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Lancaster Leaders Warn of Worsening Child Care Crisis Caused by Teachers Shortage

Child care press conference group photo (Photo: Brian McCloud)

Monday, local leaders held a press conference at the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County building. The conference covered new state and local survey data that details the worsening childcare teacher shortage driven by unlivable wages which is causing the closing of childcare classrooms. The shortage is ultimately causing parents to struggle to find the care needed for them to work. Specifically, data from local surveys show the cumulative impact of the childcare teacher shortage, regarding reduced childcare capacity in Lancaster County and the impact on County employers.

The press conference also highlighted the newly released petition signed by over 5,000 Pennsylvanians encouraging the Shapiro Administration to act fast by investing $284 million in childcare teacher recruitment and retention efforts. The petition references a report that displayed about 18 states that have made similar investments to recruit and retain childcare teachers to ensure that the supply of childcare classrooms can meet the demand from working families.

Speakers included Heather Valudes, president & CEO of Lancaster Chamber,  Amanda Burns, chief strategy officer of the Community Actions Partnership of Lancaster County, Julie Kennedy, director of advocacy & engagement of United Way of Lancaster County, Christelle Thaw-Bolton, senior director of child enrichment of YWCA Lancaster, and Steve Doster, state director of ReadyNation and Partner of Start Strong PA Campaign.

“As a working mother myself, although my kids are now 11…I can tell you that working families struggling to find reliable childcare is one of the most significant barriers our state’s employers face when trying to meet workforce needs,” said Valudes.

There are two sides to the childcare crisis: The demand side for working families being able to afford childcare and the supply side of working families finding childcare. For the past two years the Pennsylvania General Assembly has acted bipartisan in steps to make childcare more affordable through the enhanced Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit Program and the Child Care Tax Credit for Employers.

A March 2024 report from the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office stated that low wages are the reason for the teacher shortage, citing that the average childcare teacher makes $15.15 an hour. Providers struggle to compete in the labor market, with different professions offering $20 an hour. A September 2024 survey from Start Strong PA, representing 17% of licensed providers, showed that 1,140 childcare providers had over 3,000 open positions. If those positions were filled, providers could serve 25,320 children.

Amanda Burns

“Children and families need consistency with our educators in order to thrive. Unfortunately, most like other programs across the state, our organization does struggle with recruitment and retention of our teachers, and so to continue to operate at full capacity and continue to offer services, we provide hiring bonuses and competitive benefits but that is not enough,” said Burns.

Currently, 18 states including Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee have been investing in recruitment, retention, and wage impacting strategies to solve the childcare teacher shortage. The gaps in the childcare system cost the Commonwealth $6.65 billion annually in lost wages, productivity, and tax receipts from working families that cannot find care. A survey from the Lancaster Chamber showed that more than 75% of employers reported that employees have struggles finding reliable childcare. About two-thirds of employers saw an increase in absences and departures that can be linked to childcare needs.

Steve Doster

“We are concerned that Pennsylvania is falling behind many other states that are addressing this urgent need, and we cannot afford to continue to let that happen,” said Doster. “That’s why we are looking at other states that are making leading efforts in the recruitment and retention of childcare teachers. States like Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maine, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Massachusetts, have all made efforts to recruit and retain their childcare staff or their childcare teachers.”

The conference highlighted a childcare teacher recruitment and retention initiative that includes paying $440 per childcare staff maintaining a subsidy agreement with the commonwealth for initiatives such as hiring bonuses, monthly wage increases, benefit packages, or retention bonuses for staff who stay a certain length of time or for staff achieving certain credentials or degrees. The program gives providers flexibility to use funds however they can impact the community the best. This will cancel staffing shortages and allow families to have adequate childcare. The annual cost for the initiative is $284 million.

Christelle Thaw-Bolton

“Childcare is not just a service, it’s a background of a thriving community. It allows parents to work, pursue education and contribute to the economy. At YWCA Lancaster, we understand our vital role in supporting families by providing high quality, reliable childcare. Our commitment is to create a nurturing environment where children can learn, play, and grow, said Thaw-Bolton.