Please join our bipartisan effort to smooth Pennsylvania’s childcare cliff by ensuring young families can continue their childcare if they secure a raise, or accept a promotion, which puts their earnings above Government’s allowable limit.  It is hard for families to work their way out of poverty.  Our current process of mandated earning limits prevents a young parent from making more AND still keep essential childcare.

Too many times a parent must decline a job, or decrease their hours worked, because they will lose all important child care if they earn even a little above government’s set limit.  Our legislation uses existing dollars to codify a successful pilot program which extends childcare for parents who started below poverty limits and earned their way just above the cut-off, providing they pay a higher co-pay.

In the FY 2023-2024 budget, the General Assembly included $25 million in the Child Care Services appropriation. This funding was included so that working families with increased income could still participate in the child care subsidy program if their income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty income guidelines. The language pertaining to this funding provided that families with higher incomes will pay larger copayments toward their childcare in order to promote self-sufficiency and smooth the child care benefits “cliff.” 

These provisions were included in the 2023-2024 Budget Implementation article of the Fiscal Code. We  are proposing to amend the Human Services Code to include this language in its proper location. This will not change the legislation that was previously enacted but will simply ensure that the same framework is available if additional funding is included for this purpose in future budgets.

Please consider joining us in sponsoring this legislation. 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1227: P.L.31, No.21