The Early Excellence Project is dedicated to narrowing the opportunity gap and supporting early childcare centers in receiving resources and accreditations to enrich the learning of Black and Brown children. Our team is working to ensure that every child has access to the foundational education they need to thrive, and we advocate tirelessly for the resources and policies necessary to support this vision.
Advocacy in Harrisburg
Recently, our staff traveled to Harrisburg for a Day Without Child Care, to advocate for increased state investment in the early childhood education workforce. This visit was organized by Start Strong PA as part of their effort to address the critical issues facing early childhood education providers, you can learn more about their work here.
The Current Crisis
Pennsylvania is experiencing a historic shortage of childcare teachers, leading to a reduction of 26,000 childcare slots available for families. This shortage is a direct result of inadequate pay and support for early childhood educators. The average early childhood education (ECE) teacher earns just $29,000 per year, a salary that does not cover the cost of living in any county in Pennsylvania. This reality impact the early childhood workforce and our entire commonwealth more broadly in several ways:
Economic Impact: The childcare shortage impacts the broader economy. Businesses suffer when employees cannot find reliable childcare, leading to increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. Childcare is not just a family issue; it is a workforce issue that affects the entire state economy.
Workforce Wages: We emphasized the need for fair wages for ECE teachers. Current wages are unsustainable and contribute to high turnover rates. Approximately 50% of ECE educators do not plan to, or are unsure if they will, remain in their jobs over the next five years.
Equity in Education: Investment in early childhood education is an investment in equity. Black and Brown children often face significant barriers to quality education, and underfunded childcare services exacerbate these disparities. By increasing state investment, we can provide better support to the educators who serve these communities.
Call to Action
We urge all Pennsylvanians to join us in advocating for more substantial investment in the early childhood education workforce. Here’s how you can help:
Contact Your Legislators: Find your state representative and state senator here and urge them to support increased funding for ECE.
Share on Social Media: Use the hashtags #RaiseChildCare, #CareCantWait, and #SolveChildCare to amplify our message. Tag @StartStrongPA to ensure our voices are heard by policymakers.
Our trip to Harrisburg is just one step in our ongoing advocacy efforts. The Early Excellence Project remains committed to fighting for the resources and policies necessary to support high-quality early childhood education for all children, especially those from marginalized communities. Together, we can ensure that every child in Pennsylvania has access to the education they deserve.
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