Governor Josh Shapiro visited The Perception Training Center in Pottsville to discuss his proposed 2025-26 state budget, which includes significant investments in early childhood education. The Governor’s plan focuses on improving child care affordability and addressing staffing shortages in the state’s child care system.
Shapiro aims to fill 3,000 vacant child care positions across Pennsylvania as part of his effort to strengthen the workforce and ensure that families have access to quality care. “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact of early learning centers across Pennsylvania. They make a real difference in children’s lives,” said Governor Shapiro.
As part of his budget proposal, Shapiro is allocating $55 million in workforce recruitment and retention grants. The goal is to expand child care availability while also raising wages for child care workers, many of whom are facing low pay and difficult working conditions.
Pennsylvania’s child care system serves more than 300,000 children annually, but providers are struggling with staffing shortages, resulting in reduced capacity and long waitlists for families in need of care. The grants would offer an additional $1,000 per year to each employee working in licensed child care centers under the Child Care Works (CCW) Program.
Michelle Dallago, owner and executive director of The Perception Training Early Learning, Inc., emphasized the importance of early education. “Education isn’t just K-12. It starts from birth,” she said. Dallago noted that recruiting and retaining preschool teachers is challenging due to low wages and a lack of recognition in the field.
“Time and again, I see passionate teachers leave the field because they don’t feel valued or respected,” Dallago added. She hopes the new grant funding will allow her to offer more competitive wages to teachers, helping them feel valued and supported in their vital roles.
For parents like Meridith Driscoll, the availability of quality early education has made a significant impact. Driscoll, a small business owner with two young children enrolled at Perception Early Learning, shared her experience: “I wouldn’t be able to work from home if my kids didn’t have a safe, educational place to go every day.”
Driscoll emphasized that early learning centers provide more than just child care—they help children develop important skills, including language, math, and social skills. “It’s not just daycare. The kids are learning, growing, and learning how to be good citizens and friends,” she said.
Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget also includes additional investments to support early education. These include $15 million in funding for the Pre-K Counts program to help providers raise wages and stabilize the workforce, as well as $10 million to increase rates for Early Intervention (EI) providers. These measures aim to ensure that all Pennsylvania children have access to the support and resources they need.
