News, Op-eds, Advisories, and Releases
Pennsylvania Leaders and Head Start Families Celebrate 60 Years of Success, Sound Alarm on Proposed Federal Rule Threatening 30,000+ Children
HARRISBURG, PA (October 21, 2026) — Pennsylvania leaders, Head Start providers, teachers, and families gathered at the Capitol today to celebrate more than 60 years of Head Start success and to oppose a proposed federal rule that would eliminate many of the standards that make the program work. The event, held in the Main Rotunda and featuring a Pumpkin Patch display, drew bipartisan support from the Early Childhood Education Caucus and highlighted what is at stake for more than 30,000 Pennsylvania children.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a rule that would significantly rewrite Head Start Program Performance Standards governing class size, services for children with disabilities, staffing, health and mental health services, workforce qualifications, transportation, and other critical components of Head Start and Early Head Start. The proposed rule would increase class sizes by 33%, reduce the number of teachers and support staff, weaken health and mental health services, and remove protections against suspension and expulsion.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Proposed Rule Threatens Health, Safety, and Future of More Than 30,000 Pennsylvania Children in Head Start
Harrisburg, PA (September 29, 2026) – Early Learning PA (ELPA) is calling on Pennsylvanians to speak out against proposed federal changes to Head Start that could weaken longstanding standards for quality, health, safety, and staffing for children and families across the Commonwealth. As a coalition of policy and advocacy organizations and experts in the science of child health and early childhood development from across Pennsylvania, we oppose the proposed changes to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which would roll back critical protections for children and families.
State Budget Delivers Modest Gains for the Early Learning Workforce but Leaves Out Critical Supports for Pennsylvania’s Youngest Children
HARRISBURG, PA (July 12, 2026) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates, expressed appreciation for some small steps forward in addressing early education workforce shortages in the 2026–27 state budget. They also emphasized that the commonwealth must do far more to support programs such as infant and toddler Early Intervention to ensure that every Pennsylvania child from birth to age five has access to affordable, high-quality early care and education by 2030.
ELPA operates issue-based advocacy campaigns, including: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA. The partners of ELPA issued the following statements regarding the 2026-27 state budget:
Proposed State Budget Strengthens Support for Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Workforce
HARRISBURG, PA (February 3, 2026) – Today, the principal partners of Early Learning Pennsylvania (ELPA), a statewide coalition of advocates focused on supporting young Pennsylvanians from birth to age five, expressed appreciation for the Shapiro Administration’s 2026-27 state budget proposal and its continued focus on children and early education workforce investments, while also highlighting the need for additional support in areas like infant and toddler Early Intervention and home visiting.
ELPA operates issue-based advocacy campaigns, including: Pre-K for PA, Start Strong PA, Childhood Begins at Home, and Thriving PA. The partners of ELPA issued the following statements regarding the Governor’s budget proposal:
New Report Stresses Urgent Need for High Quality Child Care
On November 18, 2019, across Pennsylvania, Start Strong PA released a new report demonstrating the benefits and need for high quality infant toddler child care. According to the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT Data Center, Pennsylvania is home to 1,270,433 families with children and 418,455 of the children are under three years old.
Activists Rally for More Funding for Early Childhood Learning Programs
By WCED News
Senator Jay Costa and other speakers at the kick-off rally spoke about the importance of putting adequate funding behind early childhood education.
According to the speakers, prioritizing spending on early-learning programs will save the commonwealth long-term costs because children are better prepared to graduate school on time and are well positioned to enter the workforce with good paying jobs.