Nearly Half of Eligible Pennsylvania Children Do Not Have Access to Pre-K

A total of 145,010 Pennsylvania children, ages three and four, are eligible for high-quality pre-kindergarten. However, only 46% of them have access, according to 2024 Pre-K for PA fact sheets.

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Of the eligible children - who comprise 52% of all children in that age range statewide - a total of 66,839 have access to high-quality pre-kindergarten. But 54% of eligible children - a total of 78,171 - do not have access. An additional 7,817 pre-k staff would be required to serve the remaining eligible children.

Pre-K for PA defines high-quality, publicly funded pre-kindergarten as:

  • Head Start (state- and federally-funded)

  • Pre-K Counts

  • School district pre-kindergarten

  • Philadelphia pre-K (PHLpreK)

  • Child care provided in Keystone STAR 3-4 centers and group child care homes participating in the Child Care Works subsidized program for preschool age children.

Four types of high-quality providers are eligible to receive Pre-K Counts funding to support a pre-k program:

  • Head Start

  • Keystone STAR 3-4 child care centers or group child care homes

  • Private academic nursery schools

  • School districts

Allegheny County

Currently, there are 3,212 eligible pre-k locations in Pennsylvania, of which 74% are receiving public funds for pre-kindergarten. There are also 1,035 Pre-K Counts locations, of which 505 (or 49%) are in high-quality child care programs.

Allegheny County has 271 eligible pre-k locations, of which 205 (76%) are receiving public funds for pre-K. It has 88 Pre-K Counts locations, of which 28 (32%) are in high-quality child care.

Addressing the Crisis

As part of the 2024-25 state budget, the Pre-K for PA campaign is asking the General Assembly to support an investment of $30 million in Pre-K Counts to increase the per-child rate to address workforce challenges and inflationary pressures. The campaign notes that additional investments would be needed in future years to further prevent teacher shortages as well as provide greater access to eligible children.

Families, Providers, NewsNathan DukePre-K counts, high-quality pre-kindergarten, Pennsylvania state budget, Teacher shortage