West Shore Chamber of Commerce

Growing coalition of 60 local chambers urge Governor Shapiro, lawmakers to address child care workforce crisis in 2025-2026 Pennsylvania budget

The West Shore Chamber of Commerce continued to lend support and sign on to the growing coalition of now more than 60 local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania to urge Governor Shapiro and all members of the PA General Assembly to take further action to address the continuing child care crisis. The letter that was sent to legislators to include the additional chambers is included below:

Dear Legislator,
As local chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania, we urge you to take further action (detailed below) to address Pennsylvania’s continuing child care crisis that is plaguing working families and employers.

Employers across the commonwealth representing virtually all economic sectors acknowledge that working parents’ struggles in affording and finding quality child care is impeding their ability to fill open positions and hurting their bottom line. Pennsylvania’s child care crisis is harming our state’s economy, costing working families, employers, and taxpayers $6.65 billion annually in lost wages, productivity and revenue.

It is important to underscore that there are two sides to this crisis – parents affording quality care, and parents finding quality care.

We are grateful that the General Assembly acted in a bi-partisan manner in making child care more affordable for working families through the enhanced Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit Program. This will certainly help in solving part of our child care crisis.

Unfortunately, tax credits do not address the historic teacher shortage that is closing child care classrooms and entire programs, driving up waitlists, thus hampering parent’s ability to find care. Low wages are driving this teacher shortage.

According to a new Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) report, child care wages did grow between 2019 – 2023 to a statewide average of slightly more than $15 per hour. The report cautions however that this data includes the observed impact of the $1.6 billion in one-time federal pandemic relief funds that were allocated to stabilize the child care sector. The report further cautions that it is unclear how the depletion of the one-time funds will impact the child care sector, and whether early learning providers can sustain these recent wage increases. With working families already struggling to afford the costs of child care, providers just can’t compete in a labor market with many sectors offering $20+ per hour for largely unskilled positions.

This situation is not unique to Pennsylvania, it’s happening across the nation and many states are taking action. At least eighteen states, both Republican and Democrat, have directly invested in recruitment, retention or wage impacting strategies to solve the child care teacher shortage and ensure that working families can find care.

Several states are providing a monthly per-employee stipend to child care providers for the direct purpose of helping to retain and recruit staff. Allowable uses include hiring bonuses, benefit packages, monthly wage increases, or retention bonuses for staff staying for a certain length of time or for staff achieving certain credentials or degrees. A key element of this model is the flexibility of use – understanding that local child care providers know their program, region, and employees best.

We urge you to continue to work across the aisle and enact solutions like those detailed above that will help solve the child care teacher shortage and help working families find child care. We look forward to working with you on this important issue and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns.

Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce – Robert S. Carl, Jr., President & CEO
West Shore Chamber of Commerce – George M. Book, Jr., President & CEO
Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce – Stephen Christian, Executive Director
Lancaster Chamber – Heather Valudes, President & CEO
Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce – Karen Groh, President & CEO
Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry – Tracy Becker, Executive Director
Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce – Heidi Scrivo, President & CEO
Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry – Laura Manion, President & CEO
Venango Area Chamber of Commerce – Susan Williams, President
Greater Reading Chamber Alliance – Lucine Sihelnik, President & CEO
Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce – Gina Suydam, IOM, President
Meadville Area Chamber of Commerce – Christa Lundy, Executive Director
Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce – Chris Heck, President & CEO
Somerset County Chamber of Commerce – Ron Aldom, Executive Director
York County Economic Alliance – Kevin Schreiber, President & CEO
HighRidge Improvement District Authority – Letitia Reiser, Executive Assistance
Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce – Christopher Berleth, President & CEO
Exton Region Chamber of Commerce – Laurie Ryan, President
Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce – Briana Tomack, President & CEO
Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce – Rhonda Kelley, Executive Director
Delaware County Chamber of Commerce – Trish McFarland, President
Cambria Regional Chamber – Amy Bradley, CEO
Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce – MacKenzie Huntsman, President & CEO
Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce – Cheryl B. Kuhn, IOM, President & CEO
Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce – Jason Fink, President & CEO
Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce – Nicole Deary, President & CEO
TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce – Eillen Dautrich, President
Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation – Frank Zukas, President
Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership – James Grunke, President & CEO
Bedford County Chamber of Commerce – Kellie Goodman Shaffer, President & CEO
Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce – Theresa M. Fera, President & CEO
Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce – Anthony T. Iannelli, President & CEO
Upper Bucks County Chamber of Commerce – Danielle Bodnar, Executive Director
Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce – Robert Garrett, President & CEO
Schuylkill County Industrial Development Authority – Frank Zukas, Executive Director
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC – Ryan C. Unger, President & CEO
The Chamber of Gettysburg & Adams County – Carrie Stuart, President
African American Chamber of Commerce of Western PA – Doris Carson Williams, Chief Executive Officer
Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce – Michelle Mikitish, President
Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County – Greg Scott, President & CEO
Pocono Mountain Chamber of Commerce – Sarah Wallace, Director
Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce – Mary Malone, President & CEO
Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce – Leanne Engle, Executive Director
Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce – William J. Ferrara, Executive Director
Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce – Lindsay Griffin Boylan, President & CEO
Greene County Chamber of Commerce – Melody Longstreth, Executive Director
Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce – Sarah Messer, President
Greater DuBois Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development – Jodi August, Executive Director
Alle Kiski Strong Chamber – Lynda Pozzuto, Executive Director
Perry County Chamber of Commerce – Taira L. Little, Director
Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce – Jim Bombeck, Executive Director
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Montgomery County – Pamela A. Kelly, President/CEO
Norristown Chamber of Commerce – Kym Ramsey, President & CEO
Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce – Carrie Nolan-Robson, Executive Director
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce – Robert F. Durkin, President
Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce – Beth Black, Executive Director
Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce – Katie Walker, President
Downingtown Area Chamber of Commerce – Patty Hall, Executive Director
Butler County Chamber of Commerce – Jordan Grady, President
Beaver County Chamber of Commerce – Lance Grable, President

View the pdf of the letter sent here. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce also released a podcast (Spotify and YouTube) and a press release explaining that since the original release of the letter in June of 2024, the coalition has grown.