COVID-19 Resources
Save Early Learning in PA!
COVID-19 Impacts on Child Care and Pre-K
The current public health crisis has had profound negative consequences for early care and education providers in Pennsylvania and has exposed the fragility of the commonwealth’s child care system.
Currently:
80% of Pennsylvania child care providers are closed
100% of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and Head Start classrooms are closed
In a March 2019, survey nearly 1/3 of responding child care providers indicated that they will likely go out of business if closed for more than a month.
Losing 1/3 of Pennsylvania’s child care capacity is not only devastating for those providers but it is also:
Troubling for the present needs of our essential employees
Crippling for the broader workforce when businesses reopen
Impacting our youngest learners’ social, emotional and educational gains short and long term
Take Action to Save Early Learning
PA lawmakers can take action now to save early learning in PA!
Enable a Rapid Reopening of Early Learning Programs and Return to Work for all Families by:
Continuing to pay child care subsidies and Pre-K Counts and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs contracts for the duration of the closure
Compensate providers for lost child care subsidy parent co-payments
Cover a portion of uncollected private pay tuition at the child care subsidy rate
Protect Child Care Providers and Ensure Confidence in Pennsylvania’s Early Care and Education System by:
Supporting programs that provided child care for essential workers by guaranteeing immunity from COVID-19 related lawsuits during the crisis provided that the program is operating according to CDC guidance.
Providing all child care, Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs free training on sanitization practices required to re-open and funding for subsidized child care, Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs to sanitize their programs.
Ensure Student Success and Avoid Higher Costs for Public Schools by:
Boosting early school success for this year’s Pre-K Counts and Head Start students by funding one month of summer instruction for children entering kindergarten in the fall if it is safe for students and teachers to do so.
You CAN TAKE ACTION NOW TO SAVE EARLY LEARNING IN PA!
Over the past 3 weeks, 6,000 advocates have sent more than 17,000 emails to Governor Wolf and the General Assembly reminding them that child care is not only essential for workers on the front line now, but also will make or break our economic recovery as parents return to work.
The next six weeks are critical in our advocacy efforts as policymakers decide how federal stimulus funds are spent and address other concerns associated with COVID-19.