Child care staffing crisis has parents scrambling

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November 24, 2021

Child care crunch, court winner, record homicides, autumn awe, potty maps, wholesale heist, and 5-star Harrisburg vacations. Welcome to Wednesday.

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CHILD CARE CRISIS

To get a sense of how well Pennsylvania's child care industry is functioning right now, just ask a parent and you'll surely get a look of frustration. That's because persistent staff shortages are leading to reduced hours, classroom closures, and waiting lists a mile long, Spotlight PA reports.

Millions of dollars in stimulus money earmarked for child care centers during the pandemic is credited with limiting the number of facility closures. But now, nearly two years later, demand is returning but centers are unable to attract and retain enough workers to even come close to meeting the neet.

“There’s always that question of what’s going to happen next?” said Erika Peterkin, a 37-year-old mother whose family pays almost $1,000 a month for child care in Bucks County.

THE CONTEXT: The inability to attract and retain workers has serious ripple effects that reach far beyond the classroom, as parents shuffle their work schedules to deal with shorter hours and face tough decisions about how to care for their children without losing a paycheck.

If they have to call out of work, that can affect business productivity and contribute to the supply-chain squeeze.

Low pay is the crux of the staffing crunch. Preschool teachers in Pennsylvania earned a median wage of less than $14 an hour in 2019, while the median wage for child care workers was even lower — less than $11 an hour. That’s in part because most child care providers operate on razor-thin margins.

President Joe Biden's Biden’s roughly $2 trillion social spending proposal — known as Build Back Better — would include universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds and subsidies to ensure most working families don’t spend more than 7% of their income on child care. It also promises to raise wages.

Its fate in Congress, however, is far but certain.

Hey, it's Colin, your PA Post editor...

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NOTABLE / QUOTABLE

“I urge our folks at the state level to come to some sort of agreement to allow people to vote easily, provide the election integrity of the election process they want, but to give us tools.”

—Allegheny County Board of Elections member Sam DeMarco, assessing the county’s election system

✍️ GIVE THANKS

It's Thanksgiving week, and we want to know what you're thankful for this year. Tell us your reasons here and we'll share some of our favorite responses in the Thanksgiving Day edition of this newsletter. 'Tis the season.

ALL GIFTS DOUBLED

We've been issued an urgent challenge: If we raise $70,000 by Dec. 31, we'll unlock $70,000 in matching gifts. This is HUGE.

Don't miss this chance to support Spotlight PA's vital investigative journalism and have your contribution DOUBLED. The future of Spotlight PA depends on your support, and we can't afford to lose this critical journalism.

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💉 COVID-19 NEWS

» DATA CRUNCH: Staffing shortages and outdated technology continue to hamper the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 tracking, The Inquirer reports.

» DARK DAY: As of early Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 death toll surpassed 33,000 people, PennLIVE reports.

To find a COVID-19 vaccine, use the federal government's online tool, call 1-800-232-0233, or text your zip code to 438829 (GETVAX).

📷 POST IT

More glorious fall foliage shot along the Eshenour Trail in Derry Township. Thanks for the photo, Robert N. Send us your gems, use the hashtag #PAGems on Instagram, or tag us @spotlightpennsylvania.

DAILY RUNDOWN

FINAL WINNER: Republican Drew Crompton conceded the race for an open seat on Commonwealth Court to Democrat Lori Dumas as a mandatory recount wrapped up, the AP reports. As Spotlight PA previously reported, Dumas — currently a Common Pleas judge — will be one of two people of color serving on the state's appellate benches.

BALLOT BLUNDER: In Berks County, Daniel Boone School Board candidate Caroline Brown didn’t find out she lost the seat she was running for until she emailed her presumed boss. The Reading Eagle reports how multiple mistakes by the Berks County Board of Elections produced the misleading result.

BIG PAYBACK: Threatening and unclear language in the Department of Labor and Industry’s accidental overpayment notices is intimidating Pennsylvanians who received unemployment benefits during the pandemic. WESA reports frustration and confusion among beneficiaries and their advocates.

ARPA AIMS: Officials in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton are weighing public input and fiscal priorities as they decide the future of funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. The Morning Call details the different ways the Lehigh Valley cities are considering putting the federal dollars to use, from expanding broadband to plugging budget holes.

DEATH WATCH: As the end of the year approaches, Philadelphia is on track to exceed 500 homicides, The Inquirer reports. The last time the grim tally was this high was in 1990, at the height of the crack-cocaine epidemic.

IN OTHER NEWS

PENGUIN PROMISE: As negotiations continue on the pending Pittsburgh Penguins sale, Mayor Bill Peduto assured residents that the ownership change wouldn’t affect the hockey team’s legal commitments to the Hill District.

PA BOUNTY: Due to our state's robust local markets for Christmas trees, mushrooms, holiday spirits, and other goods, some shortages will likely be avoided this holiday season, the Pocono Record reports.

FOOD FRAUDSTER: Caesar DiCrecchio was sentenced to 10-plus years in federal prison for stealing $8 million from the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market. The Inquirer reports prosecutors said the pilfered money went toward the former CEO's relatives, a summer home, and horse boarding.

TRIP TREND: For the first time, a Pennsylvania city has landed a coveted spot on vacation rental site Vrbo’s annual Travel Trend Report. Can you guess which? Hint: It’s home to an award-winning newsroom.

GOTTA GO: A Philadelphia data analyst has released Where2Go, an IOS app that maps public restrooms in the city and allows users to rate them. Roughly 200 people have downloaded it so far, Billy Penn reports.

THE SCRAMBLER

Unscramble and send your answer to scrambler@spotlightpa.org. We'll shout out winners here, and one each week will get some Spotlight PA swag.

E T E L L I A L A T G

Monday's answer: Mitochondrial

Congrats to our daily winners: Susan Z., Becky C., Craig, W., Neal W., Michelle T., Susan D., Keith F., Jessica K., Art W., Susan F., Vicki Y., Barbara O., Elaine, C., Christine M., Kim C., Myles M., Bill S., David I., Lynne E., Suzanne S., Jill A.-S., Joel S., and Craig E.

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Plus, GOP candidate concedes Commonwealth Court race.