Many of us have heard from families in our districts about the challenge of finding and affording child care. For many working parents and grandparents raising young children, the cost of daycare can rival the cost of rent or a mortgage. In many cases, young families are paying over $15,000 for childcare annually, being forced to choose between fueling the car to get to work or paying for the care needed to stay employed.
 
A significant driver of these costs is the growing shortage of qualified child care workers. While Pennsylvania rightly sets standards to protect children’s safety and wellbeing, those standards can sometimes restrict our ability to hire capable, trusted individuals, especially in rural communities and among populations where formal education may not be the norm, but real-world ability runs deep.
 
I will soon introduce legislation to allow individuals with substantial abilities in caring for children to qualify for work in a licensed child care facility. Similar flexibility is already recognized in other professions, where ability is valued alongside education, and would ensure that capable, responsible individuals aren’t shut out of the child care workforce solely because of a credential on paper.
 
This is a commonsense reform to help stabilize the child care workforce, expand employment opportunities, and support families trying to build a future. I invite you to join me in co-sponsoring this important measure.