2024-25 PA Budget Overview
Pennsylvania’s 2024-2025 budget included investments supporting access to early childhood care and education as well as workforce support when it was passed in July, according to the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL).
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The state budget was enacted on July 12. Everything from early intervention services to evidence-based home visiting saw increases in the budget.
Early Intervention
Early Intervention Birth-3 services were increased by $9.1 million for a total allocated amount of $194.6 million to serve an estimated 54,200 infants and toddlers.
Preschool Early Intervention, 3-5, received a supplemental increase of $9.1 million in 2023-2024 and an increase of $32.8 million in 2024-2025 for a total appropriation of $398.8 million to serve an estimated 72,100 preschoolers.
Child Care
Child care services saw a $26.2 million increase for a total appropriation of $298 million to support subsidized child care services for low-income families.
Funding for child care assistance was level-funded for a total of $123.2 million to support subsidized child care services for families receiving TANF, former TANF, and SNAP benefits.
Evidence-Based Home Visiting and Family Supports
Community-Based Family Centers were level-funded for a total appropriation of $34.5 million.
Nurse Family Partnership saw a decrease of $70,000 for a total of $14 million.
These funding levels will serve approximately 10,000 children.
Early Childhood Education
PA Pre-K Counts was increased by $15 million for a total appropriation of $317.2 million. The funding would increase the cost per child from $10,000 to $10,500 for full-time slots and from $5,000 to $5,250 for part-time slots. The increase would support 30,385 slots for the new fiscal year.
A proposed $2.7 million increase for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program - which would continue to serve 6,574 children - was included in the budget for a total appropriation of $90.8 million.
Also in the Budget
The budget also included an initiative to increase subsidy base rates to the 75th percentile of private pay rats based on 2022 Market Rate Survey results, effective Jan. 1. The anticipated cost of the initiative is $62.5 million, which would be supported by state and federal funding.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government supplemented OCDEL funding through various grants. Remaining American Rescue Plan Act funding will be expended by Sept. 30. All initiatives implemented with these funds will remain in place and be supported by existing state and federal funding sources.
And a Preschool Development Grant - through which Pennsylvania was awarded $16 million in 2022 for the first of a three-year PDG B-5 renewal grant - that was initially established in the 2023-2024 budget has been sustained in the new fiscal year budget. Planned activities include updating a statewide needs assessment and strategic plan, working to maximize parent and family engagement opportunities and supporting the workforce and program quality.