Early Education

Provide Additional Families Access to Quality Early Learning Programs Proven to Cut Crime.  A wide body of research tells us that expanding these investments will significantly cut the numbers of at-risk kids who grow up to become criminals.  We have made good progress  in Pennsylvania and these proposals will keep us moving forward.  

A. Increase Pre-K Counts program $8.6 million to $95 million to serve 1,050 additional 

at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds.  This program currently provides funding for about 11,800 3- 

and 4-year-olds at risk of school failure to attend high quality pre-kindergarten programs.  

Only about 20 percent of the state’s eligible children now have access to publicly-funded 

pre-k. 

B. Maintain Head Start Supplemental Assistance program at current level of $39.48 

million.  This program currently serves more than 5,600 3- and 4-year-olds living in 

poverty.  Maintaining funding is essential to reducing the educational achievement gap in 

Pennsylvania.  New federal Head Start funds are not intended to supplant state funding and 

must be used to increase Pennsylvania’s capacity to provide Head Start programs. 

C. Maintain current state funding for Child Care Works.  This program provides financial 

assistance for child care so that low-income parents can continue to work and provide for 

their families.  Today, about 16,000 children in Pennsylvania are on the waiting list for 

subsidized child care. The Governor’s budget proposes to reduce the waiting list by 2,000 

and federal stimulus dollars would allow Pennsylvania to fund approximately 4,300 slots 

for additional children whose families are struggling financially.