Child care subsidies are also in short supply. According to 2024-2025 state data on child care subsidies, 9,275 4 children in Allegheny County receive child care subsidies through the state’s Child Care Works (CCW) subsidy program and are currently enrolled in a child care program. Meanwhile, the county has over 42,000 children aged 0 to 11 who are below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines and are eligible for the state’s CCW subsidy program. viii Staffing and funding constraints limit providers’ capacity to serve more children. Because of the low pay and taxing work conditions, workforce retention has become a major challenge for the field—in Allegheny County and elsewhere in the U.S. The Allegheny County child care workforce comprises over 5,000 workers ix —with the average worker making less than $30,000 annually. x During the ACCM Pilot Program Evaluation, providers shared that these low wages—coupled with rising program costs and financial strain associated with maintaining multiple certifications—makes it incredibly difficult for programs to attract and retain qualified staff. While these challenges were once mitigated by additional COVID-era and state funding, these funding sources have gone away, leaving many providers to struggle again. Financial Barriers to Accessing Care in Allegheny County Challenges imposed by the child care shortage are exacerbated by the high cost of care. In 2024, the annual price of child care for an infant in Allegheny County was close to $13,000—a price tag that puts regulated child care out of reach for many of the county’s residents. xi While the existing CCW subsidy program was designed to support many of these families, challenges remain. For example, to be eligible for financial assistance through the existing CCW subsidy system, Allegheny County families must have an income below 200 percent of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines and meet the associated work or education requirements. This means that a single mother of one earning more than $40,880 per year would not qualify—nor would a family of four earning more than $62,400. For families just above the eligibility threshold, child care can represent 30 percent or more of their income. To make ends meet, parents often make difficult sacrifices. For example, during the ACCM Pilot Program Evaluation focus groups, one parent described forgoing payments for their bills and living with extended family to afford child care. Likewise, a few parents discussed using credit cards or over- drafting their bank accounts to pay for child care and “stay afloat.” For some families, enrolling their child in a care program was simply not an option. Some parents explained that their moderate income did not always reflect their current financial situation, feeling that despite their incomes being too high to be eligible for government programs, they were still struggling financially. Child care shortages and high costs leave some families using child care that is unstable, unreliable, or that does not meet their needs. In 2024, 37 percent of surveyed working mothers in Pennsylvania considered their arrangements informal/irregular. xii Findings from ACCM Pilot Program Evaluation echo these challenges, with many Allegheny County parents sharing that they often turned to informal support from family members, friends, or hired help because they could not afford to pay out-of-pocket for regulated child care. While parents expressed gratitude for these informal supports, they noted that they were often unpredictable or insufficient. Parents reported switching caregivers frequently, limiting
4 This number (9,275) represents children who are both receiving the subsidy and enrolled in a child care program. The number is higher if accounting for children enrolled in child care subsidy but not enrolled in a program. Source: Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning and Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2025, June 20) Subsidized Child Care and Keystone START – Access to Quality.
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