ADVISORY - YORK - Shapiro Administration to Urge Child Care Providers to Apply for New Recruitment and Retention Bonuses Before January 29 Deadline, Reinforce Commitment to[...]

January 28, 2026- York, PA

ADVISORY - YORK - Shapiro Administration to Urge Child Care Providers to Apply for New Recruitment and Retention Bonuses Before January 29 Deadline, Reinforce Commitment to Ensuring Families Have Access to Quality Child Care

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) leadership will visit York Day Early Learning to encourage child care providers to apply for the new Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program. Providers must complete applications online before the January 29, 2026, deadline.

Investing in the child care workforce ensures that families can continue working while children receive the foundation they need to succeed. Governor Josh Shapiro's 2025-26 budget secured major investments in the child care workforce through competitive wage increases, recruitment, and retention bonuses for child care workers, including:

$25 million for the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, which will provide a $450 bonus per employee at licensed Child Care Works (CCW) providers. These bonuses will support approximately 55,000 child care workers and help stabilize the child care sector; and

$7.5 million for Pre-K Counts to help providers raise wages and stabilize the early educator workforce.

WHO:
Department of Human Services Executive Deputy Secretary Andrew Barnes
Office of Child Development and Early Learning Deputy Secretary Shante' Brown

WHEN:
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Media Availability: 10:30 AM

WHERE:
York Day Early Learning
450 East Philadelphia Street, York, PA 17403

MEDIA RSVP:
Press interested in attending must RSVP with the name of photographer/reporter to [email protected].

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