Solving the childcare shortage: Proposal to expand PA's childcare workforce

Yahoo

10-02-2025

Feb. 9—WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Human Services Dr. Val Arkoosh this week highlighted the Governor's 2025-26 proposed budget, which builds on his efforts to make childcare more affordable by expanding and strengthening the childcare workforce.
The 2025-26 budget proposal builds on Shapiro's first two budgets with a $55 million investment in workforce recruitment and retention grants to increase childcare availability and pay these dedicated workers more.
These grants would provide an additional $1,000 annually per employee working in licensed childcare centers in the Child Care Works (CCW) Program.
Since taking office, Shapiro has expanded the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit, delivering $136 million in savings to over 218,000 families, and created the Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit to help businesses contribute to employees' childcare costs.
"My budget proposal places a special emphasis on workforce development — addressing growing workforce shortages across several critical sectors, including childcare," said Shapiro. "Right now, we have 3,000 unfilled jobs in childcare centers across Pennsylvania and when families can't find safe, affordable childcare for their kids, it forces them out of our workforce and hurts our economy."
Shapiro is also addressing workforce shortages in other critical industries like education and healthcare — sectors that are vital to the state's economic growth. Pennsylvania has expanded workforce development and increased funding for vo-tech programs, career and technical education (CTE), and apprenticeships by nearly $65 million.
Pennsylvania's childcare system serves over 300,000 children annually across the Commonwealth. However, providers are struggling to hire and retain staff, leading to reduced capacity and long wait-lists for families in need of care. Childcare centers report increasing difficulty in filling positions due to low wages, and many are forced to close classrooms or limit enrollment. Without a competitive wage, it remains difficult to attract and retain qualified early childcare educators.
A lack of access to affordable, quality childcare can lead many parents to leave the workforce. According to the Pennsylvania Chamber, the state's economy loses nearly $3.5 billion annually due to a lack of childcare options. Over a third of Pennsylvania parents report that childcare problems have impacted their employment.
"Early childhood education programs are vital to a child's educational, social, and emotional development during their youngest years, providing a foundation that will benefit them throughout their lives," said Arkoosh. "However, these benefits of high-quality childcare are not possible without a dedicated workforce of childcare professionals."
AG Sunday appoints Darryl Lawrence to serve as PA Interim Consumer Advocate
Attorney General Dave Sunday this week announced that Darryl A. Lawrence will serve as Pennsylvania's Interim Consumer Advocate, representing Commonwealth consumers in public utility service quality and pricing matters, while the process to appoint and confirm a permanent Consumer Advocate continues.
Lawrence served most recently as Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate in the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate, prior to this week's appointment. He has been with the office since June 2005.
Public utilities include electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, and telecom companies under either Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission or Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdiction.
"I am confident that Darryl has the experience, expertise, and commitment to public service required to represent the best interests of Pennsylvanians who demand and deserve fair pricing and high-quality when it comes to essential utilities," Sunday said. "I am continuing the open process of engaging with qualified candidates for the permanent position as Pennsylvania's Consumer Advocate."
"It has been an honor to serve the consumers of Pennsylvania for the past 20 years in matters involving public utilities," Lawrence said.
The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate is housed in the Office of Attorney General, but functions independently. The Office of Consumer Advocate has discretion and authority to intervene in litigation on its own behalf, and has actively participated in matters before the Pennsylvania Utility Commission and in state and federal courts.
The permanent Consumer Advocate, once appointed and in place, will be confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate.
Legislation authorizing parking-protected bike lanes passes House
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week approved bipartisan legislation — H.B. 291 — that would give local authorities the option of installing parking-protected bicycle lanes between the curb and parking lanes on roadways under their jurisdiction.
"My priority as transportation chair is to ensure the safety and well-being of anyone who uses Pennsylvania roads," said Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, Chair of the House Transportation Committee. "We worked hard during the last legislative session to pass legislation that protects children in school zones, enforcing speeding violations through work zones and we strengthened our distracted driving laws."
Neilson said he felt compelled to make another push for this legislation after last summer's tragic and preventable death of Dr. Barbara Friedes, a pediatrician with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who was tragically struck and killed while riding her bicycle in an unprotected bike lane in Philadelphia.
"We all have people we care deeply about — I have five kids myself and three grandkids; the thought of having to bury one of them before their time is devastating itself but knowing it could have been prevented with a protected bike lane would amplify that grief," Neilson said.
Neilson thanked his colleagues, state Rep. Mary Jo Daley and Rep. David Maloney, for introducing and championing H.B. 291.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Corrections Officer vacancy rate falls by nearly 5% thanks to targeted recruitment efforts
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Dr. Laurel R. Harry this week announced the corrections officer vacancy rate dropped to 4.8% at the end of January.
A lower corrections officer vacancy rate promotes staff, inmate, and community safety and reduces reliance on overtime to fill critical posts inside state correctional institutions. Less overtime not only reduces employee burnout, but also saves taxpayer dollars.
Attracting and retaining qualified corrections officers is a challenge experienced nationwide at all levels of corrections. The DOC created a dedicated Recruitment and Retention Division in late 2022, when the vacancy rate was 10.5 percent. In 2024, DOC recruiters participated in more than 750 job fairs, college and university visits, military and veteran programs, and other community events.
"Everything we do begins with people, and our recruitment and retention team is out in the community virtually every day, engaging with potential applicants to share the benefits and opportunities in the field of corrections," said Secretary Harry. ""As corrections officer vacancies decrease, our facilities become safer, more cost-effective, and better equipped to meet the needs of the incarcerated population."
The Department of Corrections employs more military veterans than any other Commonwealth agency.
The Department also worked to attract a more diverse workforce last year by lowering the minimum age for corrections officer trainees from 21 to 18 and securing a waiver that allows out-of-state applicants to apply — all while reducing the hiring process by more than 10 days.
Corrections officer trainees receive five weeks of paid training at the DOC Academy in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, in addition to approximately one year of on-the-job training at their home facility. Starting annual salary is $46,986. Upon completion of training, trainees are promoted to the rank of corrections officer, with a minimum salary of $49,156 per year.
DOC still has approximately 400 open corrections officer positions. For a complete list of open corrections officer trainee positions and to learn more about the benefits of working for the Commonwealth, visit employment.pa.gov. To contact a member of the DOC recruitment team, email [e-mail].
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.