpa.org/bottomlinecountyreports