Candidate Survey Responses 2024
Check below to see if your candidate completed a survey or signed the pledge to be a legislative champion for our youngest children, those under five years of age, to help ensure their access to high-quality care and early learning options.
OPTIONAL PLEDGE: “I will advocate for increased state funding for high-quality, affordable child care and Pre-K to ensure every Pennsylvania child has a strong start to life and the opportunity to reach their full potential. “
This means the candidate has additional thoughts about this question. Click to view.
Federal Level Questions & Answers for Each Candidate
QUESTION 1:
Do you support lifting the cap on federal discretionary spending for the purpose of increasing federal funds for child care, Head Start, home visiting programs and Early Intervention (Parts B and C) so that all eligible children can be enrolled in these programs?
QUESTION 2:
Do you support spending federal funds above the current appropriations for child care, Head Start and Early Intervention to boost wages of early learning staff so that programs can more readily meet the needs of eligible children?
QUESTION 3:
Do you agree that the federal government should cover the cost of subsidized child care so that working families who are eligible for child care subsidy pay no more than 7% of household income for child care?
QUESTION 4:
Do you agree the federal Head Start program should be expanded with additional federal funding to reach all children eligible for the program?
QUESTION 5:
Do you agree the federal government should increase spending to increase access to evidenced-based home visiting programs?
QUESTION 6:
Do you agree that the federal government should invest funds to increase access to free pre-K programs?
QUESTION 7:
Do you agree that the federal government should adopt policies and spend more resources to boost the quality of early learning programs?
QUESTION 8:
Do you support policies that require government payment to early intervention, child care and pre-K providers at an amount that covers the full cost of operating these programs?
QUESTION 9:
Do you support adoption of the expanded refundable Child Tax Credit of $3,600 per child under 5 years old and $3,000 for children ages 5-17 years old?
QUESTION 10:
Do you support the enactment of a federal paid family and medical leave program modeled after states with robust universally available programs?
QUESTION 11:
Do you support the Governor’s proposed early learning investments included in the 2025-26 budget proposal?
State Level Questions & Answers for Each Candidate
QUESTION 1:
Do you believe that the first three years of life matter to a child’s development and that the potential of these formative years can be augmented when young children attend child care programs that have talented staff who, along with parents, help establish a strong foundation of infants’ and toddlers’ developmental skills?
QUESTION 2:
Do you believe that high quality Pre-K builds strong social and emotional skills that help prepare children for early school success?
QUESTION 3:
Would you support allocating more state funding for high-quality Pre-K education for three- and four-year-olds?
QUESTION 4:
Do you believe that making child care more accessible and affordable will help businesses find more qualified workers?
QUESTION 5:
Do you support increasing state funds to boost the wages of child care staff?
QUESTION 6:
Do you support increasing state funds for child care so that more families can afford child care?
QUESTION 7:
Should the wages for child care workers and preschool teachers be commensurate with those of other educators who work in k-12 schools and have similar qualifications?
QUESTION 8:
Will you support more state funds spent for home visiting programs that help new parents care for their babies?
QUESTION 9:
Will you advocate for increased access to services that connect youth and families to work?
QUESTION 10:
Do you or family members have personal experiences with ECE they’d like to share (or more specifically, struggles finding child care)?
| Name | Please indicate the office and district for which you are running | Website | Social Media | Current Job | Campaign Contact Name | Campaign Contact Email | Campaign Contact Phone Number | 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? | 1a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 2. Do you believe that high quality Pre-K builds strong social and emotional skills that help prepare children for early school success? | 2a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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? | 3a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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 the Federal Poverty Level — $128,600 for a family of four — should have access to affordable, high-quality child care? | 4a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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? | 5a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 6. Child care professionals earn just $15.08/hour on average, 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? | 6a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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? | 7a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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? | 8a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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? | 9a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | 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)? | 10a. If you'd like to elaborate on your choice, please comment below. | CANDIDATE PLEDGE (OPTIONAL): I will advocate for increased state funding for high-quality, affordable child care and Pre-K to ensure every Pennsylvania child has a strong start to life and the opportunity to reach their full potential. (enter name below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Neidig | PA House Representative (General Assembly), District 108 | https://amber-for-pa.mailchimpsites.com/ | Fb.com/amber4pa26 | Care Management, SW at Geisinger | Cathy Knight | cjknightdanville@gmail.com | 570-594-8405 | Yes | The first three years of life are the most rapid period of brain development, and according to the PCCA, that development is profoundly shaped by a child’s environment and the quality of their caregivers. I grew up watching this truth play out every day. My mother worked in the infant and toddler room at the YMCA in Sunbury, PA, and she routinely spent her own money to fill the gaps in the Meals on Wheels program she helped run during the summers in our rapidly changing community. I know how much of a difference a quality caregiver can make because I saw the difference my mother made in the lives of dozens of children. I was fortunate to spend time in the infant room myself, watching the loving, consistent interactions between caregivers and children; Interactions that, for some babies, were the most stable and nurturing part of their entire day. That early exposure stayed with me. It shaped my understanding of how critical a child’s first three years truly are and why investing in caregivers and early‑childhood environments is essential for healthy development and strong communities. | Yes | I’ve been working with at‑risk youth since I was in sixth grade in the early ’90s, giving me a front‑row seat to the development and implementation of Head Start and Early Intervention programs in Pennsylvania. But the most powerful evidence of these programs’ impact came from my own family’s experience. All three of my children benefited from the early‑childhood education programs offered in Northumberland and Montour Counties. When my nephews came along, these programs played a pivotal role in identifying a genetic condition that had quietly affected our family for generations. They worked closely with several relatives who had been labeled “nonverbal,” helping them grow into the very verbal, intelligent, and productive people they are today. One of those early interventions even saved my son’s life by prompting us to pursue a diagnosis we might never have found on our own. We are forever indebted to the early‑education programs in north‑central Pennsylvania. I will continue to be a vocal advocate for their funding, protection, and long‑term | Yes | Governor Shapiro recognizes that Pennsylvania has severely underfunded and neglected our education and child‑care programs, institutions, and educators. I believe in his vision for a better‑supported child‑care and education system. But vision alone isn’t enough. Governor Shapiro needs voices like mine in the room to hold him accountable, keep his plans grounded in the realities families face, and push for sustainable, equitable solutions. I would be honored to play that role and to help protect Head Start and strengthen education across Pennsylvania. | Yes | I’ve been a single mom for 21 years. Three kids, three jobs at all times, and we still qualified for assistance. Not because we weren’t working hard enough, but because child‑care costs are astronomical. We can talk another time about why those costs are so high and what it would take to better support our caregivers, educators, and families. What matters here is this: a healthy society depends on a well‑connected, mutually supportive community. That kind of community is only possible when we invest in the child, the parents, and the caregivers together. When one of those pieces is neglected, the whole system strains. When all three are supported, everyone thrives. | Yes | I love it! Let's go ahead and discuss why costs are astronomical and how we can address it, after all! Increasing reimbursement rates in Pennsylvania is ultimately a policy and budget decision but there are practical pathways that communities and advocates can use to push the state toward rates that reflect the full, actual cost of high‑quality care. By documenting true program costs, building bipartisan economic arguments, aligning rates with the Cost of Quality Care model, and mobilizing coordinated advocacy from families, providers, and employers we can implore policymakers to make these changes. Raising reimbursement rates isn’t a luxury; It’s the only way to stabilize the system. | Yes | Yes. Yes. Yes. | Yes | Staffing shortages aren’t isolated problems. These issues are widespread across the very programs and institutions our communities rely on most. Understaffed daycares, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes are struggling under the weight of stagnant wages and increasing workloads, and the strain is destabilizing the entire nation. Until we acknowledge that workers deserve a livable wage and basic benefits as the floor, not the ceiling, we will continue to fail our children and families here in Pennsylvania. | Yes | As I’ve shared, my family carries a genetic disease that causes developmental delays, physical disabilities, and significant medical complexity. Without the support of skilled, compassionate caregivers and educators, we would not have come as close to the American dream as we have. In truth, several of us might not even be alive today. Last year, my nephew passed away at 31 from complications of Emery‑Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy. My son, who shares the same diagnosis, will receive his first defibrillator this year at just 21. I have watched their caregivers cry with them, bathe them, read to them, teach them how to use Facebook, push them to keep fighting, and when the time came, wash Austin’s hands and feet after he passed. Their work is not simply “care.” It is dignity, survival, and love in action. There is no such thing as “adequate funding” for people who do this work. They deserve far more than we have ever given them. Fighting for these caregivers, and for the families who depend on them, has become my life’s work. Standing in the House chambers is simply the next step in my journey to honor them and give back in every way I can. | Yes | The days of relying on employers to provide our healthcare need to come to an immediate end. Universal Healthcare and paid family leave for all. | Yes | Child care was the defining struggle of my early parenting years. As a single parent, nothing in my life felt stable. Holding a full‑time job with two toddlers at home was nearly impossible, even with child care. Instead, I worked multiple part‑time jobs, including third‑shift CNA work, but we only qualified for care during certain hours or limited days each week. For a decade, we filled the gaps with grandparents and friends, piecing together a schedule that never quite held. I lost more than one job simply because I didn’t have child care. It shaped my children’s upbringing in ways I still feel today. It is a driving force behind the work I do. | Yes, I will advocate for increased state funding for high-quality, affordable child care and Pre-K to ensure every Pennsylvania child has a strong start to life and the opportunity to reach their full potential. |
| Andrea Verobish | PA House District 79 | voteverobish.com | Vote Verobish on Facebook | Field Representative | Andrea Verobish | mrs.verobish@gmail.com | 8149343546 | Yes | As mother who used child care for both of my daughters at the infant and toddler level, I agree that having high quality child care programs are essential for development skills. | Yes | My younger daughter currently attends a Pre-K program at Bishop Guilfoyle Elementary which is the same Pre-K program my older daughter attended. I have definitely seen the benefits of this program for developing social and emotional skills. | Yes | Yes, Pennsylvania should support child care and pre-K in ways that expand access and help families work — but only if investments are structured responsibly, promote choice, support private providers, and deliver measurable results without unsustainable tax increases. | Yes | Yes, all families — including those earning up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level — should be able to access affordable, high-quality child care. But rather than subsidizing care for higher-income families through broad government programs, we should prioritize targeted assistance, foster market solutions, and remove barriers that make care expensive in the first place. | No | I support adjusting reimbursement rates to better reflect the actual cost of high-quality child care in a way that is targeted, fiscally responsible, and tied to measurable quality outcomes. Rather than an untargeted, across-the-board increase, we should focus on incentives that improve quality, encourage a strong workforce pipeline, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are producing better care and broader access for families. | No | No. While low wages and workforce turnover in child care are serious concerns, increasing ongoing state spending is not the right solution. We should focus on reducing regulatory burdens that drive up operating costs, strengthening workforce pipeline programs, and encouraging private-sector and employer partnerships to support child care benefits. Sustainable improvements will come from growing the economy and increasing flexibility for providers — not from expanding long-term government funding commitments that taxpayers may ultimately have to shoulder. | No | No. While the staffing shortages in child care are concerning, simply increasing state spending is not the most sustainable solution. We should focus first on reducing regulatory burdens, improving workforce pipeline programs, and encouraging private-sector and employer partnerships to expand access. Taxpayer-funded increases must be carefully limited and targeted to avoid creating long-term budget obligations. Strengthening the child care sector requires structural reform and economic growth, not just additional government spending. | No | No. While supporting children with disabilities and complex needs is critically important, simply increasing state funding to child care and pre-k providers is not the most effective solution. We should prioritize better coordination between early intervention programs, schools, and existing special education funding streams to ensure services are delivered efficiently. The focus should be on improving how current resources are allocated, reducing administrative barriers, and strengthening partnerships with families and community providers — rather than expanding long-term government spending commitments. | No | No. While helping families balance work and caregiving responsibilities is important, creating a statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program would impose new payroll taxes or mandates on workers and small businesses at a time when many are already facing economic pressures. Rather than establishing a new government-run program, we should encourage voluntary, employer-based benefits, expand tax incentives for businesses that offer leave, and promote flexible workplace policies that support families without increasing regulatory burdens or long-term state spending commitments. | Yes | I’ve been incredibly fortunate to find reliable, high-quality, and affordable child care here in Altoona. Having a safe and nurturing environment for my daughters has made a world of difference in their growth and development. | |
| Andy Wagner | PA HD 128 | https://www.wagnerworks4pa.org/meet-andy | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584633159876 | Public School Educator/Teacher | Anthony Fiore | Anthony.f.fiore@gmail.com | 6104013055 | Yes | As an educator, I know that the first three years of life are critical to a child's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. High-quality early learning environments, combined with strong parental involvement, help establish the foundation children need to succeed in school and throughout life. Investing in infants and toddlers is one of the most effective ways we can support future generations. | Yes | High-quality Pre-K helps children develop the social, emotional, and academic skills necessary to enter kindergarten ready to learn. These programs foster confidence, communication, problem-solving, and positive peer interactions that contribute to long-term educational success. | Yes | Pennsylvania's economy depends on working families having access to reliable, affordable child care. When families cannot find care, employers lose workers, businesses lose productivity, and children miss critical developmental opportunities. Strategic investments in child care and Pre-K benefit children, strengthen families, support employers, and grow our economy. | Yes | Many middle-income families are struggling with the rising cost of child care. Access to affordable, high-quality care should not be limited to only the lowest-income households. Expanding access helps working parents remain in the workforce while ensuring children receive the care and education they deserve. | Yes | Providers cannot continue delivering high-quality care if reimbursement rates fail to reflect actual operating costs. Adequate reimbursement is essential to maintaining quality programs, reducing tuition pressures on families, supporting educators, and ensuring the long-term stability of the child care system. | Yes | Early childhood educators perform some of the most important work in our communities, yet many are underpaid despite possessing significant education and training. We must invest in recruiting, retaining, and fairly compensating these professionals so children can benefit from a stable, highly qualified workforce. | Yes | The child care staffing shortage is one of the greatest barriers facing working families today. Thousands of available child care slots remain unused simply because providers cannot hire enough staff. Increased investment can help address workforce shortages, expand access, and strengthen Pennsylvania's economy. | Yes | Every child deserves access to a high-quality learning environment that meets their unique needs. Providers should have the resources, staffing, and training necessary to support children with disabilities, developmental delays, and mental health needs. Investing in these services benefits children, families, and educators alike. | Yes | No worker should be forced to choose between caring for a loved one and maintaining financial stability. A statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program would provide families with the support they need during life's most important moments while helping businesses retain valuable employees and strengthening workforce participation. | Yes | As an educator, I have witnessed firsthand the tremendous impact that high-quality early childhood education can have on a child's future success. I have seen children thrive when they have access to strong early learning opportunities and dedicated educators. I have also seen the challenges families face when affordable, accessible child care is unavailable. These experiences reinforce my belief that early childhood education is one of the most important investments we can make. | Andy Wagner |
| Anju Singh | State Representative in PA District 106 | https://anjusingh1517.wixsite.com/my-site-1 | Facebook: Citizens for Dr. Anju Singh LinkedIn: Dr. Anju Singh Instagram: citizens4dranjusingh https://x.com/DrAnjuSingh9277 tiktok.com/@dr.anju.singh | Adjunct Faculty at HACC, Small business owner, and private tutor. | Anju Singh | anjusingh1517@gmail.com | 7179915105 | Yes | Recent reserach indicates that a child's physical and metal development is significantly influenced my the mother's physical and mental health during pregnancy. In additon, it is a well established scientific fact that a child's physical and mental development is significantly influenced by the quality of care, nutrition, and other environmental factors. As a mother I see he impact of these factors in my own three children. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Every parent/family with little children should have access to affordable, safe, healthy and good quality child care. Not just the rich. | Yes | This is where it gets tricky. The higer the pay for child care providers, which I support, will then also increase the cost of that care. It's a catch 20 situation and we need to think in more creative ways to support our families and children. | Yes | I support living wages for anyone working a full-time job. As for the situation with child care cost/expense, I mentioned earlier, we need to think in more creative ways to support our families and children. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I quit my very lucrative career, becasue my son was constanly sick from day-care. I lost faith and trust in days and therefore quit my job and chose not to have another child for the next 10 years. It hurt my career, my emotional well-being, my marraige, my life. | Anju Singh | |||||
| Arvind Venkat | State Representative, 30th Legislative District | www.VenkatforPA.com | @VenkatforPA on FB, IG, X, BlueSky, and Threads | State Representative and Emergency Physician | Carver Murphy | Carver@VenkatforPA.com | 412-737-4660 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My wife is a physician. We had three children while we were in training or young attendings. I very much remember the cost and challenges of child care. | Arvind Venkat | |||||||||
| Austin Graham | State Representative - District 169 | https://austinlgraham.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/grahamforpa2026/ | System Administrator | Austin Graham | grahamforpa2026@gmail.com | 7178567402 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Austin Graham | ||||||||||
| Ben Sanchez | PA House District 153 | www.bensanchez.org | @sanchez4PA | Legislator/Attorney | Karen Sanchez | sanchez4montco@gmail.com | 2676459691 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not necessarily struggles, but I have a personal story about how I believe early education helped me when my mother ran a Montessori school. | Ben Sanchez | |||||||||
| Brad Chambers | Pennsylvania House District 41 | bradforpa.com | facebook - bradforpa, Instagram - Bradforpa, TikTok - Bradforpa | Labor Administrator | Payne Rizzer | hello@bradforpa.com | (412) 612-1156 | Yes | Yes, I believe that investing in education is one of the best ways to increase the quality of life in a society. Ensuring that early child development is fully funded and available to everyone would be a transformative societal boon. | Yes | Yes | Yes, I support Universal Pre-K in the state of Pennsylvania. I want to live in a commonwealth that values the upbringing of our children and is willing to seriously invest in a community that will be prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, I believe that teachers should receive a fair wage. The US is falling behind the rest of the world in early education but that does not have to be true in Pennsylvania. We can start addressing this issue by providing our teachers and child care workers with the resources they need. | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Brad Chambers | |||||||
| Brandon Dukes | PA State House District 13 | www.dukesforpa.com | Yes | Commercial Loan Administrator | John Chekal | dukesforpa@gmail.com | (248) 687-9383 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not really a struggle, but both my wife and I work remote so we don’t have to pay any child care costs, but there are days where we can use a daycare but it is so expensive. I think more companies should go back to promoting remote work for full time workers who are parents to young children | Brandon Dukes | |||||||||
| Brian Wrightson | PA Sen Dist 40 | www.wrightsonforsenate.com | https://www.facebook.com/share/1CCfZARttK/?mibextid=wwXIfr | Rural broadband specialist/information, technology professional | August Williams | August@wrightsonforsenate.com | 5702810972 | Yes | My children were fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend three year-old and four-year-old public preschool. Absolutely helped build the foundation for the rest of their education. | Yes | When children learn to interact with their peers at an earlier age, it helps establish more person older. Humans were meant to be social creatures and not sitting behind a digital screen | Yes | We absolutely need to have more adequate childcare funding, especially for students who may come from a slightly lower social economic background. Allowing Mom And Dad to work and a child having a proper place for care helps break vicious circle at some families get stuck in | Yes | Yes | Yes | We put our trust in a lot of these individuals yet we don’t compensate them enough for the high level of responsibility. A lot of of these childcare workers also spend a lot of their own personal money to maintain a safe environment, we need to reimburse and absolutely set a higher wage standards for these workers | Yes | Yes | Well, we need to increase spending across-the-board for all of our young children, children with special needs should see the largest increase. Giving the proper resources and services to those children at a younger age will make them be part of society and show that everybody’s normal is not the same. But that everyone can play a perfect role in our society | Yes | A key to a robust economy is a healthy society! When people can take the time without fear, of not able to pay their bills. We’re leaving the pressure from some of these families will just add to the benefits as a whole to the economy and the social well-being of a community | Yes | All my children were fortunate enough to have pre-K options. It absolutely helped going forward in their education because they had that early start and that early structure. | ABSOLUTELY!! | |||
| Brittany Bloam | State Rep - HD 45 | https://www.brittany4pa.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/brittany4pa/ | Attorney | Lauren Williams | contact@brittany4pa.com | 601-906-6609 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | One of the things opened my eyes and helped motivate me to run for office me was how much childcare costs, so much that parents, usually women, have to leave the workforce. On top of that, childcare workers aren't making a liveable wage, and many have to take second jobs to make ends meet. This is unacceptable. Childcare workers are the backbone of our society, and they deserve to be paid a liveable wage, they deserve fair and safe working conditions, which means enough staff per child ratio, and they deserve the support they need from our state and community elected officials, including but not limited to funding. | Brittany Bloam | |||||||||
| Bryan ALlen | Representative in the General Assembly - 18th | www.bryanallenforpa.com | https://www.facebook.com/BryanAllenforPA https://www.instagram.com/bryanallenforpa/ | Former Chief of Staff - State Representative Tina Davis | Karla Shaffer | karla@bryanallenforpa.com | 267-245-2638 | Yes | Every credible study has shown that investment in early childhood education, and intervention pays incredible dividends in terms of future academic and economic success. | Yes | Absolutely. The data is irrefutable. | Yes | Yes, employers in many sectors of our economy are having trouble finding and retaining quality workers because they either can't find adequate childcare, cannot afford it, or they'd only be working to pay for it. | Yes | With inflation as high as it currently is, $128K for a family of four does not go very far. | Yes | We need better wages to ensure that we attract and retain a quality workforce to care for our children. | Yes | Absolutely. I also support increasing the minimum wage in Pennsylvania so that we can raise the wage floor. | Yes | Yes, for all of the reasons that I have stated earlier. | Yes | Early intervention has proven critical to setting these children for a chance at success down the road, and helps reduce more extensive intervention costs down the road. This is morally the right thing to do and its more cost effective. | Yes | Paid family and medical leave will help retain a quality, well-trained workforce, especially woman. Paid FMLA provides economic security at a time when people need it most and has shown, statistically to increase economic growth overall. | Yes | My wife and I were fortunate to find a great preschool program here in our community. All three of our children are doing very well today and I am confident that it is because of the strong foundation that they received in pre-k. | Bryan Allen |
| bryan peirson | House 43 | Carpenter | bryan peirson | brypei78@yahoo.com | 5702742780 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I’m one of nine children and have 14 nieces and nephews so have seen some of the issues with finding and affording early childhood care and education as well as I myself was in the head start program as a child | ||||||||||||
| Caleb McCoy | State Rep for 79th District | https://www.therealmccoyforpa.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/therealmccoyforpa | Nurse | Caleb Mccoy | calebforpa@gmail.com | (814) 937-1327 | Yes | Early childhood care programs are essential for bridging the gaps for working families to be able to meet their children's needs. | Yes | Social play for children is essential and the earlier they build those skills the better. | Yes | I believe that supporting working class families by ensuring they have access to child care options is not just good for families, but pays huge dividends for our economy and our community as well. I believe this is essential infrastructure just like paved roads and working electrical grids. | Yes | Childcare is infrastructure, and by placing the burden of this care on working class families we are inverting the common-sense tax structure that we should be embracing. | Yes | These ESSENTIAL jobs should be treated with respect and the people who provide care for our children should be paid well and supported because we should be demanding high quality work and stringent qualifications from these people and you cannot do that without rewarding that work and their adherence to those qualifications. The comparison that I made earlier to infrastructure jobs is also apt because I believe that unionization and organization of these work forces would also be a great step in helping them to become family-sustaining careers and not just jobs. | Yes | I also believe that raising the minimum wage would push this rate up as well. | Yes | Yes | Working in homecare as a nurse across 9 rural counties it was always very instructive to see the differences in care and the qualities of outcome for children with disabilities and special needs and how directly those outcomes were tied to the financial well-being of the families those children belonged to. I would support anything that can help working class families to access the care that their children need in all environments. | Yes | I am understanding of and compassionate towards the difficulties that small businesses can run into, and I would be open to any ways that we can ensure that working class families get the paid leave they deserve while still preventing small and local businesses from having undue burdens put on them. | No | Caleb McCoy | ||
| Caren Lowrey | House of Representatives, District 132 | www.carenforpa.com | carenforpa | Prevention and Education Specialist in schools | Caren Lowrey | contact@carenforpa.com | 484-273-2448 | Yes | As a Pa Certified Prevention and Education Specialist who works with students and families in schools every day, I’ve seen how critical the early years are for healthy social, emotional, and cognitive development. High-quality early childhood programs, combined with strong parental involvement, help build the foundation children need to succeed in school and throughout life. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I support a strong early childhood workforce because quality educators are essential to children’s development and to working families. Any additional state investment should be accountable, targeted and tied to measurable outcomes, while also reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and ensuring providers have the flexibility to recruit and retain qualified staff. | Yes | I support ensuring working families have access to quality child care, but any additional investment should be tied to measurable outcomes, accountability, and efforts to reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers that make it difficult for providers to recruit and retain staff. We should ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively while expanding access for families. | Yes | As a Certified Prevention and Education Specialist, I work with children and families every day, including many with developmental, behavioral and mental health needs. Early identification and appropriate support can make a lifelong difference. I support ensuring providers have the resources to meet these children’s needs, but funding should be targeted, accountable, and focused on evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for children and families. | No | |||||||||
| Ce-Ce Gerlach | State Representative-HD 22 | www.ceceforpa.com | cece4pa | Case Manager | John Santana | info@ceceforpa.com | 484 597 0354 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I support free childcare (similar to NM) | Yes | We need to work towards free childcare for all. Start with free childcare based on income. The income should not be based on the Federal Poverty Level because of how restricting using this as a threshold is. I would suggest using AMI instead. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and know the importance of the early years for children. My God-daughter has three amazing kids. She has struggled to maintain a job and provide for her children because of inconsistent and quality childcare. This results in me helping her financially every month on my limited salary. Lack of childcare effects the caregivers, children, extended family and the broader community. | Ce-Ce Gerlach | |||||||
| Cherri Rogers | PA House District 58 | https://www.cherriforpa.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/ | Certified School Nurse | Cherri Rogers | cherriforpa@gmail.com | 4122287667 | Yes | As a professional holding an MSN in Nursing and a Doctorate in K-12 Education, my career has been dedicated to the holistic well-being and academic success of children. Working closely with our school district’s early childhood program has only reinforced what both medical science and educational research make undeniably clear: the first three years of life are a critical window of profound neurological and foundational development. From a health and developmental perspective, early experiences literally shape brain architecture. When infants and toddlers have access to high-quality child care programs staffed by skilled, well-compensated educators, it creates a powerful synergy with the home environment. Talented early childhood professionals do not just provide care; they deliver targeted, evidence-based developmental support that identifies milestones early, fosters emotional resilience, and builds essential cognitive and social-emotional skills. Bridging the gap between early childhood and the K-12 system has shown me firsthand that children who enter school with this strong foundation are significantly better prepared to thrive. Investing in the early childhood workforce and high-quality programs is not just an educational or economic imperative—it is a fundamental pillar of public health and long-term student success. | Yes | From a child development perspective, a child's brain is forming connections at a rapid pace during these early years. High-quality Pre-K programs provide the structured, nurturing environment necessary to help shape and strengthen critical life skills like focus, memory, and self-control. When children learn how to get along with peers and manage frustration early on, it literally builds a stronger foundation in the brain, making it much easier for them to take in and process academic learning later. | Yes | As a healthcare provider who has worked the demanding, non-traditional hours required in medicine, I know firsthand that the lack of affordable, accessible child care is a massive barrier to workforce stability. The fact that Pennsylvania loses more than $6.6 billion annually in lost wages and productivity is a direct reflection of a system that fails to support working families—particularly those in essential fields like healthcare. Hospitals and medical facilities operate 24/7, yet the vast majority of high-quality child care and Pre-K programs strictly adhere to standard 9-to-5 business hours. When healthcare professionals cannot find reliable extended-hour or evening care, they are frequently forced to reduce their shifts, decline advancements, or leave the workforce entirely. This worsens staffing shortages in our clinics and hospitals, ultimately impacting patient care and public health. By making sustained, significant public investments in child care and Pre-K—with an additional focus on expanding flexible, non-traditional hours—Pennsylvania can unlock billions in trapped economic productivity. Sustained funding will allow providers to expand their hours and operational capacity, ensuring that the essential workers keeping our communities healthy and educated can stay on the job. | Yes | Yes. While the average Pennsylvania household spends $13,354 annually on infant care, the reality is that costs can easily exceed this baseline depending on geographic location, staffing challenges, limited availability, and the quality of the program. Families earning up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, these skyrocketing expenses are completely unsustainable and force parents to make impossible choices between their careers and their children’s care. From my perspective as both a healthcare professional (MSN) and a K-12 education expert early childhood education and care should be viewed as a fundamental public good—much like our K-12 public school system. In the United States, early childhood education should ideally be free and universally accessible. Ensuring that families earning up to $128,600 have access to affordable, high-quality care is a necessary and critical step toward that larger goal. It protects the financial stability of working families while ensuring that all children, regardless of their family's income, get the equitable start they need to succeed in school and life. | Yes | We cannot build a free, universal system on the backs of an underpaid workforce and struggling providers. When the state pays the full, actual cost of care, providers can finally afford to pay competitive wages to recruit and retain talented staff, expand their capacity, and lower the financial burden on middle-income families. Fully funding these reimbursements is the most practical mechanism we have right now to stabilize the sector, improve care quality, and systematically transition early childhood education into a fully funded public good. | Yes | When low wages push skilled professionals out of early childhood education, it triggers a catastrophic domino effect. It creates a chronic staffing shortage that forces classrooms to close, directly exacerbating the child care crisis for working families. Furthermore, from my perspective as a healthcare professional (MSN), this high turnover and instability disrupts the consistent, nurturing relationships that infants and toddlers need for healthy neurological and emotional development. If we want a premier K-12 school system, we must treat early childhood educators like the vital professionals they are. Increasing state investments to guarantee fair, competitive compensation is the only way to stabilize the workforce, keep classrooms open, and ensure that our youngest learners receive the high-quality care necessary to prepare them for future academic success. | Yes | Yes. The statistic that 3,000 unfilled staff positions are directly blocking 25,000 Pennsylvania children from accessing care is a stark reminder that the child care crisis is, at its core, a workforce crisis. To solve this pipeline issue, we must implement systemic educational and financial solutions that make entering and advancing in the early childhood field both viable and attractive. I propose a multi-tiered approach to rebuild this workforce. First, we need to offer targeted tuition assistance that makes early childhood preparation entirely free, beginning at the community college level for entry into the career. Second, for educators already working in the field who want to advance their careers and degrees, we must provide robust tuition assistance paired with paid student teaching opportunities. We cannot expect professionals to take on student debt for historically low-paying fields, nor can we expect working educators to give up their paychecks to complete unpaid clinical hours or student teaching. By funding these targeted educational pathways and stipends, Pennsylvania can immediately fill these 3,000 vacancies, open up thousands of classrooms, and give 25,000 more working families the stability they need. | Yes | Yes. Serving children with complex needs requires a level of care and expertise that goes far beyond standard classroom supervision. Inadequate state reimbursement for these resources places an impossible burden on educators, directly contributing to burnout and high turnover. To truly support these children and retain qualified staff, we must fundamentally shift our approach to early intervention. As an advanced practice nurse (MSN) and a K-12 education doctorate, I know that health and learning are completely inseparable. We must increase state funding to directly embed a multi-disciplinary support component into our early childhood programs. This means ensuring classrooms have dedicated access to nursing care, mental health specialists, and physical and occupational therapy. When a child with a developmental delay or a medical complexity has an onsite or readily available therapist or nurse, it removes the diagnostic and care burden from the classroom teacher. It creates a safe, compliant, and therapeutic learning environment where interventions happen in real-time. Fully funding these clinical and therapeutic supports is the only way to prevent our early childhood workforce from being driven out of the sector, while ensuring our most vulnerable children get the equitable start they deserve. | Yes | I understand completely that health stability and economic security are deeply intertwined. For nearly seven out of ten Pennsylvania families who lack access to paid leave, a single medical emergency or a serious illness means they are exactly one missing paycheck away from complete financial disaster. This vulnerability is magnified exponentially for families of children with exceptionalities or complex medical needs. These children face significantly higher risks of acute health crises, requiring extended, dedicated care at home from a parent or caregiver. Under our current system, parents are routinely forced to make an impossible choice: leave their medically fragile child without proper parental care or forfeit their income and risk losing their home. A statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program is a compassionate, evidence-based solution to this crisis. It provides a vital safety net that protects the financial health of working families during life's most challenging moments, ensuring that parents can care for their loved ones without plunging into poverty. | Yes | The struggle to find and afford child care is not a new crisis—it is an ongoing, systemic failure that I have watched persist for over two decades. Thirty years ago, when my son was an infant, I faced these exact barriers firsthand. At the time, I was working nights as a waitress and attending college during the day to build a better future for my family. Despite working incredibly hard, I could not afford the soaring cost of child care, yet I did not qualify for state childcare assistance simply because my daytime hours were spent in nursing school rather than at a job. My son is now 30 years old, and it is disheartening to realize that the same institutional roadblocks I faced 20 to 30 years ago are still trapping young parents today. Parents who are trying to better themselves through higher education, or who work non-traditional night shifts, are still routinely penalized by outdated qualification rules. My personal experience is a driving force behind my advocacy. It proves that without universal, free, and flexible child care options, we will continue to force parents into impossible financial corners and stifle both generational mobility and workforce growth. | Cherri Rogers, EdD, MSN, RN-CSN |
| Chris Johnson | PA-HD-200 | www.chrisjohnsonpa.com | IG: @ChrisJohnsonPA | FB: Chris Johnson for State Representative | Director, State and Federal Government Relations, School District of Philadelphia | Chris Johnson | chris@chrisjohnsonpa.com | 215-554-5851 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I have multiple family members and cherished people in my life who have expressed deep concern about the cost of childcare in Pennsylvania. These individuals understand the value of early childcare and early childhood education on a child's development, and are making steep sacrifices to place their little ones on a path to growth and success. As legislators, we ought to make that path brighter for children and more affordable and accessible for parents and families. | Chris Johnson | |||||||||
| Chris Johnson | PA House District 200 | www.chrisjohnsonpa.com | Instagram: @chrisjohnsonpa | Facebook: Chris Johnson for State Representative | Director, State and Federal Government Relations, The School District of Philadelphia | Chris Johnson | Chris@ChrisJohnsonPA.com | 215-554-5851 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I am a proud uncle of two wonderful nieces. They are ages 7 and 1, respectively. Their parents are gainfully employed and have to sacrifice to afford childcare and early childhood education. Childcare costs continue to take a significant bite into their monthly household budgets. This issue extends to families across the socioeconomic spectrum. | Christopher M. Johnson | |||||||||
| Christopher Thomas | State Senate District 24 | christhomas.vote | https://www.facebook.com/christhomasforpa/; https://www.instagram.com/christhomasforpa/; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY0grhpUpY_o6Oco_T2KQsw; https://www.tiktok.com/@christhomasforpa | Contractor | Patrick Ahern | patrick@princetonstrategies.com | 215-870-5206 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I come from a family deeply rooted in education. My grandmother was a second-grade teacher, my grandfather was an English professor, and my mother has dedicated her life to serving young children and families. She has worked at Warrior Trail, a nonprofit that was a co-op, parent-run preschool. And for nearly 16 years, she operated an in-home daycare. Watching her care for children and support working families gave me a firsthand appreciation for the importance of quality, affordable early learning and the difference it makes in a child's life. While my wife and I haven't yet had to navigate the child care system ourselves, we've already seen how difficult and expensive it has become for so many of our friends and family who are raising young children. Those experiences have shaped my priorities and are why issues like guaranteeing child care access for every family that needs it, enacting Pre-K for PA, and providing universal free breakfast and lunch are central to my campaign. I believe every child deserves a strong start, and no family should have to choose between earning a paycheck and ensuring their child has access to quality care. | Yes - Chris Thomas | |||||||||
| Dan Williams | PA House District 74 | https://www.dan4pa74.com | https://www.facebook.com/Dan4PA74 | https://www.instagram.com/dan4pa74/ | State Representative and House Committee Chair | Molly Wood | info@dan4pa74.com | 484-200-8256 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dan Williams | ||||||||||
| Davon Magwood | PA House HD 55 | Magwoodforpa.com | @davonmagwood | Manager at Restaurant | Ari Teer | Magwoodforpa@gmail.com | 7244727279 | Yes | Yes. The first three years of life are crucial to a child’s development. I support expanding access to high-quality child care with well-trained staff who partner with parents to help children build a strong foundation for future success. | Yes | Yes. High-quality Pre-K helps children develop important social, emotional, and academic skills that prepare them for success in school and beyond. I support expanding access to quality early childhood education so every child has a strong start. | Yes | Yes. Pennsylvania must make sustained, significant investments in child care and Pre-K. Affordable, high-quality early learning supports children’s development, helps working families stay in the workforce, strengthens businesses, and grows our economy. | Yes | Yes. Families earning up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level should have access to affordable, high-quality child care. Child care is essential for working families, supports children’s development, and strengthens our economy by helping parents remain in the workforce. | Yes | I agree. Pennsylvania should increase child care reimbursement rates to reflect the true cost of providing high-quality care. Fair funding helps providers pay competitive wages, address staffing shortages, keep tuition affordable for families, and ensure long-term stability in the child care sector. | Yes | Yes. Pennsylvania’s early childhood educators are essential to children’s development, working families, and our economy, yet many are underpaid despite the critical work they do. I support increased state investments to recruit, retain, and fairly compensate the early childhood workforce so providers can attract and keep qualified staff, reduce staffing shortages, and ensure families have access to high-quality child care and pre-K programs. | Yes | Yes. Pennsylvania must make stronger investments to address the child care staffing crisis. Providers cannot expand access for working families when they struggle to recruit and retain qualified educators. Increasing state funding to support competitive wages and workforce development will help fill vacancies, stabilize programs, and ensure more families can access affordable, high-quality child care. | Yes | Yes. I support increasing state funding for child care and pre-K programs so providers can meet the growing needs of children and families while retaining qualified educators. Investing in early learning helps ensure children receive the support they need to succeed, strengthens our workforce, and makes high quality care more accessible and affordable for working families. | Yes | Yes. I support creating a statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program so workers can take time to care for themselves, a new child, or a loved one without sacrificing their financial security. No one should have to choose between their health, their family, and a paycheck. Paid leave strengthens families, supports workers, and helps employers retain a stable workforce. | Yes | Yes. As a working parent of three, I understand firsthand how difficult it can be to balance work and family responsibilities. Like many families, I’ve experienced the challenges of finding affordable, reliable child care that fits a working family’s schedule and budget. | Davon Magwood |
| Deirdre Kamber Todd | Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 183 | www.DKT4PA.com | Facebook - Deirdre Kamber Todd 4 PA | Forensic Document Examiner | Naomi Schacter | nestrategist@gmail.com | 610-751-6496 | Yes | As the Secretary to the Board for Community Services for Children in the Lehigh Valley ("CSC") for nearly ten years, I have seen first hand the amazing benefit young children receive when they attend high-quality child care; I have also seen what can happen when they do not. | Yes | This is the first exposure to socialization and collaborative efforts most children receive; it was the place my children became socially attuned, educated and supported for the first time outside the home. It is essential. | Yes | Healthy families make for healthy workforces; with 23 years as a former business and civil rights lawyer, I have always advocated for parents' rights in the workplace. I will carry these commitments further when empowered to do more as a representative. | Yes | ALL of us need and deserve it, regardless of tax bracket. | Yes | Yes | It is tragic that employees can work some of the lowest-level jobs for a warehouse and make more money than those taking on the responsibility of providing quality childcare. | Yes | Yes | Children with disabilities need trained assistance starting from "go." Again, as Secretary with CSC, we have many children with disabilities and delays and they benefit massively when they receive excellent support and care. We have to financially support these opportunities, however, or they eventually will fail to exist entirely. | Yes | Yes | My first job as a lawyer in the late 1990s was working in World Trade Center I. After 9/11, I could not subject my infant son to the damage of Manhattan. I also was in the midst of a divorce. I returned to the Lehigh Valley with my son to live with my family. When I first arrived, I had no job, and as I was not yet licensed in Pennsylvania as a lawyer, I also could not find a job that paid sufficiently for quality childcare. I made it work and perhaps far more, but I will never forget where I came from. That is one of many reasons I have always been a proponent for quality education, childcare and highly skilled support for children and their families...and we must make it financially accessible for it to happen. | Deirdre Kamber Todd | |||
| Deirdre Kamber Todd | PA State Representative, District 183 | Www.dkt4pa.con | FB - Deirdre Kamber Todd 4PA | Forensic Document Examiner | Naomi Schacter | Nestrategist@gmail.com | 610-751-6496 | Yes | As Board Secretary to Community Services for Children, which operates the Headstart and Early Headstart programs, I see the critical importance of preschool support and education. | Yes | Early exposure to education and to other students is an essential piece of a child's development. | Yes | Yes | A family's wages cannot be permitted to be the dividing line for assisting our newest generation of children. | Yes | With CSC, we deal with the cost of quality child care regularly. It takes funding, including workplace investment and wages, to create quality care opportunities. | Yes | It's sad that a worker can get a warehouse job for more money than we pay our childcare workers and this issue must be addressed. | Yes | Yes | Many young children already face disabilities which will later qualify for IEPs. The lack of early childhood support means greater challenges and costs when the child faces, for the first time, IEP support in school. | Yes | Yes | I was there. After 9/11, as a survivor, I returned to the Lehigh Valley with my son and neither a job nor money. With no resources at the time, I had to figure out childcare so that my son had the best opportunity for success. I've carried my experiences from that time as a reminder of the changes we need to make. | Deirdre Kamber Todd | |||
| Dominique Azzollini | Representative in the General Assembly, District 139 | azzolliniforpa.org | Dominique Azzollini for PA 139 | Office Administrator & Realtor | Jessica Guest | jaguest829@gmail.com | 5704705163 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My aunt is currently a stay-at-home mom and she constantly says that if she went back to work that all of her earnings would go directly towards childcare and their household income would essentially stay exactly the same. If this did happen too, she still wouldn't be able to get her other kid off the bus and would have to miss work or pay more to cover an afterschool program. She may be willing to talk about it, she is my campaign contact that I listed on the first page of this questionnaire. | Dominique Azzollini | |||||||||
| Dustyn Dorn | PA House of Representatives - District 60 | electdustyndorn.com | Bank of NY- Senior Vice President, Production Services Application Support | Randy Adams | randy.john.adams@gmail.com | 724-544-8433 | Yes | Yes | Yes. Children interacting with children in safe environments is important to their growth | Yes | With 2 kids, 1 going to 1st grade and in my fortunate circumstance for child care, I pay $3,200 per month in the summer for childcare. | Yes | All children deserve the same access to high quality care. | Yes | If i were not in a unique position for child care, my wife and I would need to choose if it would be more beneficial for one of us to resign from our profession to raise our children. | Yes | All people deserve access to a living wage comparable to the cost it takes to obtain the credentials to be qualified for the position. | Yes | I believe questions 6 and 7 are intertwined. With supporting 6, fills the vacancies referenced in 7. | Yes | Yes | We need to find methods to include employees of small businesses | No | Dustyn Dorn | ||||
| Dylan Altemara | State Rep, PA-39 | www.dylan4pa.com | Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/dylan4pa/?utm_source=chatgpt.com, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/dylan4pa/?utm_source=chatgpt.com | Educational Staffing District Manager | Dylan Altemara | dylan4pa39@gmail.com | 412-713-4155 | Yes | Yes. I believe the first three years of life are among the most important in a child's development. During this critical period, children develop the cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills that lay the foundation for lifelong learning and success. High-quality child care programs with well-trained, well-supported educators can play a vital role in that development by providing safe, nurturing, and enriching environments while partnering closely with parents and caregivers. Families should never have to choose between earning a paycheck and ensuring their child receives quality care. As someone with a background in education, I believe Pennsylvania should invest in strengthening our early childhood workforce, expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care, and supporting evidence-based programs that give every child the best possible start in life. Strong families, strong educators, and strong early learning opportunities are investments that benefit our children, our workforce, and our communities for generations to come. | Yes | Yes. I believe that high-quality Pre-K plays a critical role in preparing children for success in school and in life. Beyond early literacy and math skills, quality Pre-K helps children develop the social and emotional skills they need to communicate effectively, solve problems, work with others, and build confidence and resilience. As someone who has worked in education, I've seen firsthand how early learning experiences can shape a child's future. That's why I support expanding access to affordable, high-quality Pre-K, investing in the educators who make these programs successful, and ensuring families in every community have the opportunity to give their children the strongest possible start. Supporting early childhood education is one of the smartest investments we can make in our children, our workforce, and Pennsylvania's future. | Yes | Yes. I believe Pennsylvania must make sustained, significant public investments in child care and Pre-K because they are essential not only for children's development, but also for working families, employers, and our economy. Affordable, high-quality child care allows parents to participate in the workforce, helps businesses recruit and retain employees, and gives children the strong educational foundation they need to succeed in school and beyond. At the same time, we must ensure that the early childhood educators who provide this vital service are paid fairly and supported with the resources they need to remain in the profession. As someone with a background in education, I see investments in child care and Pre-K as both an education policy and an economic development strategy. Every dollar we invest in giving children a strong start and helping working families thrive strengthens Pennsylvania's workforce, supports local businesses, and builds healthier, more prosperous communities. | Yes | Yes, I believe families earning up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level should have access to affordable, high-quality child care. In today's economy, a household earning around $128,600 can still struggle with the high costs of child care, housing, health care, and everyday necessities. Child care should not be a barrier to working, pursuing an education, or building financial security. Pennsylvania can make these investments responsibly through a combination of targeted, fiscally sound measures, including: Closing corporate tax loopholes that allow profitable companies to shift income out of Pennsylvania and avoid paying their fair share. Modernizing and strengthening tax enforcement to reduce fraud and improve compliance, ensuring taxes already owed are actually collected. Reviewing and eliminating ineffective tax credits and subsidies** that fail to produce measurable economic benefits, while preserving those with proven value. Capturing savings from government modernization and efficiency initiatives, including technology improvements and streamlined procurement practices. Reinvesting savings from cyber charter school funding reforms and other evidence-based education finance reforms into early childhood education and child care. Maximizing available federal funding and public-private partnerships** to leverage state dollars and expand access efficiently. I also believe these investments should go hand in hand with better wages and stronger workforce supports for child care professionals, because expanding access means little if providers cannot recruit and retain qualified educators. Investing in affordable, high-quality child care isn't just good family policy; it's smart economic policy that strengthens our workforce, supports local businesses, and gives every child the opportunity to succeed. | Yes | 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. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My mother worked in the early-intervention space for several years, and I saw the value this education can have on students early on. | I will advocate for increased state funding for high-quality, affordable child care and Pre-K to ensure every Pennsylvania child has a strong start in life and the opportunity to reach their full potential. I believe investing in early childhood education is one of the smartest investments Pennsylvania can make—for our children, our working families, our businesses, and our future workforce. As an educator and union member, I am committed to supporting the early childhood professionals who make this possible and to advancing policies that expand access, improve quality, and ensure every child, regardless of their ZIP code or family income, has the opportunity to succeed. | ||||
| Eileen Hartnett Albillar | PA SD-6 | EileenforPA.com | IG: @EileenforPA Facebook: Eileen for PA | Bucks County Clerk of Courts | Leigh Stafford | lstafford@pasdcc.org | 610-781-5765 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Eileen Hartnett Albillar | ||||||||||
| Eileen Hartnett Albillar | PA SD-6 | eileenforpa.com | @EileenforPA | Bucks County Clerk of Courts | Leigh Stafford | lstafford@pasdcc.org | 610-781-5765 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My undergraduate degree is in early childhood education, while that did not become my career, I am incredibly passionate about making sure every child has a great start in life and that knowledge and passion is something I will take to the State Senate. I have also personally struggled to find quality affordable childcare. When my children were young, I did not make more money than I was spending on childcare costs and I know many other women who have been in the same situation. This situation is dire, both for families and the general public. Not being able to afford childcare affects parents' career trajectories and takes valuable people, particularly women, out of the workforce. | Eileen Hartnett Albillar | |||||||||
| Elizabeth Moro | PA 160 General Assembly | elizabethmoro.com | https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMoroForPA160; https://www.instagram.com/elizabethmoroforpa160/ | Small Business Owner (Centrevillecafe.com) | Brooke Dietrich | brooke@elizabethmoro.com | 484-560-9676 (Brooke) | Yes | Research/science has shown that the first three years shape a child's brain development and lifelong capacity to learn. As the eleventh of twelve kids, aunt to more than 60 nieces and nephews, and a mother of five, I've seen up close what a difference skilled, consistent caregivers make in a young child's life. | Yes | Yes, and I fully support high quality Pre-K for Pennsylvanian children to help our children succeed. | Yes | As a working mom, I know firsthand the importance of having stable, quality childcare and have felt the challenges of balancing it all. Having the support available makes it possible to be more effective in the workplace and contribute more overall. | Yes | $13,354 a year for infant care is like a second mortgage just to go to work — and given the cost of living in my district, that struggle doesn't stop at the poverty line. A family of four earning up to $128,600 is still working hard, still stretched thin, still one unexpected bill away from real trouble. I know that family — I've been that family. Affordable, high-quality care needs to reach them too. Raising the eligibility line to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level means a nurse, a teacher, a small business owner like me, or a young couple just starting out isn't priced out of the care they need to keep showing up for their job and their kids. That's what keeps Pennsylvania families standing on their own two feet. | Yes | Yes. If we want stable, high-quality care, we have to pay what it actually costs to provide it. That's not extra spending — it's fixing a broken rate that's been in place for years, so providers can pay their staff fairly and families aren't picking up the difference. | Yes | So the problem of affordability then falls to our care professionals — if they can't afford to care for their own families, we aren't solving the whole problem. We need to make the investment in them as well! | Yes | I support making real investments that include competitive wages, training, and retention support for early childhood educators, as well as affordability support for parents. Pennsylvania families and children deserve nothing less than a strong start, built to last. | Yes | I support increasing state funding so providers can meet the needs of children with disabilities, developmental delays, or mental health needs, and so the educators doing this demanding work can afford to stay in it. No family should have to fight this hard just to find care their child is welcome in. | Yes | As a small restaurant owner in Delaware, I fall below the threshold that requires me to offer paid leave — so I know firsthand how a small staff can make this feel out of reach even when you want to do right by your people. I support a Pennsylvania program funded through employee payroll contributions, not a mandate on small businesses — similar to unemployment insurance. Workers pay a small percentage into a shared fund and draw on it when they need leave, without small business owners having to absorb the cost alone. Nearly seven in ten PA families have no paid leave today. We can fix that without breaking small businesses. | Yes | Yes, as I shared above in my personal story, and also in my extended family. My niece was born with Down syndrome, and watching my family navigate options for care that could actually meet her needs showed me firsthand how thin that support really is. | Elizabeth Moro |
| Erik Bonnett | PA House District 130 | Erikbonnett.com | https://www.facebook.com/share/1BfBRRVbeP/?mibextid=wwXIfr | Bonn I.T. Solutions - Owner | Erik Bonnett | Eb4pa@outlook.com | 4845779813 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Erik Bonnett | ||||||||||
| Ethan | PA HD 99 | https://ethan4pa.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578471032818 | Teacher Aide | Ethan Gabrick | ethan.gabrick@gmail.com | 6106555489 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Ethan Gabrick | ||||||||||
| Fern Leard | Representative in PA General Assembly House District 120 | https://votefern4pa.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/VoteFern4PA https://www.instagram.com/votefern4pa/ https://www.tiktok.com/@votefern4pa https://bsky.app/profile/fernleard.bsky.social https://www.threads.com/@votefern4pa https://x.com/VoteFern4PA | Politician | Shannon Groshek | Shannon@votefern4pa.com | 570-899-3134 | Yes | Yes. The first three years of life are critical to a child's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. High quality early childhood programs provide children with safe, nurturing environments where they can build essential skills that support lifelong learning and success. Talented early childhood educators play a vital role alongside parents and caregivers in fostering healthy development, identifying potential challenges early, and helping children reach important milestones. Investing in high quality infant and toddler care strengthens families, improves educational outcomes, and benefits communities for generations to come. | Yes | Yes. High quality Pre-K programs help children develop the social and emotional skills that are essential for success in school and in life. Through structured learning, positive interactions, and age appropriate activities, children learn how to communicate effectively, work with others, solve problems, and manage their emotions. These early experiences build confidence, independence, and a love of learning, helping children enter kindergarten ready to thrive both academically and socially. Investing in high quality Pre--K is an investment in stronger outcomes for children, families, and communities. | Yes | Yes. Access to affordable, high quality child care and Pre-K is essential for children, families, employers, and Pennsylvania's economy. When families can find reliable early learning opportunities, parents are better able to participate in the workforce, businesses benefit from a more stable workforce, and children gain the foundation they need to succeed in school and beyond. Sustained public investment helps ensure that quality programs are available in every community, supports early childhood educators, and strengthens Pennsylvania's long term economic growth and competitiveness. | Yes | Yes. The cost of child care has risen to the point where it places a significant financial strain on many working families, including those who may not traditionally qualify for assistance but still struggle to afford quality care. Expanding access to affordable, high quality child care for families earning up to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level would help more parents remain in the workforce, reduce financial stress, and ensure that children have access to safe, nurturing environments during their most important developmental years. Child care is not only a family issue but also an economic issue that affects workforce participation, business growth, and the overall strength of our communities. | Yes | Yes. High quality child care programs cannot be sustained when reimbursement rates fail to reflect the true cost of providing care. When providers are underfunded, the burden often falls on families through higher tuition costs and on educators through low wages that contribute to staffing shortages and workforce turnover. Increasing reimbursement rates to reflect the actual cost of care would help stabilize the child care sector, improve recruitment and retention of qualified educators, expand access to quality programs, and ensure that families can find the care they need. Supporting child care providers is an investment in children, working families, and Pennsylvania's economy. | Yes | Yes. Early childhood educators play a critical role in children's development and deserve compensation that reflects the importance of their work. Low wages make it difficult to recruit and retain qualified professionals, leading to staffing shortages, program closures, and reduced access to care for families. Investing in the early childhood workforce through better compensation, professional development opportunities, and workforce support initiatives will help attract and retain talented educators, strengthen the quality of care available to children, and create greater stability for families and providers alike. A strong early childhood workforce is essential to supporting children's success and Pennsylvania's future economic growth. | Yes | Yes. Pennsylvania's child care staffing shortage is limiting access to care for thousands of children and creating significant challenges for working families. When providers cannot fill open positions, classrooms remain closed, waiting lists grow, and parents may be forced to reduce work hours or leave the workforce altogether. Strategic state investments to strengthen the early childhood workforce can help providers recruit and retain qualified staff, expand available child care slots, and improve access to high quality care across the Commonwealth. Addressing the staffing crisis is an investment in children, families, employers, and Pennsylvania's economy. | Yes | Yes. Children with disabilities, developmental delays, and mental health needs deserve access to high quality early learning environments that can support their growth and success. Providing those services often requires additional staff, specialized training, and access to resources that many providers cannot afford under current funding levels. Increasing state investment would help child care and Pre K programs meet the needs of all children while ensuring educators have the support necessary to succeed in their roles. Strengthening these services promotes inclusion, improves outcomes for children and families, and helps retain the qualified professionals who are essential to delivering high quality care. | Yes | Yes. No one should have to choose between caring for themselves or a loved one and maintaining their financial stability. A statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program would provide workers with the ability to take time away from work during significant life events, including the birth or adoption of a child, a serious illness, or the need to care for a family member, without risking the loss of income. Such a program would support working families, improve workforce retention, and help level the playing field for small and medium sized businesses that may not be able to offer these benefits on their own. Paid leave strengthens families, promotes economic security, and contributes to healthier communities across Pennsylvania. | Yes | Yes. My family has experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to find appropriate care and support for children with unique needs. My twins were born with a rare physical disability, and finding child care providers equipped to meet their needs was incredibly challenging. One of my sons is also autistic, and I had to advocate relentlessly to ensure he received the educational supports and services he deserved. These experiences gave me a personal understanding of the barriers many families face when trying to access quality care for children with disabilities, developmental differences, or complex medical needs. I know what it is like to navigate waiting lists, search for specialized services, and fight for resources that should be readily available. In addition to my experiences as a parent, I worked in pediatrics at a day program serving medically fragile children. I saw countless families struggle to find reliable child care, balance work and caregiving responsibilities, and access the support systems their children needed to thrive. Those experiences reinforced my belief that every family deserves access to affordable, high quality child care and early education, regardless of their child's needs or circumstances. | Fern Leard |
| Hadley Haas | PA State Representative, District 44 | hadleyforpa.com | Insta: HadleyforPA, FB: HadleyHaasforPA | Community Advocate / Marketing Professional | Katie Zemaitis | katie@hadleyforpa.com | 412-915-8966 | Yes | My sons were both born deaf and I saw firsthand how the early years of their lives were critical to their development. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hadley Haas | |||||||||
| Hadley Haas | State Representation, PA HD44 | hadleyforpa.com | Insta: hadleyforpa; FB: Hadley Haas for PA | Candidate/Community Advocate | Katie Zemaitis | katie@hadleyforpa.com | 412-915-8966 | Yes | My sons were born with genetic sensorineural hearing loss. It was essential that they have access to highly trained professionals from ages one to three in order to achieve their full potential. We relocated our family so that our children could have access to these services that are not widely available. I believe the investments we make during these early years will continue to pay dividends throughout their lives and have long term benefits to our society. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I believe this is essential. I have heard many stories from voters of how they had to leave jobs and lose income in order to care for family members. | Yes | Hadley Haas | ||||||||
| Izzy Smith-Wade-El | State Representative HD-49 | izzyforlancaster.com | https://www.instagram.com/izzyforlancaster/ | State Representative | Aimee Van Cleave | aimee@p26pa.com | 3073995713 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Izzy Smith-Wade-El | ||||||||||
| James Julius | State House District 45 | www.james4pa.com | Listed on footer of website, most handles are @James4PA | Business Owner | James Julius | james@james4pa.com | 412-735-3963 | Yes | The first three years of life are crucial to a child’s development. In many cases, I believe the strongest and most natural environment for an infant or toddler is at home with a parent, when that is an option and the family is able to make that choice. At the same time, many families need or choose child care, and those families deserve access to safe, high-quality programs staffed by talented and caring professionals. Parents should remain the primary foundation in a young child’s life, but strong child care providers can be important partners in helping children build the developmental, social, emotional, and language skills they need to thrive. | Yes | I believe high-quality Pre-K can make a meaningful difference in preparing children for school, especially by helping them develop social, emotional, communication, and early learning skills. All four of my children attended preschool starting at age three, and I saw firsthand how much it helped them. It gave them structure, helped them learn how to interact with other children, taught them how to follow routines, and gave them confidence as they moved toward kindergarten and elementary school. I also believe parents should have options that fit their family. For many children, high-quality Pre-K can be an excellent bridge between home and formal schooling, and we should support programs that help children enter school ready to learn and succeed. | Yes | Yes, provided those investments are targeted, accountable, and designed to strengthen families rather than simply grow government programs. Affordable, accessible child care is not only a family issue; it is also a workforce and economic issue. When parents cannot find or afford reliable child care, they are often forced to reduce hours, turn down work, or leave the workforce altogether. That hurts families, employers, and Pennsylvania’s economy. I support sustained investments in child care and Pre-K that expand access, support quality providers, help working families, and ensure children are prepared for school success. At the same time, those investments should be measured by outcomes: whether families have more options, whether providers can remain open and staffed, whether children are better prepared, and whether taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly. Pennsylvania should also look for ways to involve employers, local communities, nonprofits, and faith-based providers so families have more choices and providers have a stronger foundation to serve children well. | Yes | Yes, but I believe support should be structured responsibly and on a sliding scale based on need. Child care costs have become a major burden not only for low-income families, but also for many middle-income working families. A family earning what may look like a solid income on paper can still struggle when infant care costs more than $13,000 per year, especially if they have multiple children, a mortgage or rent, transportation costs, and other basic household expenses. I believe Pennsylvania should work to make high-quality child care more affordable and accessible for working families, including middle-income families who are often squeezed the hardest. At the same time, public support should be targeted, phased, and fiscally responsible, with the greatest help going to families with the greatest need. The goal should be simple: parents should not be forced out of the workforce because child care is unavailable or unaffordable, and children should have access to safe, high-quality care when their families need it. | Yes | Yes, with accountability and a responsible implementation plan. If Pennsylvania is asking child care providers to deliver safe, high-quality care, then reimbursement rates need to reflect the real cost of providing that care. When rates are too low, providers are forced into impossible choices: raising tuition on working families, operating with staffing shortages, or closing classrooms altogether. That hurts children, parents, providers, and employers. I support moving reimbursement rates closer to the actual cost of high-quality care, especially where current rates are contributing to instability in the child care market. At the same time, any increase should be transparent, phased in responsibly, and tied to clear standards around quality, access, staffing, and fiscal accountability. The goal should be to strengthen the child care system without simply writing a blank check. Families need affordable options, providers need a sustainable model, and taxpayers deserve to know that public dollars are producing real results. | Yes | Yes, with a focus on sustainability, accountability, and keeping child care affordable for families. Early childhood professionals do important work. They care for children during some of the most formative years of life, and when providers cannot recruit or retain qualified staff, the whole system becomes unstable. Classrooms close, waitlists grow, tuition rises, and working parents are left with fewer options. I support targeted state investments that help recruit and retain talented early childhood professionals, especially where staffing shortages are reducing access to care. That can include workforce development, training pathways, credentialing support, partnerships with community colleges and career and technical education programs, and reimbursement models that allow providers to pay competitive wages without simply passing every cost on to families. At the same time, we need to be responsible. Investments should be tied to measurable outcomes: more available child care slots, improved retention, higher quality care, and greater affordability for working families. The goal should be to strengthen the early childhood workforce in a way that supports children, parents, providers, and taxpayers. | Yes | Yes, with a focus on targeted, accountable investments that address the root causes of the staffing shortage. Based on the survey cited, providers reported that filling existing staff vacancies could allow them to serve more than 25,000 additional children. While that does not necessarily mean every one of those children is currently without care, it does clearly show that staffing shortages are limiting capacity and reducing access for working families. I support responsible state investments that help providers recruit and retain qualified staff, expand available child care slots, and reduce pressure on families. That should include workforce development, training and credentialing pathways, partnerships with community colleges and career and technical education programs, and reimbursement models that better reflect the cost of providing safe, high-quality care. At the same time, investments should be tied to measurable outcomes: fewer vacancies, more available child care slots, better retention, improved quality, and greater affordability for families. The goal should be to strengthen providers so that parents have more reliable options and children have access to safe, high-quality care. | Yes | This issue is present across many special needs groups throughout a child’s development, and as a Commonwealth we can do better. Children with disabilities, developmental delays, behavioral challenges, or mental health needs deserve access to safe, high-quality care and education, and providers need the tools, training, staffing, and support necessary to serve them well. When the state asks child care and Pre-K providers to meet more complex needs without adequately supporting them, the result is predictable: educators burn out, classrooms become harder to staff, families lose options, and children who need support the most can be left behind. I support increasing targeted state funding to help providers meet the needs of these children and retain qualified educators. That funding should support additional staffing, specialized training, early intervention coordination, classroom supports, and partnerships with families and care teams. It should also be accountable, measurable, and focused on improving access, quality, and stability for children, parents, and providers. | Yes | I support the goal of helping families during some of the most important and difficult moments of their lives. Too many families simply cannot absorb the financial cost of being away from work to welcome a child, recover from a serious medical condition, or care for a loved one. Growing a family is one of the greatest blessings a person can experience, and families should not be pushed into financial crisis during those moments. At the same time, I do not want to pretend this is an easy policy question. Any statewide Paid Family and Medical Leave program would need to be designed carefully so that it is financially sustainable, transparent, and does not place an unreasonable burden on small and medium-sized businesses. I do not have a final answer today on the exact structure such a program should take, but I do believe Pennsylvania can do better. I would be willing to work with families, employers, small businesses, and policy experts to find a responsible path forward that supports workers during major life events while protecting the businesses that provide their jobs. | Yes | My family has had very positive personal experiences with early childhood education. In the Montour School District area, the primary options we remember best were a local Catholic school, where we sent our oldest child, and a Christian school a few miles away, where our younger three children attended. Those schools offered three- and four-year-old preschool programs, and the Christian school also offered a two-year-old program when our third child was young. The teachers were excellent. They helped our children become comfortable with structure, play, learning, social interaction, and age-appropriate growth. We saw meaningful development in each of our children during their time in preschool. It helped prepare them for school, gave them confidence, and supported their social and emotional development. Our experience also reinforced for me that families need options, and that community-based, private, faith-based, and nonprofit providers all play an important role in serving children and supporting parents. | James Julius |
| Jared Bitting | State Representative - House District 138 | https://bitting4pa.today/ | https://www.facebook.com/Bitting4PA/ | Retired Technology & Engineering Educator | Jared Bitting | bitting4pa@gmail.com | 610-763-6093 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My child attended daycare and pre-k and I believe it is a big part of the reason she was so successful in her education and is now a student at Drexel studying Biochemistry. | Jared Bitting | |||||||||
| Jason Ortitay | State Representative 46th District | www.citizensforjasonortitay.com | www.facebook.com/citizensforjasonortitay | State Representative | Jason Ortitay | jortitay@gmail.com | 724-554-6462 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Jason Ortitay | ||||||||||
| Jeff Warren | PA HD-137 | JeffWarrenForPA.com | facebook.com/TheWarrenCampaign, IG: @jeffwarrenforpa, TT: Jeff.Warren.4.PA | Director of Community Outreach at CASA SHaW | Victor Hernandez | victor@jeffwarrenforpa.com | 239-246-0629 | Yes | From personal experience, my wife - an educator - stayed home with our twin daughters for the first 1.5 years of their life. The development even as babies and into their toddler years were imperative to their overall growth. | Yes | The Pre-K Counts program has been a monumental success for approximately 30,000 children in Pennsylvania. | Yes | Businesses lose workers and productivity when child care and pre-k are not readily available in communities. When parents cannot find or afford care, they cannot work. | Yes | Yes | As the cost of living continues to increase, we need to meet these financial demands head on. | Yes | Yes | Yes | My wife is a public elementary school counselor and educator. As a result, I've had a front row seat seeing how more children have complex needs. We must meet this moment and make sure ALL of our kids and educators have the tools they need in an ever changing world. | Yes | I am very supportive of State Rep. Jennifer O'Mara's Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation. | Yes | As I mentioned, my wife is an elementary school counselor. We know the tremendous benefits of early childhood development and education. I also work in the world of foster care at the nonprofit, CASA SHaW. I have seen cases where children are removed from their home at key developmental stages of their life, and fall behind without having the necessary early childhood resources needed to help them thrive. | Jeff Warren | |||
| Jeremy Benscoter | State Representative 117th District | https://www.jb4pa.com | https://www.facebook.com/share/1HdsajMacx/?mibextid=wwXIfr ; https://www.instagram.com/benscoterforpa?igsh=MTdkazFiMHg3bnZ0YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr ; https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremybenscoterforpa?_r=1&_t=ZP-978Hy6TeWDe | Director of IT | Alicia Angeli | alicia@jb4pa.com | +1 (570) 574-5822 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I support this as long as it is audited regularly to make sure it is not being abused. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Jeremy Benscoter | |||||||||
| Jess Branas | PA State Representative 97th District | jess4pa.com | FB/IG: @jess4pa TikTok: @jess4pa97 | Consultant/Teacher | Jess Branas | jess@jess4pa.com | 484-885-3081 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Jess Branas | ||||||||||
| Jess Branas | PA State House 97th District | jess4pa.com | IG/FB @jess4pa Tiktok @jess4pa97 | consultant/teacher | Joe Lane | info@jess4pa.com | 484-885-3081 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Jess Branas | ||||||||||
| Jessica McClay | State Representative for the PA-121st | mcclayforpa.com | P.J. Jahn | Jahn | 5704709105 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I am a mother of three kids, and a grandmother to five more. As parents, we all understand the difficulty of finding the best people to care for your child when you cannot. It’s an extremely vulnerable position, even without the frustration of realizing child care is often not available, affordable, or accessible in your area. I’ve spent countless hours babysitting my grandchildren so I can alleviate that burden for my kids, but not everyone is lucky enough to have a grandparent with the time or ability to help. As a mother, and as an elected official, I support expanding access to child care and early childhood education. We can’t keep putting the burden on working families, particularly women, when we’re all already struggling. Women and parents shouldn’t have to choose between maintaining employment and paying bills or watching their children – it’s unacceptable, and I promise to work towards substantive change when I am elected. | Yes | |||||||||||
| Jessica St Clair | PA House District 87 | stclairtogether.com | https://www.instagram.com/stclairtogether | Biology Professor at Harrisburg Area Community College | Elisabeth Snyder | info.stclairtogether@gmail.com | (717) 802-0510 | Yes | I have two girls. They are 11 and 8. I could not afford to send them to childcare. Luckily, the Early Intervention Program was able to help us with developmental concerns. Children's brains are the most plastic before third grade. Laying a good foundation is key. Early childhood teachers and staff are not compensated enough while the cost keeps parents from being able to afford it. This is an issue I am familiar with and will address. | Yes | As above, waiting until kindergarten to develop these skills puts children at a disadvantage. | Yes | Many people who don't have kids feel that this issue doesn't affect them. However, working families that are supported invest in the community. More jobs, higher property values, etc. | Yes | Every family should have access, but those making up to 400% need help to get it. | Yes | Absolutely | Yes | As a pink collar job, we don't invest enough in this work. | Yes | Yes | My daughter is on the autism spectrum. We were lucky enough to find a preschool that had training in this. Without appropriate staffing levels and training, children with special needs can affect the students around them and make learning more challenging for everyone. | Yes | I didn't have paid medical leave. I had access to FMLA but had to return to work at six weeks or I would have lost my healthcare. I had a hard birth and should have had the ability to stay home. Sleep deprivation is also a serious health concern when returning to work. A family friend worked in a construction job. With nearly every birth, he had a serious workplace injury. | Yes | As a professor at HACC, I have allowed students, male and female, to bring their children to class. I've rocked babies while moms took tests. This is sweet, but not an ideal. HACC itself is cutting back its early childhood education program. As a first-generation student, I took my gen eds and many ed courses before transferring to Shippensburg University. Training programs that are affordable improve outcomes for employees and families. | Jessica St Clair | |
| Joe Hogan | State Rep. 142nd | https://www.hogan4rep.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/Hogan4StateRep/ | Legislation | Ethan Wambold | Hogan4StateRep@gmail.com | 908-752-8040 | Yes | I've been a vocal and recognized advocate for these programs. | Yes | Yes | I've championed this issue specifically because its an economic development issue. | Yes | Yes but we have to increase the supply of these programs as well. | Yes | Yes | We also need to look at what we in government are doing to make operating these programs so costly. That money could also be put back into employee development and retention. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I've stories from many friends, family members and constituents about the challenge and costs in this space. | Joe Hogan | |||||
| John Zangari | PA State Rep. District 171 | votezangari.com | @VoteZangari on instagram, facebook, youtube | Facilities and Academic Support Specialist - Penn State University | John Zangari | John@votezangari.com | 717-513-2632 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I think everyone regardless of income should have access to affordable high quality childcare. Income limits end up becoming weaponized later down the line due to inflation or administration focused on diminishing programs. 400% sounds great now until someone modifies that later to be 100% and now we have folks kicked off a program. | Yes | How can we say the people taking care of our children aren't worth it to pay a living wage? Its wild to me that it's even an argument. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | John Zangari | ||||||||
| Jon Lloyd | PA House District 40 | jlforpa.com | Facebook & Instagram: @jlforpa | IT Infrastructure Manager | Julia Snow | hello@jlforpa.com | 4128887336 | Yes | The first three years are critical to a child’s development, and I strongly support high-quality child care programs with skilled, well-supported staff who partner with parents to build the foundations children need to thrive later on. | Yes | I believe that high-quality Pre-K helps children build the social, emotional, and early learning skills they need to enter school ready to succeed | Yes | I believe that these investments are crucial for the future of our children, communities and economy. | Yes | Having once had three children in daycare simultaneously, I know firsthand the financial burden this puts on families. | Yes | Increasing reimbursement rates is necessary to stabilize the child care sector and keep quality care accessible for families. | Yes | The average rate for child care professionals is absurdly low and I would support legislation that would further provide for these investments. | Yes | Similar to the previous question, I would absolutely support these investments so that our child care facilities are staffed with well-skilled professionals. | Yes | I believe every child deserves quality childcare and should not be "priced out" due to health and developmental challenges. | Yes | I can't imagine the burden of not being able to care for a loved one in the event of some unforeseen circumstance, and as such I would support Paid Family and Medical Leave. | Yes | At one point, we paid more for childcare than we did for our rent and car payment combined each month. The financial burden was crushing and it almost made more sense for either my wife or I to quit our jobs rather than pay for childcare. We searched every facility we could find to help lower our rates but it was quite simply unmanageable to the point where we had to sacrifice full grocery shopping and limit our driving to save on gas. No family should have to worry about daily necessities just because of the high cost of childcare. | Jon Lloyd |
| Jon Lloyd | PA House, HD40 | jlforpa.com | Facebook/Instagram - @jlforpa | IT Infrastructure Manager | Julia Snow | js@jlforpa.com | 804-393-8508 | Yes | The first three years are critical to a child’s brain development and long-term success. We should be matching these children to high-quality child care where skilled, well-supported staff can strengthen early learning and social development while working in partnership with parents to give children the best start possible. | Yes | Quite simply, I believe that strong Pre-K builds strong skills and provides for a strong developmental future. | Yes | Ongoing investment in these programs will strengthen families and build a stronger economy here in PA. | Yes | I believe affordable childcare should be within reach for working families, not just those at the lowest income levels. | Yes | I believe reimbursement rates should reflect the true cost of providing high-quality care so programs can retain high-quality staff while remaining affordable for families. | Yes | Simply put, I believe the professionals caring for our children deserve wages that reflect the importance and skill of their work. | Yes | Investing in the child care workforce will help more families access the reliable care they need all across the state. | Yes | Every child deserves the support they need to thrive, especially those with challenges. We should be properly resourcing child care workers can adequately provide that support. | Yes | I believe that no one should have to make a choice between caring for their family and keeping their income. | Yes | When my children were younger, there was a time when all three attended separate child care centers because of limited availability. We spent more on child care than we did on the roof over our heads. My family knows what it is like to have most of your income consumed by child care costs, and quite simply, that should not be the reality for working families in Pennsylvania. | Jon Lloyd |
| Jordan Omlor | PA State Representative House District 059 | Omlor4PA.com | https://www.facebook.com/share/1DLMZbAtd8/?mibextid=wwXIfr | Self-Employed: House Renovator | Dr. Rhonda Laughlin | Rhonda.laughlin73@gmail.com | 724-953-4908 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Jordan Omlor | ||||||||||
| Judy Trombetta | PA House District 166 | www.judytrombetta.com | https://www.facebook.com/JudyTrombettaForHaverford; https://www.linkedin.com/in/judytrombetta/; https://www.instagram.com/judytrombettaforpa/ | Intergovernmental Affairs Manager, Montgomery County; Elected Commissioner, Haverford Township | Judy Trombetta | judytrombettaforpa@gmail.com | (412) 448-1382 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Judy Trombetta | ||||||||||
| Kathleen Pratt | PA House District 91 | www.prattpa91.org | www.facebook.com/prattpa91 | Educator | Laura Geesaman | LGees1990@gmail.com | (717) 253-0511 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I'd like to learn more about the state reimbursement program before committing to an answer. | Yes | Yes | Yes | I'd like to learn more about the structure of a paid family and medical leave program before committing to an answer. | Yes | Kathleen Pratt | ||||||||||
| Katie Muth | State Senate District 44 | https://www.katiemuthforpasenate.com/ | @Muth4PA | State Senator | Trevor Muth | katiemuth@katiemuthforpasenate.com | 3523598519 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Katie Muth | ||||||||||
| Kristin Egan | House of Representative 142 | kristineganforpa.com | https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=kristin%20egan%20for%20pa%20 | Teacher | Rochelle Adjei | rochelle@kristineganforpa.com | 301-305-3254 | Yes | Preschool and early intervention is fundamental to a child's developmental success. We need to invest in more early opportunities for families. | Yes | Pre-K teaches students the necessary skills to enter kindergarten prepared. | Yes | Childcare is too expensive for working families. As a parent of 3, I have first hand experience of having my paycheck go directly to child care and preschool so that I could continue working. We can and must do better for families. | Yes | The cost of living is too high for families to meet basic needs. 128k for a family of four isn't sustainable when all cost are rising, especially for those with younger children who have the additional cost of diapers, formula etc. on top of mortgage/rent, utilities, insurance, gas, and food | Yes | We need to invest in those who are caring for our children to ensure their safety and quality of care. | Yes | It unfathomable how little child care workers are paid while taking care of our most vulnerable population. | Yes | We are seeing a sharp decline in workers in fields dealing with children. As a teacher I see firsthand the struggles of filling gaps and it diminishes opportunities for children and their families. | Yes | Absolutely. Early intervention is crucial and we are not being funded to address the complex needs of children. | Yes | Yes | It was very difficult on our family to afford childcare with 3 children on a teacher salary and a new business salary. The costs have risen significantly since my children were in daycare and Pre-K. | Kristin Egan | |
| Kyle Devlin | HD-111 | www.pennsylvaniansoverprofits.com | https://x.com/paoverprofits, https://bsky.app/profile/paoverprofits.bsky.social, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586737770108 | Sr. Quality Engineer II | Self | kyle@pennsylvaniansoverprofits.com | 570-573-4742 | Yes | Both of my children received services as infants and toddlers. My oldest is on the Autism Spectrum. | Yes | My oldest was in a prek program through the school to receive services which helped him greatly as he entered Elementary. | Yes | It was more cost effective for my wife to not work and in fact babysit for a friend when my kids were young. My oldest received services, but my youngest didn't need them. | Yes | With the rise of cost of living for groceries, gas, rent, and childcare the current Federal Poverty Level is probably too low and the perception of $128K is too high. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I've detailed some of our struggles as a young family with special needs. My wife ended up not working for about 5-8 years after my son was born. Occasionally would try, but was not a good fit for the family or financially. | Kyle Devlin | |||||
| Lisa Gourley | PA General Assembly District 66 | lisa4pa.com | https://www.facebook.com/share/1CsyLNMNzk/ | Retired | Bridget Shaffer | bridgetshaffer@pm.me | 303-434-2996 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I believe that everyone regardless of income level should have access to the same high-quality affordable health care. | Yes | Yes | Often times those who work in the "caring" professions are not paid according to the importance of what they do. I believe it is beyond time to increase pay based on the importance of these jobs. | Yes | Yes | Often those who need "extra" help and support are not given it due to staff not being educated on how to work with these children. This often causes frustration for the child but also the staff leading to increased issues for all. We need to do a better job in supporting all children. | Yes | It is a shame that many are unable to take time off to meet the needs of their families as they simply cannot afford to miss any pay. | No | Lisa Gourley | ||||||
| Lisa Gourley | PA General Assembly-State House Representative | lisa4pa.com | www.facbook,cin 198LwCeEw | Retired | Lisa Gourley | lisalistens26@gmail.com | 72442259495 | Yes | Having a solid strong start is a great predictor of future success. | Yes | It is so important that our children learn early to navigate all of the skills needed to be successful when they reach the primary grades. | Yes | As once a mother with young children I understand the struggle that is faced when trying to navigate finding childcare. Especially in rural areas where there is not much available. We as a state need to support our working families on this issue. | Yes | I believe everyone regardless of finances should have the same access to affordable high-quality health care. Those whose income is less should have more financial support available for them to access this. | Yes | Yes, I do. Supporting providers ultimately helps to support the children. | Yes | As parents need to work to survive in our country it is imperative that we have quality fully compensated childhood workforce. It is actually unbelievable that we expect these workers to do such an important job at such a low compensation. | Yes | As most of the employees employed in "helping" professions, we need to expand and change not only how we not only pay these positions but how we view them as not skilled positions. | Yes | Not only do I agree that increasing state funding is important in this area, but I also fully believe additional training and education on how to work with these types of children is imperative. | Yes | It is so important that parents and caregivers have the ability to not lose wages when having to take care of their children or loved ones. | Yes | Years ago, when the wonderful person who watched our children while we worked became ill and was unable to do so any longer, we faced a crisis in rural Western PA to find childcare at all. I was on the verge of having to quit my job before we found anyone. This struggle continues today almost 40 years later. | Lisa Gourley |
| Lois Bower-Bjornson | state representative | https://loisforpa50.com | https://www.facebook.com/share/17Y1C8xMSb/?mibextid=wwXIfr | Southwestern PA. field organizer with Clean Air Council/ Self employed | Lois Bower-Bjornson | Loisforpa50@gmail.com | 412-979-5509 | Yes | I have four children, I have seen first hand how important early education is. | Yes | Yes | As stated earlier I have four children and I understand the difficulty in finding the best early education anlong with the financial burden that was placed on my family. | Yes | I am self employed so there was a constant struggle to pay for pre school and child care. | Yes | Thsi is one of the most important sericess that can be provided for families. | Yes | We need quality childcare and those who are in the field should be paid accordingly. | Yes | Yes | Yes | As stated earlier I am self employed therefore I had no medical leave. I saved money for my time off with my children. | Yes | All of my responses above state the struggles I had finding childcare and early pre-K education. | Lois Bower-Bjornson | |||
| Madelyn Alvarino | PA State House District 13 | MdelynHD13.com | Facebook and Instagram @MadelynHD13 | Works for Winterthur. Former Middle School Spanish Teacher and Former buyer for Macy's and QVC | Ann Calamia, campaign manager | madelynhd13@gmail.com | 484-406-5778 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | As a former public middle school Spanish teacher, I know firsthand how important a strong educational foundation is to a child's success. That's why I support expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and working toward universal pre-K in Pennsylvania. As the parent of two children who attended Pennsylvania public schools, I also understand the vital role our public education system plays in preparing students for the future. | Madelyn Alvarino | |||||||||
| Mandy Steele | HD33 | https://www.steeleforpa.com/ | steeleforpa | State Representative | Chase McAlpine | chase@steeleforpa.com | 7242639740 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mandy Steele | ||||||||||
| Margaret Burke | PA State House Representative District 147 | burkeforpa147.vote | FB: Margaret Burke for PA State Rep | full time parent | Margaret Burke | burkefamily58@gmail.com | 2674543803 | Yes | I also believe that it is essential to both youngsters with special needs AND their "typical" peers that they receive child care in an inclusive environment . | Yes | Again, I also believe that it is essential to both youngsters with special needs AND their "typical" peers that they attend inclusive Pre-K programs. | Yes | This was part of the reason why I stopped working after my premature twins were born. It is so essential when more and more families don't have the ability to depend on one parent's income that these services are available for working families. | Yes | Yes | Yes | You get what you pay for. Our children are our future and they deserve highly qualified caregivers and those caregivers deserve to make enough money to live! | Yes | Even for adults with special needs it is hard to find caregivers because they are not offered enough pay. We need to make these types of jobs attractive as a career not just for people desperate for low paying jobs. | Yes | Yes. Inclusive programs including the one that my twins attended for pre-K are shutting down because they are too expensive. It breaks my heart that today's children don't even get access to the limited supports that my child had. | Yes | Maryland is currently building a program with 12 weeks of job-protected paid leave so workers can care for a new child, a seriously ill family member, or their own health. PA should also have a program like that. | Yes | Before my 21 year old twins started pre-K at a now defunct inclusive Easter Seals program, I tried to find part-time care for them. Because of my son's disability (Cerebral Palsy) there was NO available day care for him even for a few hours twice a week. There was no option for me to have assistance other than a private babysitter at a time when we were lucky to have any money left in our bank account after the monthly bills were paid. I felt so exhausted, frustrated and alone. I don't want ANY parent to feel that way. | Margaret Burke | ||
| Maria Collett | State Senate District 12 | https://www.mariaforpasenate.com/ | @mariaforpasenate | State Senator | Finn Anderson | finn@mariaforpasenate.com | 5124155949 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I am the prime sponsor of this bill in the Senate and have worked for the last 8 years to get this to the Governor's desk. This is a core issue for me and my constituents. | Yes | My constituents share their stories with me about how expensive childcare is for their new family, how difficult it is to find a spot in a nearby facility that meets their needs and from providers who love their chosen field but feel undervalued because their wages are not consistent with the level of professional, quality care they offer every day. | Maria Collett | ||||||||
| Megan Griffin-Shelley | Pennsylvania State Representative - 148th District | https://www.megan4pahouse.com | https://www.facebook.com/p/Megan-Griffin-Shelley-for-PA-House-61584424533853/ | Legislative Staffer | Megan Griffin-Shelley | megan@megan4pahouse.com | 484-636-8353 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Megan Griffin-Shelley | ||||||||||
| Meriam Sabih | PA House of Representatives district 131 | MeriamForPA.com | https://www.instagram.com/meriamforpa | Journalist Freelance Writer | Shakil Syed | contact@meriamforpa.com | 717-676-9777 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I am a concerned mom of three young boys, have been a long-time community organizer, and volunteer. I believe in showing up for my neighbors, being there, genuinely listening and working together. I believe that access to quality education is essential and I am committed to working to ensure that every child has the support and resources they need to succeed. I am running for the PA House of Representatives to protect funding for education. Early education has been shown to better high school graduation. Access to pre K and full day kindergarten are vital to improving student achievement outcomes. Also having better high school - industry collaboration to have students set on a career once leaving school would better their future outcomes. | ||||||||||
| Mike Schlossberg | House of Representatives, 132nd District | www.voteschlossberg.com | facebook.com/MikeSchlossberg | State Representative | Mike Schlossberg | michaelschlossberg@gmail.com | 6107316614 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | I have spent my entire career voting for additional dollars for high-quality early childhood education, pre-K investments, and more. There is almost nothing more important to me than these investments, and I have proudly voted for tens of millions of dollars in this field over the course of my career. | ||||||||||
| Nathan Wood | PA Senate District 34 | www.electnathanwood.com | https://www.facebook.com/people/Nate-Wood-for-PA-State-Senate/61578519458162/?http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc3NDc5NDQyMDAwMCwiciI6IiJ9 | Personal Trainer | Drew Serres | serres.drew@gmail.com | 5035079135 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I believe everyone, regardless of income, should have access to affordable, high-quality child care. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Nathan Wood | |||||||||
| Nikki | Rivera | www.nikkiriveraforpa.com | Instagram, FB, TikTok | PA State Representative, House District 96 | Joyce Stephens | Info@nikkiriveraforpa.com | 7172010538 | Yes | I’m glad that my own children were able to attend quality pre-k programs. They should be available for all children. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My husband and I were public school teachers trying to make ends meet while raising our family. Childcare costs were significant but well worth the life experiences and growth. | Nikki Rivera | ||||||||
| Pamela Hemann | HD 110 | Pam4Pa.com | Retired | Pam Hemann | pjhemann@gmail.com | 5702990234 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Pamela Hemann | |||||||||||
| Rachel Cuevas | Hd187 | VoteRachelCuevas.com | Fb Rachel Cuevas hd 187 | Rachel Cueavs | VoteRachelCuevas@gmaik.com | 484-554 2911 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Being a Mom that was to broke to afford reliable childcare but income to high to get help i unfortunately lost my job due to my babysitter calling off to many times. | Rachel Cuevas | ||||||||||
| Rebecca MacTaggart | State Representative HD 48 | https://www.rebeccamactaggart.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/rm4pa | Community Engagement Specialist | Rebecca MacTaggart | rm@rebeccamactaggart.com | 724-503-6150 | Yes | While my children were not in childcare or pre-school, they were a part of groups that helped with socialization and education. I was a hands on mom and I am fully aware that not all parents have that option. Investing in childcare is imperative to the future of education and career success. It starts from day one. | Yes | Yes, but we need to ensure that the instructors are trained and receive continual training. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I believe in this, yes and want this for our families. However, I believe in some type of guard rails so they system isn't taken advantage of. | No | Rebecca MacTaggart | ||||||||
| Rep. Chris Pielli | PA State Representative - HD156 | https://www.chrispielli.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfChrisPielli/ | PA State Representative | Lani Frank | piellicampaign@gmail.com | 610-836-1257 | Yes | This is a legislative priority of our caucus. | Yes | This is a legislative priority of our caucus. | Yes | This is a legislative priority of our caucus. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rep. Chris Pielli | |||||||
| Ron Ruman | HD 196 | RumanforRep.com | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587510253595 | Retired from Commonwealth of PA--served as press secretary in four administrations | Ron Ruman | info@rumanforrep.com | 717-885-3372 | Yes | That was our experience with our daughter. As the husband of a retired public school elementary teacher, I am well aware of the importance of early learning and development for children, and the importance of parental involvement. | Yes | In addition to academic skills, this early classroom environment helps children learn to listen to teachers and to get along with other children. Social development is very important. | Yes | Of course, the issue here is how do we pay for this. We know well the burden the cost of child care puts on middle class families, let alone lower income families. I am open to working with your organization and the business community to see how we can cooperatively work to fund more child care opportunities. | Yes | I do, but as in my answer above, how do we pay for this? I believe assistance from the government and/or the business community, ideally and the business community, which clearly benefits from employees who can come to work and while there not be worried about their children, should be looked at on a sliding scale. | Yes | I offer a qualified yes, as I don't know the full, actual cost of providing high-quality care. I would support increasing reimbursement, but would need to carefully consider also the cost to taxpayers. We all have an investment in the well-being of our youngest citizens, and I will support increasing state support with the caveat above. | Yes | I do believe increased state investment in this area is warranted. Tuition assistance and loan forgiveness programs are two possibilities I would consider in this area. | Yes | I believe my answer to question six also serves as a response here. | Yes | As with all of these questions, the goal is laudable. The difficulty is in the funding. However, I believe tuition assistance and loan forgiveness for providers with special skills to help children with disabilities, developmental delays, or mental health needs could be considered. | Yes | However, I do not believe taxpayers can bear the full cost of this. As noted in a few other responses above, we need to open a dialogue with the business community to look into a cooperative funding mechanism which includes both public and private dollars. | Yes | We were fortunate to find high quality child care for our daughter as we both had to work full time. As a Commonwealth employee, I did receive some tax assistance in being able to use pre-tax dollars for a portion of the bill, though the burden for us as middle-income earners was still large. Thus we have first hand experience in the value of high quality child care from infant on, and the difficulty for families in paying for this. | Ron Ruman |
| Sara Agerton | HD 88 | www.SaraAgerton.com | Facebook.com/SaraForPA | Healthcare Administrator | Ellie Krebs | Friendsofsaraagerton@gmail.com | 717-557-6415 | Yes | Children deserve a level playing field. The foundation and child receives will set them on a positive course. | Yes | Children should have the advantage of earlier diagnosis, interventions and building of skills. | Yes | Wages should support a living wage. | Yes | These necessities should not only be available to the wealthy. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Children should have workers who have been trained and have expertise to address the individualized needs of the children they serve. | Yes | No | Sara Agerton | |||||
| Sara Eggler | PA State Representative HD 76 | https://saraegglerforpa76district.com/ | Facebook: @SaraEgglerforPADistrict76 Instagram: @EgglerforPADist76 YouTube: @SaraEgglerforPADistrict76 | Real Estate Agent | Michael Madden | MichaelRMaddenpa@gmail.com | 814-264-4905 | Yes | Early Head Start benefits children in developing social & behavior skills, cognitive & language abilities, and studies have shown that it reduces the chances of acting out "aggressively". The NHSA has been researching these benefits since 1995, when the first "early" head start program was initiated. | Yes | I, personally, attended a pre-k head start program and remained in the top of my class, throughout my K-12 education. I strongly believe that head start and pre-k education gives children an educational advantage, and feel every child should have the opportunity to receive this education and take advantage of the benefits. | Yes | The cost of child care is tremendous. I strongly agree that government should be striving to make lives easier, and should be working toward reducing cost burdens on families, especially for future generations. Families should not have to chose between returning to work and staying home, simply due to costs. | Yes | Every family should have accessibility to affordable & high quality child care options & educational options. No "one" family should have to personally subsidize another family's care. The best course of action is to elect leaders who will correct the way the state and federal governments tax big corporations & businesses, as well as the top 1%. | Yes | I support subsidizing day care centers. However, systems need to be implemented to ensure accurate financial accounting & reporting. In addition, we need to implement systems to ensure there is opportunity for every single child. | Yes | I support increasing livable wages for all working families, including child care professionals and teachers. However, it is important to recognize that there are different roles within the early childhood system. Child care centers primarily provide safe, reliable care that allows parents to participate in the workforce, while Head Start and other early education programs place a stronger emphasis on learning, development, and school readiness. I believe early childhood educators who are required to hold college degrees and meet educational certification requirements should be compensated at a level that reflects their training, expertise, and responsibilities. Their salaries should be more comparable to those of K-12 teachers. At the same time, all child care professionals deserve fair wages that reflect the important role they play in supporting children, families, and our economy. | Yes | Yes, I support increased state investment to address the child care staffing crisis, particularly through increasing wages for child care professionals and early education workers. Families cannot access affordable, reliable child care if providers cannot recruit and retain qualified staff. At the same time, this challenge reflects a broader economic issue. For decades, many working Americans have seen wages fail to keep pace with rising costs of housing, health care, child care, and everyday necessities. While productivity and corporate profits have increased, too many workers have not shared proportionately in that growth. To sustainably address staffing shortages in child care and other essential professions, we must ensure that working people earn wages that allow them to support themselves and their families. This includes examining tax policies, closing loopholes that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest individuals and large corporations, and ensuring that Pennsylvania has the resources necessary to invest in education, child care, and workforce development. Strong child care systems are not only beneficial for children and families, they are critical economic infrastructure that allows parents to participate in the workforce and helps local businesses thrive. | Yes | Yes, I feel every school district should have programs & classes to serve and educate children with disabilities, developmental delays, and or mental health needs. | Yes | Yes. I fully support paid medical leave for mothers AND fathers, after the birth of a new baby and post adoption of a new child. | No | Sara Eggler | |
| Sean Steeg | PA Senate, SD30 | www.seansteeg.com | facebook.com/SteegForPA | CEO, Juniata Brewing Company | Sean Steeg | sean@seansteeg.com | 4106304178 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | If politically feasible, there would be no upper cap. Affordable, quality childcare should be available to all. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Investment here can look very different; positions not being filled can have a variety of reasons, and a good solution will go well beyond direct monetary investment. | Yes | Yes | Yes | My eldest has worked in daycares and early childhood centers since the age of 19 (with an Associate's in Early Childhood Education), and is currently a paraeducator in the local school district. | Sean Steeg | |||||||
| Senator Pat Stefano | PA State Senate, District 32 | StefanoForStateSenate.com | @StefanoForSenate | PA State Senator | Patrick Stefano | stefanoforsenate@gmail.com | 724-633-7441 | Yes | I am the co-chair of the Early Childhood Education Caucus and know that children will have a million word advantage if they have early learning opportunities. | Yes | They are little sponges at that age, so early education builds strong foundations that form good social and emotional skills. | Yes | I work with the Appropriations Committee to ask for additional funding to help keep classrooms open. | Yes | I've been working on the Workforce behind the Workforce to help keep costs down. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Unfortunately I've seen too many government programs that are to help solve a problem actually make issues worse, as in this case. Private companies must step up and offer these programs. | No | Personally never had to find childcare when my children were young. | Pat Stefano | ||||
| Sierra McNeil, MSW | State Representative HD 195 | www.sierraforpa.com | IG: SierraforPa | N/A | Sierra McNeil | info@sierraforpa.com | 215-971-0793 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My younger sister is a single mother raising two children and working hard to provide for her family. When she applied for affordable childcare assistance, she was told she earned too much money because her annual income was $39,990. Yet anyone living in Pennsylvania knows that income does not go far when you're paying for housing, food, transportation, and childcare for two children. Instead of receiving support, she was forced into a lengthy appeals process just to access a service that would allow her to continue working. This is a clear example of the benefits cliff, where families are penalized for earning slightly more while still struggling to make ends meet. | Sierra McNeil | |||||||||
| Steve Malagari | Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 53 | www.votemalagari.com | https://www.facebook.com/VoteMalagari @Steve_Malagari | State Representative | Patrick Ahern | patrick@princetonstrategies.com | 215-870-5206 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I have a record of supporting it. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Our family members were fortunate to be able to have a supportive network to assist. Families that we know however, do indeed struggle to find child care that is affordable for them. | Rep. Steve Malagari | ||||||||
| Sydney Speicher | State Representative House District 15 | https://www.speicherforpa.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61588347418352https://www.instagram.com/speicherforpa/ Facebook and Instagram | Graduate Student | Sydney Speicher | sydney@speicherforpa.com | (412) 532-9467 | Yes | I believe every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their family's income or circumstances. Giving families access to affordable, reliable childcare not only supports children's growth, but also helps parents stay in the workforce and provide for their families. Investing in children and working families is one of the best investments we can make in our communities. | Yes | I believe that high-quality pre-K builds strong social and emotional skills because children are developing those the most rapidly during that time. They are learning certain things for the first time such as cooperating, sharing, and problem-solving. They need to be challenged to grow but it also has to be in a positive, nourishing environment. | Yes | When parents cannot go to work to keep a household going the household will not be sustained. No parent should be punished for having children and want to work at the same time, and more importantly neither should the child. There should be affordable childcare options for working class families. | Yes | Yes, because it still allows parents to remain in the workforce, many families that are middle class are still not traditionally considered low-income and struggle to afford childcare. They deserve an opportunity to sustain their household even if they make what is considered enough to live comfortably. | Yes | Increasing the reimbursement rates allows the workers to be paid more and the quality of care goes up. That also helps relieve the high costs of the programs for working families. | Yes | Yes | Not only is increasing state investments creating more jobs and helping stimulate the economy, but it also creates more opportunity for childcare. | Yes | I believe that if any childcare centers admit children with disabilities or special care required there needs to be staff that understands their needs and can properly care for them. If there is not, the staff presents needs trained properly by a paid third party. | Yes | No | Sydney Speicher | |||
| Tarah Probst | PA House 189 | tarahprobst.com | https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTarahProbst | State Rep PA House 189 | Tarah Probst | tarahprobst@gmail.com | 5704172552 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I believe it should be universal. For every $1 invested in these kids, we get a $17 return. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | My son was in pre school and it prepared him for Kindergarten in social, emotional, and academics. It was expensive and I understand why. This is why I am an advocate for universal pre-k! Every child should have the same opportunity that mine did. | Tarah Probst | ||||||||
| Tim Brennan | 29th | www.brennanforpa.com | State Representative | Tim Brennan | tim@brennanforpa.com | 570-617-2155 | Yes | Yes | Yes | I was a supporter of the 25 million in additional funding this past budget for child care worker recruitment. I will continue to advocate for this common sense need, which improves our society and business productivity. | Yes | Yes | The rates that are paid to those caring for human beings it shameful. I have met with and stood with this workers in the capitol and in the district. Unless we invest in this service/care, we will continue to lose providers and continue to fail to acknowledge the importance and dignity of this work. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | I am proud to have advocated for this over the course of this session. | Yes | We have been privileged and also luck to have a good family support network and still had significant costs. As a workers compensation attorney in my last life, I also so how deeply this effected families. | Yes | |||||||
| Tim Briggs | House 149 | Timbriggs.org | State Representative | Tim Briggs | tim@timbriggs.org | 6105130720 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Tim Briggs | |||||||||||
| Tim Hayes | PA HD-143 | www.timhayesforpa.com | https://www.facebook.com/timhayesforstaterepresentative; https://www.instagram.com/timhayesforpa/ | State Policy Manager at Conservation Voters of PA | Bob McGarry | bob@timhayesforpa.com | 267-377-5817 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Tim Hayes | ||||||||||
| Tina Burns | PA State House Dist 124 | https://www.burns4pa.com/ | fb, insta, threads, tiktok - links on website | Healthcare Consultant | Tina Burns | burns4pa@gmail.com | 2721910032 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Tina Burns | ||||||||||
| Todd Crawley | 193rd State Representative Pennsylvania | votecrawley.com | Todd Crawley Democratic Candidate | Retired | Todd Crawley | tcrawley193@protonmail.com | 7176092709 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Todd Crawley | ||||||||||
| Tracy Pennycuick | State Senate, 24th District | www.tracypennycuick.com | Facebook: @Tracy4Pa; Instagram: @tracypennycuickforstatesenate; X: @tracy4pa | State Senator | Zach Graaf | zach@tracypennycuick.com | (610) 551-5800 | Yes | I believe high-quality child care is one of the foundations every child deserves for success in life. The first three years matter deeply, and talented child care professionals, working alongside parents, play an important role in helping infants and toddlers develop the skills they need to grow and thrive. | Yes | High-quality Pre-K helps children build the social, emotional, and early learning skills they need to succeed in school. Children who experience strong Pre-K programs are better prepared to follow routines, build confidence, get along with their peers, and navigate the K-12 environment. | Yes | Without affordable, high-quality child care, too many parents are forced out of the workforce, and too many young families are forced to make difficult decisions about whether they can afford to stay in Pennsylvania. Sustained investment in child care and Pre-K will help support children, strengthen families, assist employers, and grow Pennsylvania’s economy. | Yes | Affordable, high-quality child care is essential for Pennsylvania families. Middle-income families should not be forced to choose between going to work and finding safe, reliable care for their children. | Yes | I support increasing reimbursement rates to better reflect the actual cost of providing high-quality care. I would also like to see child care and Pre-K teachers treated more in line with Kindergarten teachers, including fair compensation, access to retirement benefits, professional development, and opportunities for career growth. | Yes | Early childhood professionals do critical work that shapes a child’s development and future success. Pennsylvania should make meaningful investments to recruit, retain, and fairly compensate the talented professionals who care for and educate our youngest children. | Yes | The child care staffing crisis is hurting children, families, providers, and employers across Pennsylvania. Increased investment is needed to help providers fill vacancies, expand access, and ensure working families have the reliable child care they need. | Yes | Every child should have the opportunity to attend child care and Pre-K, regardless of ability. Providers need the resources, staffing, training, and support necessary to serve children with disabilities, developmental delays, or mental health needs while also retaining qualified educators. | No | I do not support this proposal as currently written. I believe a federal program would be the better way to support workers and families consistently, including every Pennsylvanian, without creating a state-by-state patchwork that could be difficult for workers and employers to navigate. | Yes | I understand how important early childhood education and reliable child care are for families. Access to safe, affordable, high-quality care can make a tremendous difference for children, parents, employers, and communities. | Tracy Pennycuick |
| Wendy Morgan | House of Representatives, District 86 | www.morganforpa.com | Homemaker | Wendy Morgan | mswendymorgan@gmail.com | 8508262739 | Yes | Children are growing and learning at an accelerated pace during the first three years of their life. For example, studies show that children who have developmental delays and receive early, high quality care will achieve greater success later in life. | Yes | I believe that Pre-K is essential for children to learn greater emotional intelligence, to be able to successfully work/play with peers, and to follow directions. Without these skills children are often not ready to learn in Kindergarten and will need time to catch up to their classmates. | Yes | It is imperative that we invest more in child care and pre-K for the good of families and communities. A lack of affordable care impacts not just parents and children , but has negative consequences for the entire community because there are fewer people who are able to work and fill job vacancies. When fewer people work there is less money entering the local economy and less taxes are collected for local services. | Yes | A family of four making up to 4OO% the poverty level is often still struggling with day to day affordability. Mortgage interest rates are high, electricity prices are skyrocketing, health care is prohibitively expensive, the price of gasoline is rising, and food costs continue to creep up. Making up to 400% the poverty level does not give a family much buying power in the current economy. How then can families afford child care? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | It is vital that children with special needs and developmental delays receive the support they require. Early and high quality interventions can make all the difference in that child’s future. | Yes | Paid leave is paramount to ensure that families get the care and support they need without going into debt. | Yes | My eldest child required early intervention services which have been invaluable for his growth and development. Pennsylvania needs to increase funding so that all children have a chance to succeed and for parents to have the opportunity to work if they wish. Personally, I have not been able to return to the work force because childcare is extremely expensive. This has had negative impacts on my families financial health and wellbeing. | Wendy Morgan |