Pennsylvania will provide $450 bonuses to thousands of eligible child care workers under a new initiative aimed at stabilizing and strengthening the state’s early childhood workforce.
The bonuses are part of the 2025-26 state budget, which set aside $25 million for a Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program. State officials say the funding is intended to address ongoing staffing shortages that have limited child care availability for families across the commonwealth.
Governor Josh Shapiro recently highlighted the program while discussing workforce challenges in the child care sector, noting that roughly 3,000 positions remain unfilled statewide. Administration officials say improving recruitment and retention is critical to helping child care centers operate at full capacity and expand the number of slots available to children.
Under the program, individual retention bonuses will be $450. Not all child care providers are eligible to participate. Only centers that administer the state-subsidized Child Care Works program may apply for the funds. Eligible centers must also be actively operating, hold a regular certificate of compliance from the Department of Human Services’ Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and be in good standing with both DHS and the Office of Attorney General.
Beginning in mid-December, qualifying child care providers will be able to apply online for retention awards on behalf of eligible staff members. Providers may also request recruitment funds if needed. Applications will remain open for 45 days.
Payments will be distributed through Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Resource Centers, which serve as regional child care hubs. The ELRCs are expected to issue the bonuses between February and May 2026, with providers required to distribute payments by the end of June. The program will be subject to fiscal monitoring to ensure funds are used appropriately.
To qualify for a bonus, employees must provide direct supervision of children for at least 15 hours per week at the physical child care location. Retention awards will be distributed first. After that, state officials will determine whether funding remains for recruitment awards, which would be allocated based on provider type and licensed capacity.
Administration officials say the initiative is designed to support the educators and staff who form the backbone of the child care system, while also helping families who struggle to find affordable and reliable care. By boosting pay through targeted bonuses, the state hopes to reduce turnover, attract new workers to the field, and improve access to child care services across Pennsylvania.
Source: Fox43