$303 Million in Federal Funding to Support PA Child Care Providers

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced allocation plans for more than $303 million in federal funds received to support child care providers.

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The funds come from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA).

Additional information including eligibility criteria and timeline will be shared on the Pennsylvania Key website on March 10, 2021.

The funding will be issued to counties beginning April 20, 2021 (child care directors should expect to receive the funding in May) and will be divided to support child care providers through multiple channels, including:

  • $140.7 million to support child care providers experiencing reduced enrollments. Funds will be allocated based on provider type and maximum licensed capacity, assuming that centers are operating with approximately a 32 percent enrollment reduction. A one-time sum will be issued based on $155 per week per child and adjusted based on an efficiency factor for each provider category multiplied by 10 weeks.

  • $64.6 million to help child care providers continue to account for increased costs in order to operate safely. Funds will based on provider type and the lower limit of licensed capacity count, with a cap of 100 children, multiplied by 10 weeks.

  • $87.17 million to support increased, regionalized base payment rates for child care providers participating in subsidized child care.

  • $3 million to expand the number of child care professionals who can receive pandemic relief awards to an additional 5,000 people.

For details, read the full press release.