Pa. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis seeks Philly’s advice on how to better address the cost, accessibility of childcare

Tiana Williams considers the Roxborough YMCA one of her greatest blessings.

Not because of its gym or indoor pool or pickleball courts — but because it was where she was able to get her 4-year-old son into pre-K.

“It was a challenge initially finding something that was up to par,” said Williams, a 36-year-old event planner who lives in West Philadelphia.

Now, as her son enters his second year at the Roxborough Y, Williams said she has seen immense social and emotional development.

Without childcare, she said, her life as a working parent “would be extremely difficult.”

That’s why Williams was seated Thursday in the Roxborough YMCA with Pennsylvania Lt. Gov Austin Davis, business owners, and childcare providers, including executives of the YMCA, the largest childcare provider in the commonwealth.

Davis, himself a father to an almost-1-year-old, was there to listen and take back to Harrisburg ideas on how to address the high cost of childcare, make it more accessible, and attract and retain staff at these facilities.

“As a new dad, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for working families to have access to high-quality and affordable childcare,” said Davis, who cochairs the Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC), a public-private partnership that recommends policy changes related to childcare.

His visit came as parents across the region say they are struggling to find and afford high-quality childcare, which can cost more than a mortgage or a college tuition per child. Between 1991 and 2024, the cost of day-care and preschool nationwide has risen at almost double the rate of inflation, according to a May report from accounting firm KPMG. The burden can make it more difficult for working parents, especially women, to advance professionally. In some cases, it causes them to leave the workforce entirely.

» READ MORE: Childcare costs ‘more than a mortgage’ per kid, forcing Philly parents to make tough choices

Providers are struggling, too.

“We interview folks. We want to bring them on board, and they can’t find childcare for themselves, either care that they can afford or care for the age of their child,” said Melanie Brennan, executive director of early learning programs at KenCrest Services. KenCrest serves more than 800 children in 43 classrooms across the city, but has six classrooms sitting empty due to staff shortages.

Childcare workers and preschool teachers are two most in-demand jobs in Pennsylvania, and they are also some of the lowest-paid.

With childcare workers not making a living wage in any Pennsylvania county, “that makes it hard to attract and retain,” said Shaun Elliott, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. “To compound the problem, the qualifications for teacher are such that people may be interested ... [but] are unable to participate.”

Staffing issues don’t just cause long wait lists. They also cost the Pennsylvania economy more than $6.65 billion a year in wages or jobs lost by parents unable to find childcare, according to a March 2023 study by the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission and Council for a Strong America.

» READ MORE: Pa. workers are part of a cross-county bus tour to put the ‘care economy’ on voters’ minds

“As many of us learned during the pandemic, childcare is infrastructure in many ways,” Davis said. “It’s just as important for a functioning economy as roads and bridges, as transit and the internet. Without childcare, our economy is crippled.”

Davis said he and Gov. Josh Shapiro have taken steps to address childcare issues, including expanding the child tax credit, a move Davis said impacted more than 27,000 Philadelphians, and increasing funding for early learning.

But, he added, “quite frankly, there is more work to be done on this issue.”

Stakeholders around the table offered suggestions, with Brennan suggesting measures that have been enacted in states such as Vermont and Illinois and could increase pay for childcare workers. Elliott, of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA, suggested amending regulations to create a pathway for potential employees to be accredited through on-the-job training.

As a parent, Williams, the West Philadelphia mother, knows she got lucky. She leaned on a local moms’ group for childcare recommendations, and she and her husband, a chef, qualified for pre-K Counts, a state program that provides free pre-K to families who fall below an income threshold.

Susann DiPersia also knows how lucky Williams is. As the Roxborough YMCA’s childcare director, she calls parents to notify them that they have gotten off the wait list for care. She said some parents tell her they are ready to bring their child over right away.

“They’re super excited,” she said. “It’s amazing.”