2026 Ballot Guide

Where Do Your Candidates Stand on Children & Family Issues?

Important races for governor, state legislature, Congress, and more are on the ballot Tuesday, November 3rd.

The winners of these races will make decisions affecting Pennsylvania’s children and families for years to come!

To help you make an informed decision, Child Care Voter — a project of Children First Action Fund — issued a questionnaire and pledge to all candidates running for office.

Enter your address below to see how the candidates on your ballot responded to the Child Care Voter questionnaire and pledge!

Once you’ve reviewed candidates’ responses, visit the 2026 Election Center to register to vote, request a mail-in ballot, and more!

Your US Congressional District:

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Your State Legislative Districts:

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Your U.S. Congressional Candidate Responses

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Question 1

Do you believe that the first three years of life matter to a child’s development and that young children benefit most when they attend high-quality child care programs that have talented staff who, along with parents, help establish a strong foundation of infants’ and toddlers’ developmental skills?

Question 2

Pennsylvania loses more than $6 billion annually in lost wages, productivity, and economic activity because of the lack of affordable, accessible child care.

Do you agree that the federal government should prioritize sustained, significant public investments in child care and pre-k to support children, working families, businesses, and the economy?

Question 3

Federal policy experts define “affordable” child care as costing no more than 7% of a family’s income — $10,500 for a household earning $150,000 annually — yet the average Pennsylvania family pays $13,354 per year for infant care.

Do you believe families should pay no more than 7% of their income for child care?

Question 4

Current federal discretionary spending caps impact the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) — which funds Head Start, Early Intervention, and home visiting — even when need is growing.

Do you support lifting the cap on federal discretionary spending so that all eligible children can be enrolled in these programs?

Question 5

Child care professionals earn just $15.08/hour, despite many holding college degrees and performing work critical to children’s development. Low wages are pushing skilled professionals out of the field, which increases costs for families and reduces access to care.

Do you support increased state investments to recruit, retain, and fairly compensate the early childhood workforce?

Question 6

Pennsylvania’s federally funded Head Start and Early Head Start programs serve more than 35,000 low-income children and families statewide, but many eligible children remain unable to access these programs due to limited funding and capacity.

Do you support increased federal investments to expand Head Start and Early Head Start so that all eligible Pennsylvania children can access these services?

Question 7

Many infants and toddlers face long waitlists for Early Intervention services, that help children get early help and avert life-long challenges and many child care programs lack resources to support children with disabilities, or delays in behavioral or developmental milestones.

Do you support increased federal funding to ensure kids get timely Early Intervention and expand evidence-based home visiting and developmental health supports in early childhood settings?

Question 8

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) helps working families offset child care expenses so parents can remain in the workforce. In 2021, the credit was temporarily expanded — increasing the maximum benefit, making the credit refundable, and raising the percentage of expenses families could claim — though that expansion has since expired.

Do you support restoring and making permanent an expanded, refundable Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit that increases the maximum benefit and better reflects the true cost of child care?

Question 9

Paid family and medical leave improves employee retention, reduces turnover costs for employers, and strengthens workforce participation, while allowing workers to care for themselves or loved ones without losing income.

Do you support enacting a national paid family and medical leave program that supports workers, businesses, and the broader economy?

Question 10

Do you or family members have personal experiences with ECE they’d like to share (or more specifically, struggles finding child care)?

There are no congressional responses.

Your State Legislative Candidate Responses

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Question 1

Question 2

Do you believe that high-quality pre-k builds strong skills that help prepare children for early school and future career success?

Question 3

Pennsylvania loses more than $6.6 billion annually in lost wages, productivity, and economic activity because of the lack of affordable, accessible child care.

Do you agree that Pennsylvania must make sustained, significant public investments in child care and pre-k to support children, working families, businesses, and the state’s economy?

Question 4

The average Pennsylvania household spends $13,354 annually for infant care, placing a heavy burden on middle-income families.

Do you believe families earning up to 400% of Federal Poverty Level — $128,600 for a family of four — should have access to affordable, high-quality child care?

Question 5

Pennsylvania reimburses child care providers well below the actual cost of operating high-quality programs which contributes to low wages resulting in staffing shortages, higher tuition for middle-income families and sector instability.

Do you support increasing reimbursement rates to reflect the full, actual cost of providing high-quality care?

Question 6

Question 7

A recent statewide survey of child care providers — with 17% of programs responding — found more than 3,000 unfilled staff positions across Pennsylvania. Those providers reported that if they were fully staffed, more than 25,000 additional children could access care.

Do you support increased state investment to address the child care staffing crisis so providers can fill vacancies and expand access for working families?

Question 8

Serving young children with disabilities, developmental delays, or mental health needs often requires additional staffing, training, and supports that are not fully reimbursed by the state. As more children with complex needs enter child care, inadequate support is driving educators out of the sector.

Do you support increasing state funding so child care and pre-k providers can meet the needs of these children and retain qualified educators?

Question 9

Nearly seven out of ten Pennsylvania families lack access to paid family and medical leave, and many small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford to offer it on their own.

Do you support creating a statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program so workers can care for themselves or loved ones without losing their paycheck?

Question 10

Do you or family members have personal experiences with early childhood education you’d like to share (or more specifically, struggles finding child care)?

There are no state legislative responses.

Question 5

Yes

Dylan Altemara

"Yes, I support increasing Pennsylvania's child care reimbursement rates to reflect the full, actual cost of providing high-quality care. The current system often fails to cover the true cost of delivering safe, developmentally appropriate care, leaving providers struggling to keep their doors open, educators underpaid, and families facing long waiting lists or limited options.

Pennsylvania should move toward a reimbursement model based on the **true cost of quality care, accounting for educator wages and benefits, appropriate staff-to-child ratios, facility and safety requirements, curriculum and learning materials, and the additional supports needed to serve children with diverse needs.

To make this possible, I would support:

Phasing in increased Child Care Works reimbursement rates based on a transparent cost-of-care methodology rather than outdated market-rate surveys.

Providing targeted funding for infant and toddler care, where staffing requirements are highest, and providers often operate at a loss despite charging families more.

Increasing compensation for early childhood educators to improve recruitment and retention and reduce turnover that disrupts children's development.

Supporting grants for facility improvements and workforce development, particularly for providers in rural communities and underserved areas.

Simplifying administrative requirements and payment systems** so providers can spend more time serving children and less time navigating bureaucracy.

Pennsylvania has practical ways to help fund these investments, including:

Reinvesting savings from cyber charter funding reforms and other education finance efficiencies.

Reviewing and eliminating ineffective tax expenditures and corporate tax loopholes that do not produce measurable economic benefits.

Modernizing tax enforcement to improve the collection of taxes already owed under existing law.
Maximizing available federal child care and early learning funding and ensuring Pennsylvania fully leverages matching opportunities.

Identifying administrative efficiencies and procurement savings that can be redirected to frontline services.

As someone with a background in education, I believe child care is not simply a social service; it's essential infrastructure for Pennsylvania's economy. Investing in reimbursement rates that reflect the real cost of quality care means supporting working families, strengthening our workforce, and giving every child the opportunity to thrive."