Pennsylvania will issue $450 bonuses to eligible child care workers as part of a $25 million initiative in the new state budget to improve staffing and address approximately 3,000 unfilled positions in the industry.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration announced the following details about the program:
- Only child care centers that offer the state-subsidized program Child Care Works will be eligible.
- Centers must be actively operating, hold a regular compliance certificate from the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), and be in good standing with DHS and the Office of the Attorney General to qualify.
Bonuses will be distributed starting in mid-December. Child care providers will be able to apply online for the $450 retention awards on behalf of eligible staff and “recruitment funds as needed,” according to Press Secretary Brandon Cwalina. Applications will be open for 45 days.
Payments to staff are expected between February and May 2026. The child care hubs, known as Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs), will have until the end of June to issue the payments. These child care facilities must also agree to abide by fiscal monitoring requirements to receive the funds.
To qualify for a bonus, employees must provide direct supervision of children for at least 15 hours per week at the relevant child care location.
According to FOX 43 News, OCDEL will first distribute retention awards, followed by recruitment awards based on how much funding remains. Recruitment awards will be determined by “provider type and license capacity,” according to Cwalina.
“We’re making investments to help child care centers hire and retain talented educators. These bonuses will help strengthen the workforce, open more slots for children, and make sure families across Pennsylvania can find the care they need,” Shapiro said in a statement.
