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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 18, 2024 02:28 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Melissa L. Shusterman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Childcare Professionals Salary Supplement Pilot Program for Infant & Toddler Care |
| Access to quality, affordable child care is critically important to Pennsylvania’s working families. According to a 2023 survey, in our Commonwealth there are more than 4,000 open staff positions that must be filled in child care centers, largely due to low wages. Because of the lack of staff, half of child care centers have closed at least one classroom, and 85% of centers report staffing shortages. 35,000 children in Pennsylvania are on child care waiting lists, placing a burden on families as they must make alternative arrangements for their children. With rising costs to operate child care centers, it is difficult to raise wages for child care professionals in order to attract more workers, but then also keep the cost of childcare within reach for working parents. In addition to legislation I’ve recently introduced to address salary parity for teachers in Head Start, Pre-K Counts and public school pre-K programs, I’m introducing this legislation to create a pilot program for salary supplements for child care professionals working in private child care centers. With the ultimate goal of addressing salary parity across all sectors of child care, the intention of this pilot program is to increase overall workers’ pay, not decrease the employers’ payroll costs. As a Commonwealth, we need to work together so that the child care profession is more attractive to workers. We must address our childcare staffing shortage so that working parents can access quality child care that is dependable and affordable. |
Introduced as HB2643