Child Care Rate Increase Highlights FY 2018-2019 Pennsylvania Budget


Early evening Friday, June 22, 2018, Governor Wolf signed the bi-partisan FY 18-19 Pennsylvania Budget. For the first time in eleven years, the budget includes funds to increase child care base rates using federal funds. The budget also includes $6.8 million in state funds to address the rapidly increasing child care waiting list. Pre-K Counts and Head Start also so increases in funding for the new year. Based on information from the Governor's Office ...


CHILD CARE SERVICES
$6.8 million in increased funds for child care services will be paired with $50 million in federal funding to:

🔸$6.8 million to serve 1,100 children on the waiting list
🔸$39 million to increase rates at all levels of care
🔸$5 million for professional development
🔸$2 million to establish a one-year pilot to serve infants and toddlers in STAR 3 and STAR 4 programs. The pilot will improve access to and continued enrollment in high-quality early care and education programs for young children
🔸$4 million for OCDEL compliance with CCDFBG requirements

PRE-K

🔸$20 million increase for Pre-K Counts
🔸$5 million increase rates for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Programs