Pennsylvania Boosts Funding for Child Care Workforce and Local Health and Fire Services

The Pennsylvania 2026‑27 budget adds $5 million to the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program, raising it from $25 million to $30 million, and includes an extra $3.75 million for the Pennsylvania Pre‑K Counts initiative and roughly $1 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. Chamber President Robert S. Carl Jr. said the investment “recognizes that investing in the early‑learning workforce is also an investment in Pennsylvania’s businesses, communities and economy.”

In a separate allocation, more than $2.5 million in state capital funding from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is earmarked for four Chester County projects: $850,000 for a new perinatal care center at Paoli Hospital; $800,254 to expand the Goshen Fire Company’s apparatus bay; $700,000 for municipal improvements in Downingtown Borough; and $200,000 for renovations and ADA‑compliant additions to Londonderry Township’s administrative offices. State Senator Carolyn Comitta said the investments “help strengthen our health, emergency, and municipal services in Chester County.”