06/11/2026
The General Assembly and Administration are negotiating the 2026-27 budget right now! Last year, we won a historic victory, when for the first time since 2007, the state created a NEW recurring early care and education budget line item to fund the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program. That would not have happened without your advocacy!
We can't let them think that investment was enough to solve the staffing crisis! Add your name and help us tell our lawmakers that we need MORE funding to support child care teachers and their early care and education programs. Share this email with your staff and parents and encourage them to sign on!
Pennsylvania lawmakers must hear from us again. We must urge them to include, at minimum, the proposed investments in the early care and education workforce:
$10M increase for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program
$2M increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program
$7.5M increase for Pre-K Counts
As always, thank you for your commitment to Pennsylvania’s children, their families and the early learning programs that serve them!
Start Strong PA wants to give children a quality educational foundation by providing our youngest children with access to high-quality child care that their families can afford.
