Introduction Access to stable, regulated early learning and out-of-school time programs is critically important for both children’s development and family stability. i Yet, many families in Allegheny County struggle to access the care they need. For example, in 2024, residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania were asked to rank their top priorities for the county. Expanding high-quality afterschool programs and making child care more affordable both rose to the top. ii This lack of access has broad implications, not only for children’s developmental outcomes but also for family well-being, workforce participation, and the region’s economic resilience. To address these challenges and better support working families, the Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives (DCI) launched the Allegheny County Child Care Matters (ACCM) Pilot Program in 2022. The ACCM Pilot Program was created to support equitable access to stable, regulated 1 child care to allow working families to maintain or increase their participation in the workforce. To achieve these goals, the ACCM Pilot Program provides child care subsidies to families whose incomes are too high to qualify for the state’s Child Care Works (CCW) subsidy program (200 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines), but under 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Aside from this key change to income eligibility thresholds, the ACCM Pilot Program adheres to the same regulations and policies as the state’s CCW subsidy program. In 2024, to better understand whether the ACCM Pilot Program is meeting its intended goals, DCI partnered with MEF Associates to evaluate the program. As part of this evaluation, MEF conducted focus groups with 32 participating parents 2 and 10 child care providers. MEF also analyzed ACCM Pilot Program administrative data that included over 300 families who participated in the program. (See Appendix A for more information about the evaluation design and methodology.)
Overall, the evaluation findings suggest:
The ACCM Pilot Program is a valuable tool for improving working families’ access to stable, regulated early learning and out-of-school time programs. With stable care in place, parents reported feeling more reliable at work, earning raises and promotions, finishing their education, and exploring new career opportunities. The benefits extended beyond workforce participation. Families also reported positive impacts on their children’s development and improved financial stability. Together, these changes improved parents’ psychological health, well-being, and family functioning. The ACCM Pilot Program confers benefits to providers and integrates smoothly into existing operations. For example, providers reported benefits such as increased enrollment and stability thanks to the predictable revenue source.
1 Throughout this report, we use the phrase “regulated care” to describe child care programs regulated by the state of Pennsylvania (child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes) and relative care that is approved by the state through a different process. While relative is not “regulated” by the state in the same way as other child care types, relative providers must complete CareCheck (the state’s child abuse and state police background check) and a Federal criminal history clearance. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. (2025). Child Care Works (CCW) – Subsidized Child Care Program. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/early-learning-child- care/child-care-works 2 Throughout this report, we use “parents” to refer to adult representatives of families participating in the ACCM Pilot Program.
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