Allegheny County adds $6 million in funding to improve childcare availability

For the second time in as many weeks, Allegheny County leaders are praising their work for young families. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced funding to increase childcare slots in the county.

In all, about $6 million in new funding will go toward adding about 1,000 more childcare slots. The goal is to have about 5,000 new slots over the next five years. The funding will address employing and retaining workers and expanding childcare centers.

"If we are talking about getting people off the bench and participating fully in our economy, we need to treat childcare and out-of-school time like critical infrastructure that is going to support our economy," Innamorato said.

The funding breakdown is $3 million from the Heinz Endowments, $2.5 million is proposed for next year's county budget, and $400,000 was invested this year.

Trying Together, which supports early childhood care, said it surveyed more than 125 centers in the area. It found those childcare centers needed 300 positions and had 85 empty classrooms. Addressing that would open 2,100 childcare spots in the area.

This funding was put through a request for proposal process. In all, more than $25 million worth of requests for proposals were sent to the county for the $6 million pot of funding. 

"Ours is a region that cannot afford to let a single person not meet their potential and not stay here, and that's what's so important with this initiative," Heinz Endowments President Chris DeCardy said.

The other challenge for many working families is the cost. This money won't directly change that, and the county executive said federal and state leaders need to step up.

"That's something that at the county level we can't solve for alone. That's where we need federal and state partners to step in and say how we are ensuring that childcare is affordable for working families across our region," Innamorato said.

Since part of the funding comes from the county's budget, the earliest requests for proposals could receive funding awards is early next year.