increasing their ability to hire a qualified workforce and expand their operations adds onto already growing waiting lists. Findings like these highlight the need to consider mechanisms to increase the supply of care and support the child care workforce, regardless of whether Allegheny County or Pennsylvania scales up the ACCM Pilot Program. Allegheny County can look to other states for potential strategies that could be replicated. For instance, along with recently expanding eligibility to child care financial assistance xxii , Massachusetts also provides operational grants to licensed child care programs and gives early education and care staff priority access to child care financial assistance. xxiii The state also uses funds from a 4 percent income surtax on high earners to increase subsidy reimbursement rates to providers. xxiv Similarly, Vermont’s child care subsidy expansion bill also includes investments to increase subsidy reimbursement rates for child care providers, funds to help programs prepare for expansion, and funds to help programs recruit and retain staff members. xxv Effective communication and support for families and providers . Finally, it is also important that any future efforts to scale up the ACCM Pilot Program continue to promote a positive experience for families and child care providers. For families, this means providing resources to support their child care search and creating strong lines of communication between families and staff working on the subsidy program. For providers, this means being able to integrate a new program smoothly into their current business operations and limiting administrative burdens. This could be done by using reporting requirements and processes that are consistent with the CCW subsidy program’s requirements. It may also require careful communication between staff working on the subsidy program and providers to ensure that program requirements are well understood and easily navigated. Together, these findings suggest that sustained investment in child care affordability can yield meaningful returns for families, providers, and the broader economy. Allegheny County has already taken important steps through recent initiatives and partnerships—but the results of the ACCM Pilot Program make clear that there is more work to do. By continuing to prioritize smart, scalable policies that address both affordability and supply, the county can build a stronger, more equitable child care system that supports families’ well-being and effective workforce participation.
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