Pennsylvania Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget includes investments to early learning and spending plan for federal funds

Governor Tom Wolf signed a budget last week that included the following:

• Increased Pre-K Counts investment: $25 million
• Increased investment in Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program: $5 million
• Increased investment in home visiting programs: $5 million
• Decreased state investments in Child Care Services and Child Care Assistance from fiscal year ’18-’19: -$36 million
• Allocation of $27 million in federal dollars to:
  • serve 970 infants and toddlers in high-quality programs from the subsidy waiting list, raise quality add-on rates for STAR 2, 3, and 4 providers caring for infants and toddlers, and support apprenticeships for infant and toddler teachers.

Budget statements were released from the three campaigns, Pre-K for PA, Childhood Begins at Home and Start Strong.

Pre-K for PA Lauds Continued Investment in  High-Quality Pre-K

Harrisburg, PA (June 27, 2019) – In the final FY 2019-20 budget agreement, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continued to make progress on behalf of its youngest learners. Read more: www.prekforpa.org.

Childhood Begins at Home: Gov. Wolf’s $5 Million Increase for Voluntary Evidence-Based Home Visiting Will Help 800 More PA Families

HARRISBURG, Pa. (June 27, 2019) – The governing body members of Pennsylvania’s home visiting coalition today thanked Gov. Tom Wolf and the General Assembly for their commitment to voluntary evidence-based home visiting programs. The $5 million increase for the Community-Based Family Centers line in this year’s state budget will give 800 more Pennsylvania families access to home visiting programs. Read more: Childhood Begins at Home

PA BUDGET ACKNOWLEDGES “CHILD CARE WORKS” FOR PA WORKING FAMILIES ENTHUSIASM TEMPERED BY UNDERPINNING $36 MILLION IN STATE FUND CUTS TO CHILD CARE LINE ITEMS

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA – The FY 2019-20 budget agreement allocated $27 million in new federal resources to expand subsidized child care in Pennsylvania and invest in quality improvements to the system. Start Strong PA stands with state policymakers in its firm belief that this is an example of a budget that “funds what works” and helps “put Pennsylvanians to work”. Read More: Start Strong PA Budget Statement