Pennsylvania
Working families in Pennsylvania need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Pennsylvania. But too many working families in Pennsylvania are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Pennsylvania economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 68% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $14,910 a year (or $1,243 per month).
More than 53,000 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 25% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $281 a month.
35.4K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 13% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 38% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 215.6K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $4.4 billion* each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Pennsylvania: In The Headlines
Opinion: Getting Better Head Start
Philadelphia Citizen | March 2, 2025
Head Start, a primarily federally funded early childhood program for low-income families serving children ages 3 to 5, is too often treated as a small line item in a budget. But to the families it serves, it is anything but small.
You need this much money to ‘comfortably afford’ childcare in Pennsylvania, NJ and Delaware
Fox 29 | February 4, 2026
The average American household can’t comfortably afford childcare costs this year, according to a recent report.
Business Matters – Addressing the Childcare Crisis
WFMZ | February 23, 2026
Joined by guests from PennAEYC, Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers, The Chamber, and Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.
Pennsylvania Resources & News
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Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant designed to improve collaboration and quality in states’ early childhood systems by building …
JOINT STATEMENT: Groups Call on Congress to Protect Head Start, End the Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Families with young children are feeling the pain of the federal shutdown, and without immediate Congressional action, tens of thousands of children could lose access to Head …
ANALYSIS: FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets
FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. These federal programs not only benefit families nationwide, they also serve …
State-By-State: A Look At How Many Families Receive the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC)
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) helps millions of working families cover a portion of their child care costs. In 2022, more than 5.7 million families nationwide benefitted …
House Education and Workforce Hearing Highlights Overwhelming Bipartisan Agreement that Child Care is Key to a Robust Economy
The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing this week to discuss how Congress can address child care availability and affordability to …
FFYF Hosts Child Care and Early Learning Briefing on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) hosted Congressional staff for its annual bipartisan “ABCs of Federal Child Care and Early Learning” briefing. The session focused on the …
Reintroduction of Bills Offering Needed Updates to Child Care Food Assistance Program
Access to nutritious food is essential to children’s healthy growth and development, and child care is a prime opportunity for children to receive the nutritious meals and snacks they need …
How a Lack of Affordable Child Care Impacts the Economy
Two-thirds of all children ages five and under need some form of child care because all of the adults in their home are working. But child care remains both expensive …
FFYF Hosts “Child Care Means Business” Event in Conjunction with the Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus
FEBRUARY 25, 2025 – What a great evening on Capitol Hill! Thank you to everyone able to join the lively “Child Care Means Business” reception hosted by First Five Years …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care and Early Learning
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
The First Five Things to Know About: the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus
Addressing the child care needs of families across America is a critical element to strengthening our communities and our economy. For years, the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus …
2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
FFYF’s 2024 State Fact Sheets from 50 states and Washington, D.C. show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. Federal funding and programs benefit …
Essential Excerpts: Child Care Quotes From The Hill
As we monitored hearings on Capitol Hill this week, it was striking to see how many of them featured the issue of child care. From the House Appropriations Committee to …
2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
First Five Years Fund released a new collection of fact sheets from all 50 states detailing how the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) helps families and kids in …
New Polling on Child Care and the 2024 Election
A new poll conducted on behalf of First Five Years Fund by the bipartisan research team of New Bridge Strategies (R) and Hart Research (D) found that, in this election …
The First Five Questions for Congressmen Joaquin Castro and Brian Fitzpatrick
This week, First Five Years Fund (FFYF) launched its new First Five Questions series which will bring interesting leaders, experts, and voices together to talk about child care challenges and …
New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …
FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
The First Five Things to Know About: Representative Brian Fitzpatrick
As part of an ongoing series on the bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, the First Five Years Fund is chatting with each of the co-chairs about their role as a …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …
The First Five Things To Know About: A New Poll Showing Voter Support For Child Care Funding
In July 2023, Public Opinion Strategies completed a poll on behalf of the First Five Years Fund, examining voter attitudes toward the issue of child care and early childhood education …
The First Five Things To Know About: A New Poll Showing Pennsylvania Voter Support For Child Care Funding
In July 2023, Public Opinion Strategies completed a poll on behalf of the First Five Years Fund, examining Pennsylvania voters’ attitudes toward the issue of child care and early childhood …
New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …
How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
Pennsylvania — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
Pennsylvania — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
States Lose Billions in Economic Activity from Child Care Breakdowns
The past year has brought on an increased awareness of the importance of child care to the economy. But even before the pandemic, families struggled to find and afford high-quality …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Pennsylvania: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
Pennsylvania: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Governors Across the Country Celebrate Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Education (ED) announced that 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …
