Pennsylvania’s Child Care System: Access, Affordability, and Quality
Families often rely on many child care arrangements to ensure their children are cared for while working, but the steep and steady decline in high-quality providers across Pennsylvania has made care options even more scarce. A recent report by ReadyNation and Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Investment Commission highlighted the economic impacts access to child care has
on the commonwealth. According to the report, Pennsylvania loses approximately $6.6 billion annually when families cannot access child care options, and this cost is borne not only by families but also employers and taxpayers at large. 27 Start Strong PA commissioned a survey to hear directly from parents about their ability to access Continued on next page
Child Care Center
Family Child Care
Group Child Care Homes
Total
Percent High- Quality Providers
Child Care Center
Family Child Care
Group Child Care Homes
Total
Percent High- Quality Providers
Juniata
1
1
1
3
33%
Philadelphia
994
340 180 1,514 28%
Lackawanna
69
7
3
79 44%
Pike
8
1
1
10 40%
Lancaster
100
50
20
170 31%
Potter
4
3
1
8
0%
Lawrence
23
2
3
28 46%
Schuylkill
36
7
9
52 21%
Lebanon
18
28
13
59 32%
Snyder
5
2
5
12
8%
Lehigh
132
110
9
251 28%
Somerset
14
2
8
24
8%
Luzerne
90
8
28
126 29%
Sullivan
2
0
1
3
33%
Lycoming
26
10
4
40 30%
Susquehanna
7
1
5
13 15%
McKean
7
1
2
10 50%
Tioga
16
7
1
24 50%
Mercer
17
9
10
36 36%
Union
5
0
1
6
17%
Mifflin
5
3
2
10 30%
Venango
12
6
2
20 50%
Monroe
55
2
1
58 29%
Warren
8
5
0
13 23%
Montgomery
296
22
10
328 34%
Washington
51
6
1
58 40%
Montour
7
3
0
10 60%
Wayne
13
5
5
23 17%
Northampton
89
9
4
102 31%
Westmoreland
76
13
7
96 39%
Northumberland 15
4
11
30 17%
Wyoming
2
1
0
3
33%
Perry
9
4
2
15 20%
York
94
38
12
144 23%
2023 State of Early Care and Education
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