December 01, 2025 - Verona, PA
Governor Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined child care workers, legislators, and community leaders at Riverview Children's Center in Allegheny County to highlight child care investments secured in the 2025-26 budget the Governor signed last month. These investments will help Pennsylvania recruit and retain child care workers, expand access to quality care, and ensure more parents can stay in the workforce and provide for their families.Pennsylvania's child care industry currently has 3,000 unfilled jobs - openings that, if filled, would allow providers to serve 25,000 additional children. Providers continue to struggle with low wages that make it hard to hire and retain qualified staff, forcing them to close classrooms and turn families away.To address workforce shortages and expand child care availability, the 2025-26 budget establishes a $25 million Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, which will provide roughly $450 annually per employee to licensed Child Care Works (CCW) providers. These bonuses will support approximately 55,000 child care workers statewide and help stabilize the child care sector."When parents can't find affordable, reliable care, they can't work - and our entire economy feels it," said Governor Shapiro. "We've taken real action to lower costs by tripling the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit for nearly 219,000 working families, but affordability isn't enough - we also have to expand access. That's why we're making investments to help child care centers hire and retain talented educators. These bonuses will help strengthen the workforce, open more slots for children, and make sure families across Pennsylvania can find the care they need."Speaker List:Stephanie Heakins, Director, Riverview Children's CenterGovernor Josh ShapiroLeah Lisowski, Teacher, Riverview Children's CenterLieutenant Governor Austin DavisSenate Minority Leader Jay Costa, PA's 43rd Senatorial DistrictSenator Lindsey Williams, PA's 38th Senatorial DistrictRepresentative Joe McAndrew, PA's 32nd House District
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