Pennsylvania’s Child Care Progress: Connecting Families and Businesses with Solutions
Pennsylvania has continued to make progress in addressing child care challenges through its 2026–27 state budget. Signed into law in July 2026, the budget includes additional investments to support child care teachers, early childhood education programs, and working families. These are important steps forward, and we can do more to solve the child care challenges facing our local communities. The budget adds $5 million to Pennsylvania’s Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, bringing the total investment to $30 million. Eligible employees at licensed providers participating in Child Care Works can receive bonuses of at least $540, up from the previous minimum of $450. Additional funding for Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program also supports early education providers and their workforce.
These investments build on earlier efforts that reached nearly 39,000 child care teachers through recruitment and retention bonuses, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. More than 4,300 providers applied during the program’s first year. These are meaningful accomplishments, but significant work remains. We must continue addressing staffing shortages, operating costs, and limited child care availability while ensuring families understand how to access available resources. For many families, finding reliable and affordable child care remains a major barrier to employment. For single mothers, parents working multiple jobs, and individuals reentering the workforce, navigating child care options can be overwhelming.
Families may not know whether they qualify for assistance, how to apply, where openings exist, or whom to contact for help. This is where we must do more. We need stronger education and outreach to help parents and caregivers understand assistance programs, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and the steps necessary to secure care. Information must be accessible and shared through trusted community organizations, employers, schools, and workforce development partners. Assistance is only effective when families know it exists and can navigate the process.
Child care providers also need continued support. They face staffing shortages, rising operating expenses, and challenges retaining qualified employees while maintaining quality care. Helping providers understand available grants, workforce programs, and business resources can strengthen operations and potentially expand access. Additional workforce funding is important, but it does not automatically create more child care spaces, particularly for infants and toddlers or families needing care outside traditional working hours.
Employers have a role to play, too. Businesses can explore flexible scheduling, family-friendly workplace policies, child care partnerships, and available tax incentives. When parents have dependable care, they are better positioned to remain employed, pursue advancement, and contribute to our regional economy. At the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, we recognize child care as both a family priority and a workforce development issue. Our region’s economic growth depends on employers being able to find and retain qualified workers. That means bringing businesses, providers, families, and community organizations together to identify barriers and develop practical solutions.
To advance this conversation locally, the Chamber, in partnership with Trying Together, is hosting a free roundtable discussion, “Building a Stronger Workforce: Incentives, Tools, and Practices to Support Working Families,” on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Laurel Highlands Workforce & Opportunity Center, 310 Donohoe Road. Networking begins at 8 a.m., followed by the program from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Open to members and nonmembers at no cost, this interactive event will bring together workforce and child care experts, community partners, and local businesses to explore practical solutions. Topics include federal and Pennsylvania tax credits, employer incentives, child care assistance, the Employer Child Care Toolkit, family-friendly workplace practices, and local resources. Participants can ask questions, share challenges, and connect with organizations that can help.
Business leaders, human resource professionals, child care providers, and others invested in working families are encouraged to attend. Registration is available at Building a Stronger Workforce: Incentives, Tools, and Practices to Support Working Families – Westmoreland County Chamber
Pennsylvania has made progress, and that progress deserves recognition. We must go beyond and build on the success of these bipartisan public investments. We must ask whether families can find and afford care, providers can recruit and retain employees, and parents can participate fully in the workforce. Child care is an investment in our children, our workforce, and our economic future. The Westmoreland County Chamber, working in partnership with Trying Together, is committed to connecting families and businesses with information, resources, and practical solutions. By working together, we can build on Pennsylvania’s progress and make a meaningful difference for working families and employers throughout Westmoreland County.
