Governor’s Shapiro’s first budget is now on the record and there is some really good news for kids. However, there are also some BIG missed opportunities that must be addressed for them to be healthier, safer and have better educational opportunities.

The State Budget: Early Childhood Education

• Pays child care providers the same rate they’ve been paid for the last year while 35,000 children languish on child care waiting lists. 
• Increase of $66.7 million in for child care but, that’s only enough to pay for the slightly higher pay that child care providers started to receive in 2022 under Governor Wolf, nothing more, although 4000 staff have left the child care field in the last twelve months.
• Increase of $33 million to pay pre-k programs more so they can keep their staff and attract new talentand that’s good news! But with an $11 billion state budget surplus, it’s hard to fathom why more funds were not made available so more children could enroll in these proven programs.
• $10.4 million increase for the Part B Early Intervention program (age three to five) and $20 million increase funding for the Early Intervention Part C (infant and toddler). Both of these investments are welcome as they will allow more children to be served.
• This year, the campaigns we lead, Start Strong PA and Pre-K for PA, are calling on the General Assembly to invest more than the Governor has proposed:
  • $430 million to pay child care workers what they are worth.
  • $70 million to boost child care program quality by helping more programs make the investments to become STAR 3 and 4 programs.

We think there is much more that state legislators can do to help make Pennsylvania a place where all children don’t just survive but thrive. Watch our lively state budget analysis specially tailored for March Madness fans and read our detailed breakdown of Governor Shapiro’s 2023-2024. 

Please write to urge your lawmakers to step up for our kids now by investing further resources in our schools, early childhood education, kids’ health, and common-sense initiatives that will lead Pennsylvania into the future.